New electric vehicle for country park rangers fleet

Rangers at Severn Valley Country Park (SVCP) near Alveley are cutting Shropshire Council’s carbon footprint by using a new electric buggy to get about the site.

The new utility task vehicle (UTV) has just gone into service at the 126-acre country park and, as well as reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting emissions, it is expected to make maintenance savings too.

New electric buggy at Severn Valley Country Park

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said:-

“Our climate team and countryside team have worked together to find a vehicle that helps us meet our target of becoming a net zero council by 2030, and helps us maintain our country park efficiently.

“The use of the electric UTV brings direct benefits to SVCP and its visitors, as it means much less air pollution and much less noise pollution than a traditionally-powered vehicle. It also requires less maintenance as there are few moving parts.

“I am sure it will be in constant use and provide excellent service to the countryside team, who are currently testing its capabilities.”

The new vehicle is a Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic and can achieve a full charge in five hours, giving it a range of 70kms and the power to tow up to 2,500lbs.

It will be used by the countryside team to perform a wide range of activities across the park.