Halewood Artisanal Spirits has taken delivery of 25 Kia e-Niro from Bolton Kia to help transition its fleet to electric power.
The Liverpool-based company chose the e-Niro ‘2’ Long Range, which was introduced in March this year and offers up to 382-miles range from a single charge of its 64kWh battery.
This e-Niro model also has the high-power 201bhp (150kW) electric motor that top specification e-Niros are equipped with, and qualifies for the UK Government Plug-in Car Grant.
Family-owned Halewood is one of the UK’s leading independent distillers, producing a range of spirits and exporting to about 75 countries.
The company plans for 90 per cent of its fleet to have transitioned to electric power this month.
To support its switch to EVs, the business has committed to installing workplace chargers at each of its UK facilities.
Halewood’s drivers will also benefit from comprehensive driver training, teaching best-practice to get the most out of driving efficiently in an EV, in addition to being provided with information about home charging and cheaper energy deals available with off-peak EV tariffs.
Iain Wilson, Fleet Manager at Halewood Artisanal Spirits, said: “Our previous fleet was made up of diesel and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and we’d monitored the EV market for quite some time before taking the plunge.
“The Kia e-Niro addressed all our concerns about EVs convincingly, thanks to its excellent practicality, range and charging speeds. We know that all of our fleet can cope with the car’s range, especially once we have chargers at all of our UK facilities, which will really make a big difference to the ease of adoption.
“We’re looking forward to adding to the e-Niro fleet in the near future too, having placed an order for a few Kia EV6.”
