Corby Council Turns Greener With Toyota
When Corby Borough Council decided to set an environmental example on Northamptonshire roads it looked to Toyota – and the council is now running five cars that will save on fuel costs and carbon emissions by the tonne.
The council has made two Toyota Prius hybrids available to all its employees travelling on council business since the start of September. Corby Council staff clocked up 200,000 business miles in 2007, mainly using their own cars, and the authority believes that switching to fuel-efficient Prius pool cars will reduce environmental impact substantially.
The council hopes that the availability of the five-door Toyota Prius T3s will encourage staff to leave their own vehicles at home, making their commuting more sustainable and economical. It will also make its own savings in terms of business mileage.
The other three new cars delivered in September were Toyota Aygo Blue three-door hatchbacks, for use by those council staff who look after residents of the borough’s sheltered-accommodation schemes. With the best fuel economy for petrol-powered cars in their class, the Aygos were again selected for their environmental and cost-saving qualities.
CO2 emission levels for the 1.0 VVT-i petrol-engined Toyota Aygo are 108g/km, and fuel consumption on the combined circuit 61.41mpg, with equivalent figures for the Prius 104g/km and 65.69mpg.
The Prius in T3 form features drive-by-wire acceleration, braking and gear shifting; electric power steering; Electronic Traction Control; Vehicle Stability Control Plus; all-round electric windows; and a six-speaker CD system. The high-spec Aygo Blue includes Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and air conditioning as standard.
“I am delighted that the council is leading the way by getting vehicles that are more environmentally friendly,” said Cllr Pat Fawcett, Leader of Corby Borough Council. “As well as helping reduce the impact of motor vehicle pollution, the Prius cars are also very quiet to drive and will therefore reduce noise pollution too. It is good that we have taken a positive decision to go for hybrid vehicles.
“Not only are the pool cars more environmentally friendly, but with the ever-increasing cost of fuel it makes financial sense too. They are a valuable and welcomed addition to our fleet.”
The council purchased the Toyota cars outright. “Feedback thus far is good,” noted Corby Council’s Corporate Procurement Officer Stuart Taylor, with staff reporting ‘a nice smooth comfortable drive’.
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