DARLINGTON Borough Council is embracing a cleaner future for transport and taken delivery of the first of a new fleet of electric vehicles.

The seven Nissan E-NV200 vans are the first all-electric vehicles to be introduced as part of an ongoing plan which will see the council’s fleet switched to electric, as vehicles need to be replaced.

The white vans will be used by gas and electric service engineers in the council’s building services maintenance team.

They are responsible for safety checks and repairs to appliances in around 5,000 council-owned homes.

Councillor Veronica Copeland, cabinet member for housing, said: “These vehicles were cheaper to buy than diesel-fuelled vans and will be around 30 per cent cheaper to run, which will save the Council money in the long term.”