NHS Northumbria Foundation Trust has taken delivery of 700 Jaguar I-Pace SUVs, which the healthcare organisation will lease to its public sector staff over the next three years.
The fleet of I-Paces will be available for NHS staff to lease from April, with employees paying for their vehicles via salary sacrifice. NHS Fleet Solutions will act as the go-between for Jaguar and NHS staff, with all the income from the leasing scheme due to be reinvested back into patient care.
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The NHS hopes this decision will compliment its ambition to reduce its carbon footprint. Sir James Mackey, Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare, said: “To have a fleet of cars that are fully electric demonstrates our ongoing commitment to making decisions that reduce our impact on the environment and help us become greener.”
The £65,000 Jaguar I-Pace SUV was the Auto Express 2018 Car of the Year, due to its impressive driving dynamics, its compliant chassis, it’s fast charge times and near-300 mile range – all of which made it one of the first truly usable electric vehicles.
It’s powered by a 90kWh battery pack, which drives a pair of electric motors. The powertrain develops a combined output of 396bhp and 696Nm of torque, giving the I-Pace a claimed 0–62mph time of 4.8 seconds and a maximum range of 298 miles. Also, when plugged into a 50kWh fast-charger, it’ll recover charge at a rate of 168 miles per hour.
Now read our review of the Jaguar I-Pace SUV. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…