The Felix Project food charity has taken delivery of seven electric Renault Kangoo Z.E. panel vans, enabling it to go 100% electric for its central London operations while also expanding its work.
Founded in 2016, in memory of Felix Byam Shaw who died suddenly from meningitis, the charity collects fresh food – which cannot be sold for a number of reasons – from supermarkets, wholesalers and other suppliers and then delivers it to charities to help feed vulnerable people.
Donated by Renault, the new vans will grow the charity’s fleet by more than 50%, enabling it to significantly increase the 20 tonnes of food it currently delivers each week, and follow on from Renault’s donation of a Kangoo Z.E. in November 2017.
All of the vans will initially be based at the Felix Project’s central London operation. Vehicles that are already in-use in the depot will be allocated to the charity’s other sites with the result that the central operation’s distribution and collection service will be 100% electric, bringing a significant saving on fuel costs while also being exempt from the London Congestion Charge.
Anne Elkins, development manager for The Felix Project’s school programme, said: “The new Kangoo Z.E.s will make a big difference to our operation, allowing us to plan more routes and also collect more donations that are made available on an ad hoc basis and which need to be collected in a short time frame.
“The van really is a great fit for us as it does everything we need and adds another carbon efficient element to our operation’s ethos on protecting the environment by cutting down food waste and ensuring that good, nutritious food isn’t thrown away.”
