The project will use three vans and a charging system to be located at three Topaz filling stations, at Glasnevin, Newlands Cross and Templeville Road.
The study will gauge the performance of the electric vans under a variety of criteria including electricity usage, cost, mileage and emissions while it will also include driver and forecourt surveys.
It was launched by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar TD, who said the project would provide a wealth of practical information which would be most useful for transport planning in the years ahead.
The year long project, which is grant aided by the Department’s National Sustainable Travel Office, will play its part in helping to achieve the Government’s target of 10 percent Electric Vehicle usage in the Irish vehicle fleet by 2020.
According to current thinking, the running costs of electric vans can be as low as a third of the cost of similar diesel-powered vehicles.
