The iconic Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden in Connemara, one of Ireland’s best-loved tourist attractions, has just begun its electric journey by taking delivery of three fully electric Renault Kangoo Z.E. 33 vans, writes Trish Whelan.
Pictured above are: Padraic Kenny, Estate Foreman at Kylemore Abbey; Gary Breen, Renault Ireland Fleet Sales Manager; Conor Coyne, Executive Director, Kylemore Trust; Barry Molloy and Joseph Burke both from JJ Burke Renault.
The electric vans will be used by staff, maintenance, groundskeepers and cleaners in the course of their duties on the grounds and will be the only vehicles permitted on the newly landscaped area around the Abbey.
Kylemore Abbey and Gardens welcomes over 550,000 visitors annually, making it the second most visited attraction in the Republic of Ireland outside of the Greater Dublin Area. It launched a new multi-million-euro visitor experience, From Generation to Generation, earlier this year.
Pictured above are: Thomas Madden, Grounds Operative; Margaret Keane, Cleaning Staff; John McConway, Maintenance Operative, Kylemore Abbey.
There is currently one staff charging point onsite which will be used for the Kangoo Z.E. fleet, and Kylemore Abbey aims to install public charging points in the near future.
The Kangoo Z.E. is Ireland’s best-selling electric van, priced from €28,840 after the SEAI grant of €3,800 for businesses and including full battery purchase. The van’s 7kW AC charger can take its 33kWh battery to a full charge in six hours, with the ability to ‘top-up’ the vehicle by up to 33km in just one hour.
Companies buying Kangoo Z.E. can avail of accelerated capital allowances, enabling them to write down the value of their vehicles in a single year, while employees can benefit from 0pc BIK.
The vehicles were supplied to Kylemore Abbey by Joseph Burke of JJ Burke Car Sales in Ballinrobe.
