The environmental footprint of one of the region's biggest employers has taken a positive hit with the arrival of a new vehicle fleet.
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Staff at South West Healthcare are now behind the wheel of 16 new zero emissions vehicles (ZEV).
The Hyundai Kona battery electric vehicles come complete with a dedicated charging station and a 50kW fast charger that delivers a 100km range in 15 minutes charge time.
The new vehicles, which replace existing petrol vehicles, have a maximum range of 480km when fully charged.
South West Healthcare CEO Craig Fraser said he was thrilled with the new arrivals.
"We're incredibly proud to be the first regional hospital to make the green transition to ZEVs and provide our dedicated outreach staff with an environmentally friendly way to carry out their important community work," Mr Fraser said.
The new vehicles are expected to not only help the environment, but also South West Healthcare's bottom line, with significant savings on petrol and diesel costs.
Staff using the vehicles will include community and palliative care nurses visiting patients at their homes.
The $15 million funding for the vehicles comes from the state government. It has a statewide net zero emissions target by 2050.
Minister for Energy Lily D'Ambrosio said the transport industry created a quarter of emissions.
"We're leading the way as we halve emissions by 2030," Ms D'Ambrosio said.
The government has also invested $19 million to expand the publicly accessible fast-charging network.
