First electric minibus for Forest Green Rovers Football Club
Forest Green Rovers has received its first 100% electric team minibus through the clubs partnership with Renault Trucks.
The club has taken delivery of a Renault Trucks Master E-Tech to support the club’s commitment to carbon neutrality and sustainable travel.
Liveried in the EFL League Two leader’s striking colours of lime green and black, inspired by club mascot ‘Neville the Devil’, the new 14-seat L2H2 MWB minibus with zero tailpipe emissions replaces an older diesel model, taking an estimated 6.4 tonnes of CO2 off the road each year.
The cleaner, quieter electric minibus will be used primarily to transfer the Forest Green Rovers’ Academy and Ladies teams between training grounds, as well as supporting local marketing events around Gloucestershire and transporting club sponsors and VIPs on match days.
The Master E-Tech minibus was officially handed over to Forest Green Rovers’ Chairman, Dale Vince, Club CEO Henry Staelens and First Team Head Coach Rob Edwards by Renault Trucks’ Head of Brand and Communications, Alex Williams, and Head of LCV, Grahame Neagus, on 18th April at The New Lawn Stadium before club’s penultimate home match of the 2021/22 season against Oldham Athletic.
Dale Vince, Chairman of Forest Green Rovers, said: “Renault Truck’s new minibus is a great addition to FGR’s growing fleet of electric vehicles. It’s perfect for our academy and will help us as we drive the last bits of fossil fuel use out of the club and our carbon footprint to zero.”
Alex Williams commented: “As the first commercial vehicle dealer network in the UK to commit to net zero by 2030, Renault Trucks firmly shares Forest Green Rovers’ sustainability ambitions. We are very proud to support the world’s greenest football club with a Renault Trucks Master E-Tech minibus, powered by renewable energy, that will drive Forest Green Rovers fight against climate change further forward ahead of its League One campaign next season.”
Powered by a R75 electric motor and 33kWh batteries charged using 100% green energy from power firm Ecotricity that includes some energy generated onsite from solar panels on the stadium roof, the electric minibus provides a range of around 80 miles, ideal for operating on local routes.
The Master E-Tech was converted by Minibus Options, one of Renault Trucks’ approved converters from its Ready for Business range, a leader in people transportation for over 30 years. Local service for the vehicle will be provided by Renault Trucks Commercials in Bristol.
