Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
How Elinor’s EV makes life easy
As the director of Electric Vehicle Association Scotland – and having driven an electric car for six years – fewer people know all the benefits of driving an EV in Dundee than Elinor Chalmers.
When she bought her electric Nissan Leaf in 2015, she was one of the first EV drivers in her street but there was no better city to own an electric car, as she soon found out.
Elinor, the first female director of Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, said: “It is definitely getting easier to own an electric car as Dundee is flying the flag for EV ownership in Scotland in making it as easy as possible for people from all walks of life to drive an EV.”
An EV driver for almost six years, Elinor thought she would struggle to charge her car (as she lived in a flat, so didn’t have a driveway), but she didn’t.
Elinor, who is a clinical lecturer at the dental hospital, explained: “I wasn’t able to charge it at home, so the fantastic infrastructure in Dundee made it easier to be able to have my electric car and charge it at a public charger.
“Back then, there were fewer – the infrastructure has quadrupled since then – but it was still possible.
“Now, most of the time I charge my car when I am at work at the university campus or at the charging hub at the top of Greenmarket car park – there, residents can charge overnight and commuters can park for free during the day.
“And I don’t have to worry about having to move my car at lunchtime, or physically sit in my car until it charges up, as I can park there all day – for free – and all I pay for is the electricity I use.”
In her role, Elinor champions the use of EVs and promotes the number of ways that organisations, such as Dundee City Council and SWARCO, are positively contributing towards the city’s zero-emissions target and cleaner air, and it’s not all about electric cars.
She said: “Dundee City Council and SWARCO have such a can-do attitude and – as well as encouraging individuals to drive electric cars – the number of electric taxis is fantastic for the clean air in the city.
“You also see the council’s, NHS Tayside’s and the university’s fleet vehicles zipping about on the streets of Dundee, so this sets a good example and shows that EVs can be an everyday vehicle, not just one for popping to the shops.”