Car dealer group Arnold Clark has opened a new Innovation Centre in Glasgow to help educate businesses on the benefits of electrifying their fleets.
The centre hosts a range of electric and hybrid cars as well as information about the costs and sustainability of owning alternatively fuelled vehicles.
While there are many cars on site, this isn’t just another showroom. Arnold Clark aims to educate both private customers and fleet managers about the benefits of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and why they are becoming so important, as well as highlighting the different types of AFVs currently available.
Eddie Hawthorne, Arnold Clark chief executive and group managing director, said: “There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about EVs. And this is something we as an industry need to educate our customers about, which is what we’re trying to do.
“We’ve invested well over £5 million in our Innovation Centre in Glasgow. It’s not a site we are selling anything from. It’s specifically an innovation, information and educational centre.”
The centre displays alternative fuel vehicles from all the manufacturers Arnold Clark represents, plus some is doesn’t. There are currently 60 vehicles on-site, including fully electric, plug-in hybrids, hybrids, and commercial vehicles that are also alternatively fuelled.
While the centre is owned and operated at Arnold Clark, the automotive company is working with the support of a number of organisations to make sure visitors can get all the facts about clean power and AFVs. These include Transport Scotland, OLEV, Scottish Power, Energy Saving Trust, Go Ultra Low, Strathclyde University and The NVT Group who can all provide insights into about how new technology is shaping the way we drive
As well as two managers, there will be five dedicated Innovation Centre product geniuses working at the centre – who will specialise in alternative fuel vehicles – to answer all questions about the vehicles on site, as well as a business specialist to advise the next steps for organisations looking to electrify their fleets.
Thanks to the lifting of restrictions, visitors will be able to take a solo test-drive a vehicle of their choice with a huge range on-site, including the Volkswagen ID4, Mercedes EQC Mini Electric, Hyundai Kona, Kia e-Niro, BMW X2, and BMW i3.