Swindon's mayor gets behind the wheel of environmentally-friendly car from Pebley Beach
When the Mayor of Swindon rolls up to engagements in her official car she'll be doing it in a greener way, thanks to a new commercial partnership with Pebley Beach.
For the first time, Swindon's mayor will be out and about in a hybrid car. The Hyundai Ionic she collected from Paddington Drive-based Pebley Beach combines a petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver better fuel consumption – more than 70 mpg – and fewer harmful emissions – two mg/km of nitrous oxide – than a standard petrol or diesel car.
The Ionic hybrid is capable of more than 78 mpg and emits just two mg of nitrous oxide per km – good news for taxpayers’ wallets and lungs.
The mayor, councillor Maureen Penny, said: "I wish to thank Pebley Beach for supplying a Hyundai Ioniq hybrid car for the Mayor’s use.
"The car is roomy and stunning, now everyone can see the Mayor is out and about. The added bonus is the heated rear seats, this makes getting into a cold car at the end of a long engagement much more comfortable.”
The leader of Swindon Borough Council, Councillor David Renard, added: “Swindon Borough Council is delighted that Pebley Beach is working with the Council and supporting the office of the Mayor in the form of a hybrid car.
"By providing this vehicle it enables Swindon to showcase another of the alternative energy vehicles which we wish to promote as part of our low carbon economy and shows we are leading the way in a range of these technologies.
"Pebley Beach is actively engaged In the business and wider community, including the Switch on to Swindon initiative, and working in partnership will benefit both organisations and the Town generally.”
Dominic Threlfall, managing director of Pebley Beach, said: "We're delighted that the mayor has chosen a Hyundai Ionic as her official car.
"Our ambition throughout this arrangement is to provide the office of mayor with increasingly more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly cars as they become available – either with a fully electric vehicle like the Hyundai Kona, which will be the world's first fully-electric SUV, or the Hyundai Nexo, which will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells – a technology in which Swindon leads the way."