Sparsholt College Group takes on electric utility vehicle

Sparsholt College Group has invested in an all-electric Goupil G4 utility vehicle, supplied by Bradshaw Electric Vehicles, to replace its predecessor – a Suzuki which had been used on campus for over 13 years.

With an operational range of around 100 miles, a payload up to 1200kg, and a maximum speed of 31mph, the Goupil G4 is purpose-built for large-scale site operations, while also offering an environmentally friendly and proficient solution for organisations looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

The vehicle has been purchased with a Cage Body attachment to help assist Sparsholt College’s premises team with general upkeep, lightweight repairs, and refuse collection.

Sparsholt College Group, which next year celebrates its 125th anniversary, has set an ambitious target to reach zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2030, while also further pledging to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 2040.

As part of promoting its ‘green’ efforts throughout its campuses, it has formed a sustainability group, which brings together Sparsholt’s faculty, senior team and support teams to share innovative ideas on how best to drive down the College Group’s carbon footprint.
 
Commenting on its new Goupil G4 Nathan Heslop, Director of Group Finance at Sparsholt College Group commented: “Safeguarding the environment is at the forefront of everything that we do here, therefore, to demonstrate this commitment we took the decision to supplement our fleet with an all-electric utility vehicle, the Goupil G4.

“With over 180 hectares and 130 buildings across our sites, we ultimately wanted a sustainable solution that would significantly reduce our carbon footprint while ensuring operational efficiency. Identifying an option that perfectly balanced both criteria was crucial for us.

“Fundamentally, given the amount of foot traffic, we also needed a compact, nimble and low-speed vehicle that could operate safely and seamlessly throughout campus. Thankfully, the Goupil’s unique features make it ideal for safe and efficient maintenance operations conducted by our premises team across both campuses.

“We’ve already received an overwhelmingly positive reception from staff and students alike which is great as ultimately a significant aspect of investing in the vehicle was also to showcase that we’re passionate about driving down our carbon footprint and that we’re unafraid to take meaningful action toward this goal, Nathan continued.

To enable vehicle uptime, Sparsholt College Group has opted for a three-year maintenance package which includes a comprehensive breakdown service.  

Nathan Heslop also said: “Given that Bradshaw Electric Vehicles is based in the UK, and the Goupil is a European-made model, it was an obvious choice to opt for the G4 as ensuring vehicle uptime was a crucial consideration in the decision-making process due to the inevitable frequent usage of the vehicle.

“As with its predecessor, our Goupil G4 will be a key tool in helping the premises team in upkeeping standards and will be used on a daily basis. Therefore, aligning ourselves with a reputable supplier which had the capabilities to respond quickly in the event of any issues occurring was imperative.”