PICTURE OF THE WEEK: Key Guard Patrol Fleet Switch to Electric with 10 Renault ZOE Commercial Vans

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Mullingar based Security company Key Guard has made a significant investment in switching its entire patrol fleet to electric. The company has purchased ten new ZOE Commercials, two new ZOE passenger cars, two Renault Kangoo Z.E. vans, a new charging infrastructure at all its bases and staff training, investing a total of €450,000 in the switch.

The 10 All-New Renault ZOE Commercials were recently purchased from Key Guard’s Tullamore Motors.

Building a sustainable model for the business going forward and increasing fuel costs were key factors for the Mullingar company’s decision to switch to electric vehicles. The firm had already purchased two fully electric Renault Kangoo Z.E. Commercials and two new ZOE passenger cars for the business. Key Guard, established by Paul Ennis and Ray Moore in 2013, employs 160 people at its HQ and patrol bases around the country, said its fleet vehicles were doing up to 150,000km per annum per vehicle and spending thousands on fuel each month. Switching its patrol fleet to electric means the firm will save up to €5,000 per vehicle per year.

Key Guard has a prominent role in the education sector, providing security services to TU Dublin, Institute of Technologies in Waterford & Athlone, 12 different Student Accommodations in Dublin and The Dept of Education Government Offices in Mullingar and Tullamore.

Renault’s fully electric ZOE Commercial was the top choice for Key Guard when it came to switching its fleet to electric, with one of the key deciding factors the All-New ZOE Commercial’s 3 phase AC charging capability, which allows 100 per cent charge in just three hours using a 22kW public or workplace charger. Key Guard invested €15,000 in charging points for its new electric fleet at its bases.

Commenting on the investment Paul Ennis, Managing Director, Key Guard, said: “Over the last 18 months, we have extensively researched and investigated the electric vehicle market to find the best overall solution for Key Guard Security. The All-New Renault ZOE Commercial ticked all of the boxes with improved range capacity of 395KM, a good price point and excellent 22kW charging capability meaning that we can fully charge each ZOE Commercial from empty in 3 hours. The Renault ZOE Commercials will ensure that we are reducing the environmental footprint for our customers as well as providing a healthy and comfortable workspace for our employees.”

Pictured: Paul Ennis, MD, Key Guard; John Farrell, Tullamore Motors and Gary Breen, Renault Ireland