IN A bid to cut down air pollution the Port of Southampton has taken delivery of a new fleet of 13 electric vehicles to replace its diesel cars and vans.

Southampton is ranked among the ten cities with with worst air quality in the UK pollution is responsible for 110 deaths in the area each year and is estimated to cost the local NHS £50 million annually.

Port director Alastair Welch, said: “As one of the city’s biggest employers and largest employment sites, we are keen to lead the way, where we can.

“The introduction of these vehicles to our fleet will not only contribute to improvements in local air quality but will also reduce running costs.

“We plan to monitor the performance of the vehicles going forward to allow us to track environmental improvements. I hope we are able to replace an increasing number of vehicles in our fleet with electric or hybrid equivalents in the coming years as the available technology develops.”

This initiative is one of a number the port is looking to roll out to further reduce the impact it has on the environment locally over the coming months.

The new electric vehicles have been supplied by Southampton-based dealership West Way Nissan.