A further education institution has recently bought an environmentally-friendly all-electric utility vehicle as part of its sustainability drive.

The Goupil G4 was supplied to Sparsholt College Group by Bradshaw Electric Vehicles and replaces a 13-year-old Suzuki.

The vehicle, with a range of 101 miles and a payload up to 1,200kg, will be used by the college’s premises team for general upkeep, lightweight repairs and refuse collection.

The college, which is planning to celebrate its 125th anniversary next year, has aimed for zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2030.

Nathan Heslop, director of group finance at the college, said: "Safeguarding the environment is at the forefront of everything that we do here. 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.

"Thankfully, the Goupil’s unique features make it ideal for safe and efficient maintenance operations conducted by our premises team across both campuses."

Sparsholt College Group has further pledged to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 2040.