The electric vans will be used in the capital Montevideo and elsewhere in the country and will enable UTE to reduce the annual CO2 emissions produced by its vehicle fleet by 36 tonnes. In 2008, Uruguay committed to an ambitious programme aimed at diversifying its sources of electricity. Today, 84% of the country’s electricity comes from renewable sources and the government’s target is to extend this figure to 90% thanks, in part, to the development of wind farms which stand to produce one-third of Uruguay’s electricity by 2016.

The order, which follows a tender process launched several months ago, has been greeted by Renault as further evidence of the buoyancy of the electric vehicle market in Renault’s Americas Region.

‘This order is a further sign of the interest in the region for electric vehicles,’ noted Denis Barbier, senior vice president, Renault, and chairman of Americas Region. ‘After previous deliveries in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia, these Kangoo ZEs will serve as ambassadors for electric vehicles and for the Renault brand on the roads of Uruguay.’