Forty electric VW Golfs are the latest high-profile additions to the parking lot of LeasePlan Belgium. Martine De Troch is one of the proud owners. When she was given the choice between an e-Golf and a classic petrol car she didn’t hesitate one second. “I want to set a good example to my daughter and customers!”
Martine has worked for LeasePlan for 16 years, in after sales. When her company car was up for replacement she didn’t hesitate a second. “I’d like to contribute to a greener future and want to set a good example to my daughter. I hope this lowers her threshold to make the same environment-friendly choices later on.”
As Martine lives 70 km from work, she initially had some concerns about the autonomy of an electric vehicle. “But in reality it’s fine. It just takes a bit more planning. My daughter plays hockey and we like to get out at the weekend. In the past we would sometimes drive up to the coast after training or after a game, on a whim. Now with my electric car I always look for a charge point along the way. They installed a charging station at my home. And naturally I can always plug in at work. So far I’ve been charging it every night but that’s not really necessary. On a full battery I can easily drive to and from work for two days. Because of the many tailbacks I recover quite a bit of energy along the way. My car recovers energy by braking and stores it in the battery for later use.”
Coming home zen Apart from the fact that it doesn’t produce a single gram of CO2, electric driving also offers another, more surprising benefit: “It’s very relaxing. You don’t hear the engine at all. I really enjoy the quiet in the cabin. By the time I get home I’ve found my zen. I didn’t expect that. And then we haven’t even talked about how much cheaper it is! Before I would spend some €250 per month on petrol. Now I pay €23 in electricity. We have solar panels at home so we don’t have night rates. An app on my smartphone makes it easy to monitor my consumption.”
LeasePlan spares no effort to promote electric driving among its customers. So for Martine it’s only logical that LeasePlan staff should opt for green fuel. “I know from experience that our customers have lots of questions on the subject. My own experience makes it easier for me to answer their questions and reassure them. Take my opposite neighbour, for instance. Until recently he drove a diesel. He was intrigued by my e-Golf but he thought an electric car didn’t accelerate very well. “He went for a test drive in my e-Golf and decided to trade in his diesel car for an electric lease car!”
