New Belgium Going Greener with Electric Cars, Free Charging Stations [VIDEO]

For as long as I can remember, New Belgium Brewing has stood for two things: great beer, and sustainability.  The company is famous for its use of numerous recycling methods and alternative fuels (like wind power) to keep things running, all in the name of helping preserve the planet while still producing a quality product.  Today, they announced another major step in that direction.

The popular Fort Collins-based brewing company announced today that it will be adding two fully-electric Nissan Leafs to its local fleet.  This is in addition to the company’s commitment to replace all its delivery trucks with hybrid vehicles, starting this spring.

New Belgium will also be making its on-site vehicle charging stations open to the public, and free to use during business hours.  People who drive electric cars will need only check in at the brewery’s reception desk to use the charging stations.

For me, this is huge.  I’ve been telling myself for years that I would love to get an electric or hybrid car eventually; and it really means a lot that a major business (especially in the town where I live) shares that desire.  I’ve also always been a huge believer that technology has enormous potential to preserve the environment, and it’s nice to see that becoming a reality.

“We chose to move into the electric vehicle realm because electric vehicles have the potential to be zero-emissions whereas gasoline and diesel cars do not,” said New Belgium Sustainability Specialist Katie Wallace. “Even charging a car on a coal grid emits fewer greenhouse gasses than an average gasoline-powered engine.” On average, plug-in vehicles are 33 percent more efficient than conventional combustion engines and perform on par with hybrid vehicles for fuel efficiency.

[via Fermentedly Challenged.]

I found this video on YouTube that hits on a lot of other ways New Belgium is reducing waste and practicing sustainability.  Pretty cutting-edge stuff!  Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below!