Quentin Gargan, Green Party candidate for Cork South West, shows off his Electric Berlingo, which can go 60 mph and gets 60 mpg equivalent, in a recent campaign video. You can pick one up for £15,345, or for a quarter less with government grants. (Update: Production of Berlingo stopped in 2005) The look of the van reminds me of the Renault Kangoo Electrique which had a gas range extender and was also on sale in the UK.

In the video, Gargan talks about California's zero emission mandate and the response by the car companies. He says car companies made electric cars and lobbied for change. When the mandate was overturned, they crushed the electric cars. His point is when government shows leadership, the technology follows and viable solutions appear.

Gargan also says fuel prices are rising, something that will only get worse. To fight the trend, we need to radically overhaul our transport system with trains, buses, clean car and bike paths. He says other parties have taken on Green Party issues because the Green Party is rising in the polls but they cannot be trusted. Gargan is a political candidate driving an EV charged by a wind turbine. How cool is that?

[Source: YouTube]