State energy company Enemalta last Wednesday showed their newly acquired electric utility vehicle outside their Valletta District Office in Strait Street.

The narrow street was an ideal way to show the Italian-made Alkè ATX 200E, which arrived in Malta just two weeks after it was ordered.

The fully equipped two-seater pick-up, including two extra rear-facing seats, has been acquired as a pilot, although Investments Minister Austin Gatt, whose office is across the street, said it is important for Government to give an example.

The ATX 200E has a 500 kg payload and can tow a further 2,000 kg. Apart from being used in Valletta to access pedestrian areas and for Enemalta's various needs inside the capital, it is also be assessed in its 132 KV tunnels.

Powered by an eight brake horsepower (bhp) SEM excitation engine, it has a double speed mode (0-5 km/h in high torque and 5-30 km/h in normal mode), engine braking system with energy recovery (regenerative braking), best in class 600A controller, 8x6V drive batteries and on-board high frequency charger to plug everywhere (it can be plugged into a normal wall socket).

The vehicle can operate all day (or 150 km) before it needs to be recharged and at Lm9,000 comes with a front winch and a rear tow bar.

Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter said this is one of a number of environenmentally friendly initiatives that the corporation is to announce in the coming weeks.

The new Enemalta electric vehicle, the Alkè ATX 200E driving in Strait Street, Valaletta, last week (Photo: Chris Sant Fournier)