CMI acquires its first “0 emissions” car

In January 2012, CMI acquired a 100% electric vehicle, which therefore does not emit CO2, to perform some of its services at the site of the Port of Antwerp (Belgium). This is part of the overall approach to sustainable development conducted by CMI Group, one of its eight foundational aims to reduce its own environmental footprint.

For several years, CMI has supported ground operations of the railways at the Port of Antwerp (SNCF, Captrain, Crossrail, …). It provides them with technical control of national and international freight trains  upon arrival at the port, performs docking and undocking maneuvers, conducts inspections of hazardous materials,…all to ensure that the trains are ready to go.  These services require vehicles to travel a limited range (25 to 30 km), but still traverse some 35,000 miles a year.

These specific driving conditions are particularly suited to the use of an electric vehicle. CMI has decided to invest in a first test vehicle (a Nissan Leaf) at the Port of Antwerp. This will save some 3.6 tons of CO2 per year. If the test of reliability, durability, and overall cost of this new type of car proves successful, the experiment could be extended to other uses at CMI Group.