The donation of the electric vehicle was made by Superior, the Wimborne-based family-run manufacturer of o-rings and seals.

As a mobile clinic, the electric Nissan e-NV200 will enable the hospice to travel up to 187 miles on a single charge throughout the local community.

The Nissan e-NV200 van will be used by the hospice’s Better Breathing Clinic team and other vital hospice care services teams to transport staff and equipment to community-based centres, supporting patients living with debilitating and often frightening respiratory conditions, such as COPD and lung cancer.

Clare Gallie, chief executive at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Superior for this very kind and generous donation. The van will enable the charity to bring our services closer to home, where we’ll be able to visit patients and their loved ones in the county, without extra mileage costs to the hospice and reducing our carbon footprint without impacting on the quality of care our patients receive. We are passionate about our community and the environment, that’s why we are so thrilled to be using the zero emissions vehicle.”

Tim Brown MBE, Superior’s managing director said: “We’re delighted at the opportunity to support Lewis-Manning Hospice Care and donate this commercial vehicle to assist them in their incredible day-to-day work. After speaking with the charity, we decided that the best thing we could do for them was to support the hospice’s Better Breathing Clinic and provide a vehicle to accommodate their day-to day needs.

“We felt that a zero emissions vehicle would be the ideal way to help expand their invaluable service and allow them to take it out into the community where it is needed most, and in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.”