British Gas has the third-largest fleet in the UK and has committed to electrifying all its vehicles by 2025. This is five years earlier than its previous commitment. To put this plan into action, the energy company has just ordered 2000 Vivaro-e vans from Vauxhall. Over the next four years, British Gas will aim to switch its entire 12,000-strong fleet to electric, as well as the company car fleet of its parent company Centrica.
Chris O’Shea, Chief Executive of Centrica, said: “Everyone needs to act now to lower carbon emissions and help the UK reach net zero. We are leading from the front by not only lowering emissions for our customers and our communities, but by lowering our own emissions, and by increasing the speed at which we do this. Fully electrifying our fleet will make a big difference.”
In addition to the 1,000 vans order from Vauxhall last year, this makes British Gas’s electric van order the largest in the Uk to date. All 3,000 of these new vans will be on the road by 2022, with plenty more to follow. While engineers can volunteer to have the new vans during the rollout, the company is prioritising high pollution areas to help lower emissions.
British Gas engineers will install all chargers at engineer homes and the company is currently increasing the EV engineer workforce. It will create 1,000 new engineering apprenticeships by the end of 2022.
Paul Willcox, Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors, said: “I am delighted that British Gas has added to its initial order of fully-electric Vauxhall Vivaro-e vans that now represents the largest electric vehicle order for a commercial fleet in the UK.
“As with all businesses up and down the country, tradespeople rely on their van as an essential tool of their work. The strength of orders for our all-electric van demonstrates that the Vauxhall Vivaro-e can contribute towards the transition towards low emissions vehicles while improving air quality.”
