Centrica, SSE and Mitie are to electrify their fleets by 2030 as part of The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative.
Centrica, which operates the UK’s third largest commercial fleet, is to electrify the 12,500 vehicles in its global fleet by 2030. It has also announced plans to offer home charging installations through the expansion of its digital service, Local Heroes.
The British Gas-backed service is designed to help consumers find local tradespeople and government grants, with a goal of gaining around 10-15% of market share for all domestic charge point installations in the UK. The company’s smart meter engineers are to be trained to help meet demand for home chargers.
James Rushen, group head of environment for Centrica, said: “The direction of travel for our fleet is clear and we’re proud to be supporting our customers and the wider industry as we continue to understand the implications of EV roll out at scale.”
Under the EV100 initiative, SSE is to switch its fleet to electric and install charging points by 2030. It has also joined the EP100 initiative, which will see it double its energy productivity in the same timeframe.
Brian McLaren, director of group change at SSE, said the initiatives are in line with SSE’s ambitions.
“Decarbonisation is at the heart of what we do and low carbon emissions from transport is critical if the UK is to meet its Net Zero targets.”
Facilities management company Mitie, which has already started making the switch to EVs with a roll out of 800 Pod Point chargers across its sites, has also signed up to initiative. It plans to transition its fleet of 5,300 vehicles to electric by 2030, subject to availability and affordability of vehicles and public charging infrastructure. The company has 400 cars and small vans ordered to meet its targets.
Mitie is also in discussions with suppliers for a renewable energy deal, which it plans to make available to its electric vehicle drivers.
Simon King, fleet and procurement director at Mitie, said the company wants to set an example for other companies and ensure its fleet is as green as possible.
“It is challenging, but we all need to take responsibility for actions and commit to change. We are also keen to take our clients on the journey with us by supporting them to make similar moves for their own fleets,” he continued.
