Alfen is to provide SSE with electric vehicle (EV) chargers as part of a three-year agreement.
The smart Eve Double charging stations will be installed at both of SSE’s main employee bases, located in Perth and Reading. It’s hoped that this will be an additional step towards converting its fleet of 3,500 to EVs as well as helping encourage its 12,000 employees to make the switch.
SSE has committed to electrifying its fleet by 2030 through the Climate Group’s EV100 scheme, and has supported bringing forward the ban on sales of internal combustion engine vehicles to the same date.
Earlier this month, it wrote to the Department for Transport (DfT) calling for mandatory switching of fleets to EVs, also by 2030.
Kevin Welstead, EV director SSE Enterprise, said that the company is “very proud to deliver further EV infrastructure which will significantly increase SSE’s capability to charge fleets and private vehicles across our estate”.
Welstead also made reference to how SSE’s Distributed Energy business is rolling out its EV proposition commercially, based on its own real-world experience of transitioning to electric vehicles.
He said: “We want to demonstrate to other companies we can be their partner of choice when it comes to decarbonising their fleet or company cars and get SSE well on the road to net zero.”
He also praised Alfen for being a “high-quality manufacturer” that will form a “key component to our offering to both our own fleet and those of our customers”.
Alfen itself lauded its Eve Double charging station as ideally suited for fleets, having a “rugged enclosure and robust components” that are designed for high usage and regular user changeovers.
The company’s Smart Charging Network and Active Load Balancing can also be integrated to help manage the load on the grid, allowing customers to connect up to 100 chargepoints on a single site.
Naomi Nye, sales manager at Alfen, said: “From our years of experience working with other fleets in their journey to electrification across Europe, we know that reliable, intelligent chargers with adaptable technology backed up by great service are crucial to ensure drivers have an optimal experience with EVs. We look forward to supporting SSE Enterprise in their journey.”