- British Gas has ordered 1,000 of the new all-electric
Vivaro-e van from Vauxhall for its engineers
- This represents the largest electric vehicle order for a
commercial fleet in the UK
- British Gas has the 3rd largest commercial fleet in the
country and is committed to fully electrifying it by 2030
- Photo attached of the new British Gas electric van with
Transport Minister Grant
Shapps
LONDON, July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- British Gas today
announces that is has ordered 1,000 new all-electric Vivaro-e vans
from Vauxhall – the largest commercial BEV (battery electric
vehicle) order in the UK to date. The BEVs will arrive over the
next 12 months and be rolled out nationwide across the British Gas
engineer workforce.
Centrica, owner of British Gas, has committed to electrifying
its 12,000 strong fleet by 2030 and will be making further orders
with Vauxhall for electric vehicles as soon as they are
available. This may include the all-electric Combo-e –
available from Summer 2021.
The engineers who receive the new vans will be chosen from
volunteers but also targeting areas where it is important to lower
emissions and where a van already needs replacing. The British Gas
engineers will install the chargers at engineer homes. The company
is currently upskilling engineers in EV charging and is
accelerating EV adoption for homes and businesses with charger
installs and EV tariffs.
Recent events have demonstrated how the British Gas engineers
and fleet can play a key role in the local area. British Gas has
been working with the Trussell Trust since late March and the
engineers have delivered over 4 million meals to those most in
need.
Matthew Bateman, Managing
Director of British Gas, said:
"Our engineers and their vans are part of the local community
they serve and it's important we reduce the emissions of our vans
so that we are contributing towards better air quality in their
area and the environment. We are committed to the transition to
electric vehicles which involves changing our fleet as well as
helping consumers and businesses with charge points and
infrastructure. We chose to work with Vauxhall as they were able to
give us a large number of high-quality and low emission vans to
help us effectively serve our customers – and they will also work
with us on future EV solutions. Transport is a key area where we
can improve carbon emissions and is an important part of our
strategy to meet our net zero targets."
Stephen Norman, Managing
Director of Vauxhall Motors, said:
"I am delighted that British Gas has confirmed the UK's
largest order of battery electric vehicles with the Vauxhall
Vivaro-e. As the oldest British vehicle Brand since 1903, I
want to thank British Gas, a fellow British business, for their
loyalty and trust in Vauxhall.
"As with all businesses up and down the country, tradespeople
rely on their van as an essential tool of their work and our
300-strong Retailer network is crucial in continuing to provide
support to carry British business. The strength of the
quantity of orders for our all-electric van demonstrates that the
Vauxhall Vivaro-e, the first step in the electrification of our
entire van range, can contribute towards the transition towards low
emissions vehicles whilst improving air quality."
Transport Secretary Grant
Shapps said:
"Today's announcement marks another milestone as we continue
on the road to a green transport recovery.
"This is a huge step for such an iconic British company, who
are showing leadership in making the switch to zero emission
vehicles as we to strive to meet net zero emissions by
2050.
"We're determined to build back greener – to deliver better
air quality and lower our carbon footprint, which is why we're
investing more than ever in zero emission grants and
infrastructure."
About British Gas
British Gas is Britain's
leading supplier of energy, delivering to almost 10 million homes
in Britain and more than 400,000
businesses. We offer the highest quality services to both UK homes
and businesses, provided by more than 8,000 highly-trained
engineers. We also provide a range of innovative products and
services including smart meters, connected home products by Hive™,
and the on-demand, online tradesman service, Local Heroes.
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1201212/British_Gas_All_Electric_Van.jpg
Logo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1201211/British_Gas_Logo.jpg