British Gas has ordered 1,000 new electric vans from Vauxhall, making it the largest commercial battery electric vehicle (BEV) order in the UK to date.
The Vivaro-e vans will arrive over the next 12 months and be rolled out nationwide across the British Gas engineer workforce.
In addition to supplying the new vehicles, Vauxhall says it work with British Gas on future EV solutions.
The new vans will be given to engineers who volunteer or work areas where it is important to lower emissions. The replacement of vans already reaching the end of their useful life will be prioritised and chargers will be installed at the homes of the drivers.
Last year, parent company Centrica revealed it was retraining its smart meter engineers to meet the “growing demand for electric vehicles”.
Centrica has pledged to fully electrify its 12,000 strong fleet by 2030 and says it will make further orders with Vauxhall for EVs as soon as they are available.
Matthew Bateman, managing director of British Gas, said: “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.”
Meanwhile 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.”
According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), battery electric vehicles (not including hybrids) accounted for 6 per cent of all car registrations in June. At around 8,900, the figure was more than two-and-a-half times the amount registered during the same period last year.
Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) also saw a year-on-year increase during May, despite a huge general decline in car registrations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In total, almost 31,000 BEVs have been registered so far in 2020, accounting for a 4.7 per cent of the total market and representing a one-and-a-half times increase when compared to the same period last year.