Openreach fleet grows to 5,000 electric vehicles
The vehicle used to reach this milestone is a Ford E-Transit Custom, which has been given a special wrap on the side to mark this interim target of the company’s ‘Let’s Reach Zero’ campaign.
Openreach is the operator of the UK’s second-largest commercial vehicle fleet and has committed to modernising the majority of its 23,000 vehicle fleet. The leverage to decarbonise and improve air quality via the Openreach fleet alone is therefore huge. The BT subsidiary is responsible for operating the broadband and telephone networks in the UK and will install, maintain and manage the connections in households and businesses, telephone cables and switching cabinets.
The BT Group has a total of around 27,000 vehicles in its fleet, the vast majority of which are used by Openreach. Just this January, the BT Group ordered 3,500 electric vans from Ford, Stellantis, Toyota and Renault, and the first 750 vehicles were delivered in June. The E-Transit Custom, which became the anniversary model, is also likely to have come from this large order.
At the same time as converting its fleet to electric vans, Openreach has also invested in the necessary charging infrastructure. So far, more than 2,500 charging points have been installed at the company’s sites and, where possible, at the homes of technicians and engineers. The company has also entered into a partnership with public transport operator First Bus, which allows Openreach vans to use First Bus’ depot chargers when the electric buses are on the road.
“We know the impact our operations have, so seeing our 5,000th electric van on the road is a proud moment for everyone at Openreach,” says Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach. “By continuing to upgrade our fleet, and by installing EV chargers in our engineers’ homes and our operational sites – we’re removing barriers to adoption, improving air quality, and supporting the communities we serve.”
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