Pioneering Fleets: Lessons from Early Adopters
While challenges abound, many UK fleets have already embarked on electrification and are demonstrating what’s possible through commitment and innovation. Their experiences provide valuable lessons and proof points for others.
nationwide rapid charging network on discounted terms [82] [83] , and it prioritized deploying EVs in urban areas first (where routes are shorter and air quality gains are most needed) [84] . An important takeaway from British Gas’s experience is the value of corporate resolve, by publicly setting a bold target and aligning it with the company’s net-zero mission, they drove internal urgency. They also learned from earlier setbacks: the firm had initially planned to electrify 10% of its fleet by 2017 but missed that target due to “shortcomings in charging infrastructure and technology at the time” [85] . Since then, improvements in vehicle range and charging, plus better planning, have put them on track. British Gas’ journey highlights that early attempts might not always succeed, but the landscape is rapidly improving. For fleets starting now, there are far more vehicles and infrastructure solutions available than even five years ago, making ambitious transitions more achievable. Another trailblazer is DPD UK , a major parcel delivery company. As of 2024, DPD had electrified one-third of its UK delivery fleet (~4,000 EVs) and set a goal to reduce its CO 2 emissions 46% by 2024 (vs 2020) [86][87] . DPD pursued a strategy of concentrating EV deployments in specific cities
British Gas (Centrica) 12,000 Total vehicles in fleet 100% Commitment to electric vehicles 3,000 Electric vans ordered in a single procurement
One high-profile example is British Gas (Centrica) , which operates one of the UK’s largest commercial fleets. In 2021, Centrica announced it would never buy another combustion engine vehicle , committing to electrify its 12,000-strong fleet by 2025 , five years ahead of the government’s 2030 deadline [21] . By mid-2022, it had ordered 3,000 electric Vivaro-e vans from Vauxhall, one of the largest EV van orders in UK history [21] . To support this aggressive rollout, British Gas recognized the importance of charging infrastructure for its workforce of field engineers. The company arranged to install home chargers for its engineers wherever possible , leveraging its own British Gas engineers to do the installs [81] . Where home charging wasn’t feasible, British Gas took a multi-pronged approach: it partnered with a public charging network (Osprey Charging) to give its drivers access to a
17
Electrifying UK Fleet Operations: Challenges, Strategies, and the 2035 Deadline
Powered by FlippingBook