LEASING and fleet management company Arval has funded a fleet of 151 Ford Transit Custom PHEVs.
This significant deal, delivered to Sky, is part of the media and entertainment company’s commitment to transition to a zero emission fleet by 2030.
The vans, which feature Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) technology, can travel in zero emission mode when required for up to 35 miles.
A geolocation mode automatically switches the van into battery operation when it enters an ultra low emission zone, or can be set to engage when the van drives past schools.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky Group Chief Executive, said:
“This is an exciting move towards our Sky Zero commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030. The arrival of these Ford Transit plug-In hybrid vans means we are cutting emissions today, while working towards finding 100% electric solutions for tomorrow.
“The great strength of our business is its ability to adapt to change, and responding to the growing climate emergency is no exception. We want to work with suppliers and the Government to speed up the transition to net zero fleets and ensure we have a strong charging infrastructure across the country.”
Neil Wilson, Ford Fleet Director, added:
“Our new plug-in Ford Transit works for businesses driving in towns because its development included input and learnings from city-based fleets including Sky.
“They had one of the 20 prototypes Ford loaned 17 London fleets in total, to understand real-world usage by collecting data on the test vans’ performance. I’m delighted that this early access impressed Sky enough for Ford to win this important and valued order.”
Sky says that it will achieve a CO2 reduction of 90g/km, representing a CO2 saving of 60%, and will be assigned to low-mileage Sky customer engineers. The van’s battery pack is located under the load floor, preserving the full 6.0m3 cargo volume offered by the standard van.
Arval, which is based in Swindon, recently launched its own ‘rewired‘ scheme to move drivers into electric vehicles. Along with Managing Director Miguel Cabaca, more than 50% of Arval staff are now driving electric vehicles.
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