- Pictured above is Rick Farrell, Site Supervisor at Musk Process Services, with one of the electric vans in the Edwin James Group eLCV fleet feasibility study
AN ENGINEERING specialist group is undertaking a pilot scheme that will eventually see between around 70 diesel vans a year being replaced with electric alternatives.
Edwin James Group, which operates a national fleet of 250 vehicles (230 vans and 20 cars), is committed to its ESG plan to achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025 and net zero by 2030.
Its fleet management and leasing partner, Fleet Alliance, has supplied the first of the Citroen e-Berlingos that are part of the feasibility study.
The new e-Berlingos are being put to the test by engineers as the Group assesses the requirements needed to electrify its entire van fleet.
Corporate Services Director, Mark Longley, explained the process and the thinking behind the pilot project which he hoped would be concluded by the end of the year.
“Some 84% of our carbon footprint comes from our fleet so that is where most of our carbon reduction efforts are being focused.
“All our vans are fitted with trackers, courtesy of Fleet Alliance, so we know the mileages and the driving patterns that we carry out on a daily basis.
What we are analysing now is when and where we can reliably make the switch to electric vans based on the available charging infrastructure and work patterns we perform.
“Not all our vans are parked up in depots, some are taken home overnight by our engineers. We are looking at the ramifications of home charging but that isn’t straightforward as some of our engineers don’t have access to driveways.
“Our vans are leased for four years and, as leases come to an end, we should be able to change around 70 vehicles a year, so that by 2027 the whole light commercial fleet should be electric which is in line with where we want to be from a carbon reduction viewpoint.”
Fleet Alliance manages the Edwin James fleet on an outsourced basis, providing vehicle procurement and conversions, leasing solutions and accident management services.
Fleet Alliance CEO, Andy Bruce, said the Group was to be applauded for its thoughtful and detailed approach to decarbonisation and van fleet electrification.
We are seeing growing numbers of our customers looking to go down an electric route in line with their Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) timetables. Some transitions are easier than others, while some need careful thought and detailed planning to make them happen.
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