British Gas orders 1,000 all-electric vans

Centrica recently announced a new commitment to becoming a net-zero organisation by 2050. Image: Centrica

British Gas has order 1,000 Vivaro e-vans from Vauxhall, which is considered the largest commercial order of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the UK to date.

The vans will be introduced over the next 12 months, before a nationwide rollout commences across the entire British Gas engineer workforce.

British Gas is already training and upskilling engineers to get to grips with electric vehicle (EV) charging as well as assisting homes and organisations with charging installations and EV tariffs.

Secretary of State for Transport, 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.

“We’re determined to build back greener – to deliver better air quality and lower our carbon footprint, which is why we’re investing more than ever in zero-emission grants and infrastructure.”

The announcement comes one year after Centrica, along with another Big Six energy firm SSE, unveiled commitments to electrify the entirety of their respective fleets.

Through The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, the companies have committed to play their part in making electrified transport “the new normal” by 2030.

These commitments will see SSE and Centrica switch the entirety of their fleets with electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030, ten years ahead of the Government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. Centrica notably operates the UK’s third-largest commercial fleet, with 12,500 vehicles globally.

Centrica has also announced a strategic partnership with auto manufacturer Lotus to give EV owners more viability to store electricity and reduce household emissions.

The two companies are working together on a new model for EV ownership that will extend to domestic use by making EVs capable of storing energy from households. A “breakthrough new energy product” and platform will also be launched to connect vehicles and homes.

Centrica recently announced a new commitment to becoming a net-zero organisation by 2050. This edie In Action case study charts the progress that the firm is now making towards its net-zero goal.

edie Explains net-zero business

In partnership with Centrica Business Solutions, edie has published a new net-zero business guide.

This free-to-download edie Explains guide, produced in association with Centrica Business Solutions, helps sustainability and energy professionals understand exactly how they should adopt net-zero strategies for their businesses; what the benefits are; what the key considerations should be when doing so.

The guide answers key questions including: What is net-zero? How does your business need to comply and what is the UK legislative understanding of net-zero? What are the big-ticket issues such as carbon offsetting and collection emissions data? And what considerations should be taken when attempting to meet net-zero, and should you consider scope 1,2, and 3 emissions?

Read the guide here.

Matt Mace