Anglian Water has this month acquired an additional 33 electric vans with a further 43 due by the end of the year, bringing its fleet of electric vehicles (EV’s) to 86 and leading the way across the industry.
The company, which currently spends more than £4.5million on diesel every year, is expected to add to this number again next year by a further 130 EVs. In addition to the electric vans the company has reviewed its car policy and is enhancing its offering of EV’s with orders already received for 32 electric cars and they expect this number to exceed 60 by the end of the year.
Anglian Water vans currently cover 20 million miles on the road each year which is the equivalent of going to the moon and back 24 times. The new electric vans, supplied by Vauxhall & converted by vehicle converters Bott Ltd, will be used across the company by Anglian Water front line engineers.
Mick Farmer, Head of Fleet at Anglian Water, said: “Extensive analysis of telematics data has identified large numbers of vans that meet a set criteria for operational teams to transition to electric vehicles. We will now be working even closer with these teams once the new vans have been deployed to help us identify any additional challenges other operational teams are facing. This analysis will enable us to create our next EV plan enhancing our transition as we expand the fleet further.”
In order to operate electric vehicles Anglian Water has installed additional electric charging points across a number of their sites enabling both the company and its employees to recharge their electric vehicles on-site.
“As one of the largest energy users in the East, it’s our responsibility to do all we can to minimise our impact on the environment and growing our electric vehicle fleet is a great step for us in doing so.
“Increasing our fleet of electric vehicles provides us with the opportunity to utilise more renewable and sustainable technology, helping to make a positive impact on our region’s environment, and reach the industry’s ambition to reach net zero by 2030.”
Bott Ltd Manging Director, Kevin Woodward said: “Bott recognise the ever-growing demand for electric and alternative fuel vehicles, providing both financial efficiencies and environmental benefits. We are delighted to have been involved in this latest EV project for Anglian Water. With a mutual, strong commitment to the EV development, we pride ourselves on our ability to understand the specific needs of our customers and have developed a conversion which matches the base vehicle capability and the requirements of Anglian Water.
“One particular difference from an ICE variant vehicle to an EV, is that the electrical power available for the necessary tools and equipment a utility user needs to perform their job role, is potentially reduced. This means we have to look to alternative methods of control and optimisation, to reduce the impact of electrical accessories on vehicle performance and range.
“With our own investigations, and working closely with Vauxhall, we have built in a combination of manual and automatic regulation of the auxiliary electrical system. This keeps the user working effectively without exceeding any manufacturer-recommended limits.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership and helping Anglian Water get a step closer, towards their commitment to be net zero carbon.”
Anglian exceeded its 2020 carbon goals and drove down capital carbon by 61% and operational carbon by 34%, with the company on track to reach, and help others to reach, net zero by 2030.
