Three months ahead of schedule, facilities management company Mitie has delivered its 750th electric vehicle (EV), taking it past its 20% by 2020 target.
The success came just 15 months after Mitie introduced its first EV, with the company adding an average of 75 new electric cars and vans to its fleet every month.
Mitie said reaching this milestone is an important step towards its wider Plan Zero commitment to produce net zero carbon emissions by 2025. Its fleet currently accounts for approximately 93% of its total carbon emissions.
A key element of Plan Zero is to switch the entire fleet (around 5,500 cars and vans) to zero emission vehicles by 2025.
Simon King, Mitie director of sustainability and social value, commented on the success, stating: “I’m incredibly proud that we’ve delivered on our ambitious commitment to switch 20% of our cars and small vans to EV, three months ahead of schedule.
“But this is just the first leg of our journey. We’re committed to going further and faster, having pledged to have a zero-emission fleet by 2025.
“With such a rapid electric vehicle rollout, we’ve overcome numerous challenges by creating and implementing new solutions along the way. Through our Plan Zero fleet transition service, we’re taking our commitment to sustainability one step further by sharing our experiences and expertise with others.”
Charging infrastructure continues to be a key focus of Mitie’s EV strategy, with Mitie drivers having a charge point installed at their home where possible. Chargers are now in place at Mitie’s key office locations and some customer sites too, taking total installation to over 600 chargers throughout the UK.
However, a recent survey of Mitie’s EV drivers highlighted the challenging aspect of charging, reporting that it is one of the biggest difficulties they drivers face when switching to EVs.
48% of Mitie’s EV drivers highlighted that issues with public charging, such as a lack of charge points in areas where there’s no off-street parking and problems finding rapid chargers, are their biggest concern.
Mitie launched its Plan Zero Fleet Transition Service in July 2020 to support other businesses who want to switch their fleets to EV.
It covers all stages of EV transition, from vehicle choice to charging infrastructure, through to travel policies and maintenance.
