Mitie has welcomed its first large van with the arrival of a Vauxhall Vivaro-e. Taking Mitie past the landmark of 1,000 electric vehicles (EV), this is the first of 655 Vivaro-e vans currently on order to be delivered by the end of the year. With over 1,000 pure electric cars, vans and other commercial vehicles, Mitie is believed to currently have the UK’s largest fleet of zero emission vehicles on the roads.
The van will be used by a Mitie frontline engineer and has been specially fitted-out to ensure it can carry all the equipment needed while minimising weight, to help maximise the battery’s range. While Mitie began its electric vehicle transition in mid-2019, this was with a focus on cars and small vans, as there was no viable alternative for its large diesel vans with an adequate range to manage the heavy load often carried by mobile engineering teams. This vehicle is one of the first to be delivered to a former Interserve Facilities Management colleague, following Mitie’s acquisition of the business in November 2020. As a result, Mitie’s fleet has grown by over 2,000 vehicles, meaning the business anticipates having approximately 7,200 EVs by 2025.
Mitie has pledged to have 2,021 EVs in its fleet by the end of 2021 as it drives towards its overarching commitment to have a fully electric fleet by the end of 2025. This includes switching as many of its larger and more specialist vehicles wherever possible – such as Mitie’s recently launched zero emission gritter, ‘Gritter Thunberg’.
Simon King, Director of Sustainability and Social Value, Mitie, said:
“When we began our EV journey 18 months ago we thought switching our big vans would be one of our biggest challenges. However, with Vauxhall helping us overcome this hurdle, we’re very pleased to be passing the milestone of 1,000 zero emission vehicles with the delivery of this Vivaro-e. With over 600 more set to join our fleet this year, we’re making great progress towards our target of 2,021 EVs in 2021 and helping even more Mitie fleet drivers switch to electric.”
Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said:
“Congratulations to Mitie on passing one thousand electric vehicles on its fleet and for being at the forefront of driving Britain to a more sustainable future. At Vauxhall we are proud that they have chosen our award-winning, all-electric Vivaro-e van, and joined a growing number of pioneering firms in Britain who want to have no compromise in the capability of their vehicle fleet but also want to improve their environmental impact and lower their running costs.”
Notes to editors
About Mitie
Founded in 1987, Mitie is one of the UK’s leading facilities management (FM) and professional services companies. We offer a range of services to Central Government and Defence, Communities (Healthcare, Education and Local Authorities); and Technical Services (Engineering Services, Energy, Water and Real Estate Services) and Business Services (Security, Cleaning and Office Services) to Private Sector clients in Financial Services, Manufacturing, Transport, Retail and Telecoms; and Specialist Services (Care & Custody, Landscapes and Waste Management).
Mitie, which acquired Interserve’s FM business in December 2020, employs 77,500 people and is the champion of the ‘Front-Line Heroes’ who have kept Britain running during the COVID-19 pandemic. We take care of our customers’ people and buildings, by delivering essential services and deploying industry leading technology to create safe and effective workspaces.
The business continues to execute its technology-led strategy and in the past six months has received multiple awards.
Find out more at www.mitie.com.
