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British Gas orders 1,000 electric vans

The Vauxhall Vivaro-e vans will arrive over the next 12 months.

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Vauxhall Vivaro

British Gas has announced that it has placed an order for 1,000 new Vauxhall Vivaro-e electric vans which will be rolled out nationwide throughout its engineer workforce over the next 12 months.

The purchase, which the firm says is the largest commercial battery electric vehicle order in the UK to date, is part of a commitment to electrifying its 12,000 vehicle fleet by 2030. British Gas’s owner, Centrica, has said that it will be making further orders with Vauxhall for electric vehicles ‘as soon as they are available’.

Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP, 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 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 vans will be deployed in areas where the need to lower emissions is the most important, as well as where an existing van needs replacing. Chargers will be installed at engineers’ homes so that vehicles can be charged at the end of the day, too.

Stephen Norman, managing director at Vauxhall Motors, said: “I am delighted that British Gas has confirmed the UK’s largest order of battery electric vehicles with the Vauxhall Vivaro-e. As the oldest British vehicle brand since 1903, I want to thank British Gas, a fellow British business, for their loyalty and trust in Vauxhall.”

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