BT Group has announced the UK’s largest ever commercial Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet order, with around 3,500 new EVs being ordered, supporting the upgrade of the nation’s largest broadband and mobile networks.
The order will mean the company has the largest fleet of EVs in the UK, with nearly 8,000, by the time the company’s latest EV order is complete in 2026.
BT Group which includes Openreach, the UK’s largest wholesale broadband company, manages the second largest commercial vehicle fleet in the UK, with more than 27,000 units used by engineers across the country.
The company already has around 4,300 electric vehicles, supporting its target to become a net zero business by March 2031.
The order of the new EVs is part of a larger delivery of 6,000 new vehicles, with more than half of the vans being EVs.
Simon Lowth, Chief Financial Officer, BT Group, says: “As we extend our full fibre build from 16 million homes and businesses today to 25 million by the end of 2026, having the most efficient, sustainable electric vehicles will give our engineers the edge as they connect customers at pace to our next generation networks.”
“Our modern fleet will help us to be more efficient and deliver a better service for our customers,” he adds.
Lilian Greenwood, Future of Roads Minister, states: “Businesses have a crucial role to play in driving the transition to electric cars and vans. That’s why it’s fantastic to see that BT Group have made the most of our plug-in van grant to order 3,500 brand new EVs – which means they will have the largest electric commercial fleet in the UK.
“We want to help more businesses decarbonise their operations, and we’ve extended our plug-in van grant with 120 million pound funding to help roll out more zero emission vans on our roads – part of our 2.3 billion pounds to support industry and consumers switch to EVs and make the transition a success,” she adds.
The order will be delivered by four manufacturers over the next two years: Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, and Renault.
