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Heidi Thompson, Group Fleet Manager describes how Mitie is accelerating the adoption of Electric Vehicles in its bid to go fully electric by the end of 2025
For many organisations striving for net zero, electric vehicles (EVs) are an essential part of reaching this goal. At Mitie, our fleet accounts for over 90 per cent of our overall scope 1 and 2 emissions, so targeting carbon our vehicles create is crucial to reducing our environmental impact. We have made great strides so far, with the introduction of thousands of EVs to our operations up and down the country, meaning 50 per cent of our fleet is now electric. We also have decarbonisation experts to hand to navigate any challenges to ensure we remain on track to achieve a fully electric fleet in a matter of years.
ACCELERATING OUR ELECTRIFICATION
Our EV journey started in 2018 and has progressed at pace since then, in our bid to go fully electric by the end of 2025. Every journey our colleagues make behind the wheel of an EV can make a difference. That’s why our EVs are used right across our estate, from our mobile engineers driving between jobs, to our security vehicles on patrol and our many company cars. With more than 3,500 electric-powered vehicles now in operation, we’re proud to boast one of the largest pure electric fleets in the UK.
DRIVING CUSTOMER SUCCESS
Our decarbonisation success doesn’t stop at our own operations, as our expertise and experience help to support and progress our customers’ own net zero strategies too. Mitie was the first FM company to commit to reaching scope 1 & 2 net zero by 2025 through our ‘Mitie Plan Zero’ initiative, which also pledges to support our customers in achieving their own decarbonisation strategies. For many of our customers, this includes supporting them to roll out EVs across their own fleets through our Plan Zero Transport Consultancy team. In fact, our EV roll-out capabilities are now an integral part of almost all carbon reduction opportunities we present to our customers.
THE NEED FOR ROBUST INFRASTRUCTURE
While we’re proud of the speed and scale of our EV roll-out so far, its success relies heavily on the infrastructure we have in place to support this widespread change. Operating one of the largest EV fleets in the UK requires significant investment in infrastructure, especially in the face of the limited initial set-up in place when we started our journey.
Recognising the need for a robust charging network to support our own and customers’ EV roll-out, Rock Power Connections, Mitie’s high-voltage connections business, is on hand to provide this specialist support. With Rock we’ve now installed over 2,800 EV charging stations across our customer’s sites and colleagues’ homes. As the demand for electric vehicles increases, the rapid expansion of EV charging infrastructure is needed to keep up. Through this proactive approach, we’re driving this expansion by installing charges at both work places and depots for customers, and by connecting super hubs and ultra-rapid charging stations across the UK.
LEADING THE CHARGE
With over 50 per cent of our fleet now made up of EVs, putting us on track to become fully electric by 2025, our electrification journey will have an important impact on Mitie’s overall carbon footprint. Outside of our own business, there is a real opportunity to make great strides in decarbonisation with the early adoption of EVs, as organisations of all sizes strive towards ambitious net zero goals. By pioneering fleet electrification and engraining it into the fabrics of our business, we are actively driving corporate responsibility and helping accelerate the transition to a greener future for ourselves, and our customers.
