Vodafone UK says it is on track to fully electrify its car fleet by 2026 – a year ahead of its original schedule.
The communications company, which has nearly 1,000 cars on its UK fleet, first adopted an electrification strategy in 2019, in partnership with Arval UK.
The strategy saw EVs introduced to the fleet, supported by ride and drive events and informative webinars, with petrol and diesel cars removed from choice lists in 2021, and hybrids following in 2023.
Vodafone UK property contract manager Craig Login said: “We have been pursuing a determined electrification strategy for our car fleet, driven by both our overall corporate environmental objectives and demands from drivers for zero emissions options.
“With the help of Arval UK, we adopted a very structured approach to electrification, looking at everything from detailed whole life cost modelling through to regularly meeting with manufacturers to ensure the latest electric cars meeting our needs were available.
“Also, the role played by Arval UK in educating our drivers about BEVs – covering factors such as taxation, charging and range – has been a crucial element. We couldn’t have made this transition happen so quickly unless we won the support of our staff.”
Vodafone employees have also had an EV salary sacrifice scheme from Arval available since 2023, with the 300th vehicle from this scheme delivered last month.
Login said: “This programme provides a benefit for employees by offering a financially efficient way to access BEVs and we also now offer high power charging facilities across all of our office locations, all of which underlines our overall commitment to electrification.”
Arval UK business manager Huw Mellor said: “Vodafone’s corporate decision to achieve net zero emissions has been one of the most rewarding partnerships with which we’ve been involved in recent years.
“The speed with which full electrification has been achieved is undeniably impressive and we are very pleased to have made our contribution to this project.”
