A major order for 1,000 electric Vauxhall vans has been made by OVO Energy, an energy supply company dedicated to a zero carbon community.

The Vivaro-e panel vans, which have been ordered through leasing company Zenith, are currently being built and liveried for phased introduction Q4 as part of OVO Energy’s goal of running a fully electrified fleet by end 2025. The company, which is based in the west of England, also recently took delivery of 40 Kia e-Niro cars and 26 Nissan e-NV200 commercials.

The new van fleet is eligible for the government Plug-in Van Grant which discounts 35% of the purchase price up to a maximum of £6,000. OVO Energy has calculated that drivers will save 9.5kg of CO2 daily, based on 40 miles a day during their use by the domestic property smart meter installation team.

Ben Guest, field operations director at OVO Energy, commented:

"We're committed to expanding our Field Force team's fleet with new electric vehicles, building on our commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions from our own operations by 2030. Our partnership with Zenith means we can accelerate our plans and move towards a fully electric fleet.”

Mark Grundy, customer relationship manager at Zenith, added:

“We have a close working relationship with OVO Energy and a shared commitment to accelerating the move to net zero. A focused and meticulous approach to planning is required to deliver a smooth roll-out, and input from both teams ensures the different driver requirements are met. In addition, we are supporting OVO with a comprehensive fleet service.”

Zenith is a member of the EV100 initiative by The Climate Group, which aims to make electric transport the new normal by 2030. Zenith plans to switch its own company car fleet to 100% EV by 2025 – five years ahead of the target date required by EV100.