News 21 December 2022

Mitie unwraps 3,000th electric vehicle in time for Christmas

  • The vehicle will be used on Mitie’s Greener Cities service in Dudley, West Midlands 
  • Landscaping equipment used on the contract is charged by solar panels on the roof 

Mitie has welcomed the 3,000th electric vehicle (EV) to its fleet which puts it on course to switch its fleet to zero emission vehicles by the end of 2025. Mitie began its electric vehicle transition in December 2018, with 42% of Mitie’s UK-wide fleet now electric, following more than 1,000 new electric vehicles joining the fleet during 2022. 

The home of the new vehicle will be Merryhill Shopping Centre in Dudley, West Midlands, on Mitie’s Greener Cities landscaping contract. Greener Cities operates in urban areas across the UK helping customers with net zero ambitions, by using electric vehicles, ensuring zero landfill waste, zero single-use plastic and only operating battery-powered equipment. 

To make the vehicle even more sustainable, the Vauxhall Vivaro E van is fully fitted with solar panels on the roof which are used to charge the battery-powered landscaping tools and equipment such as electric trimmers, leaf blowers and lawn mowers. 

During December 2022 Mitie deployed 100 EV vans across major contracts including the Home Office and National Grid. As part of this month’s delivery, Mitie is also supporting the United States Visiting Forces’ ambition for a fully electric van fleet, as part of a wider facilities management partnership at US Air Force bases at RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Croughton, RAF Molesworth, RAF Alconbury, RAF Fairford and RAF Menwith Hill. 

Mitie has also switched many of its larger and more specialist vehicles to electric as part of its EV strategy, including the UK’s first zero emission commercial gritter, ‘Gritter Thunberg’ and has installed more than 2,000 EV charging points across Mitie colleagues’ homes and customer sites. 

Heidi Thompson, Group Fleet Manager, Mitie, said:  

“Our 3000th EV puts Mitie on the road to a zero-emission fleet by the end of 2025, as part of our wider industry-leading target for net zero operations in that timeframe. It’s apt that Mitie’s 3000th vehicle is topped with solar panels to make it even more sustainable, as we drive wider innovation across our fleet and help decarbonise Britain.” 

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