Standard content for Members only

To continue reading this article, please login to your Utility Week account, Start 14 day trial or Become a member.

If your organisation already has a corporate membership and you haven’t activated it simply follow the register link below. Check here.

Become a member

Start 14 day trial

Login Register

Mitie signs Pod Point in first step towards fleet electrification

Facilities management company Mitie has selected Pod Point as its exclusive supplier of electric vehicle (EV) charge points. The move will support Mitie’s plan to electrify 20 per cent of its fleet of smaller vehicles by 2020.

Pod Point will install 800 charge points at Mitie and client offices and employee homes by 2020 to support the roughly 700 EVs that are set to be introduced.

Mitie will deploy new vehicles to both its own and client depots, while also allocating some to employees who take their vehicles home after work.

In January, research published by Deloitte estimated that EVs will have the same operating cost as conventional vehicles by 2021.

Mitie cited Pod Point’s full range of services, from survey and design through to supply, installation, and account management, as well as the company’s app which allows drivers to track their charging activity, as the key reasons behind the selection.

Simon King, head of fleet and procurement at Mitie, said: “With our commitment to switch at least 20 per cent of our fleet to electric by 2020, we know we have a challenge ahead. Changing behaviour is a key roadblock, so having access to adequate charging infrastructure, installed in the right places, will be vital to ensuring we can meet this challenge, so our drivers can plug-in and charge, wherever they are.

“Pod Point’s smart charge points and ability to offer a fully managed service offers us peace of mind that our drivers will be able to charge where and when they need to, ensuring our transition to electric is a smooth one.”

Erik Fairbairn, Pod Point chief executive and founder, added: “Mitie is showing real industry leadership with its commitment to going electric and we’re delighted to have been chosen as the company’s EV charging partner.”

At the end of March, Drax launched its own service aimed at helping businesses transition to electric vehicles.

The service already has its first customer – SES Water – which has invested in 16 new charging points and is initially replacing ten of its 120-strong fleet with EVs.

A few days prior, Google announced that it would be adding live data from EV charging stations to its Maps services.