BT starts electric van trial in Milton Keynes as part of carbon reduction drive

BT today announced that Milton Keynes is one of the first locations in the UK where engineers at its Openreach division have begun trialling energy efficient electric vans.

As part of BT’s commitment to reduce its carbon intensity by 80 per cent by 2020, Openreach – which is responsible for the nationwide local BT network that connects homes and businesses across Britain to communications providers’ networks – has begun testing two electric vans in Milton Keynes and two in East London, and, if successful, plans to roll them out more widely across its fleet of 23,400 vehicles.

The news was welcomed at an event held at Bleak Hall engineering centre, Milton Keynes.

BT’s fleet management division has worked with Allied Electric and Smith Electric Vehicles to convert two Peugeot and two Ford zero emission vehicles that will be tested for a number of things, including suitability for engineers’ work patterns, battery life and energy usage. In addition to being trialled in Milton Keynes, one of the first cities and towns across the UK piloting charging points for electric vehicles, the vans will also be tested at Openreach’s Stratford telephone exchange and nearby 2012 Olympic Village.

The vans have a restricted top speed of 70 miles per hour and can cover up to 100 miles between battery charges, considerably more than the average 60 to 65 miles per day covered by an Openreach van on a normal day. The vans offer the same payload capabilities as an equivalent diesel vehicle, but with none of the environmentally harmful tailpipe emissions.

John Small, service delivery managing director at Openreach, said: “This is fantastic news and I’m really pleased we are trialling these electric vans here in Milton Keynes.

“This town is really at the cutting edge of new developments from us. We are currently trialling fibre to the premises broadband from the Bradwell Abbey exchange – which is bringing super-fast speeds to the people taking part.

“And if the electric vans trial is successful it will provide a great opportunity for Openreach to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of its vehicle fleet. Not only do they eliminate exhaust emissions, but the vans could deliver longer term cost benefits and their quietness make them perfect for working in residential areas.

“Last year BT reduced the amount of CO2 emitted as a result of travel and transport by more than 20 per cent, by reducing the number of journeys made and increasing fuel efficiency. We hope that electric vans can add to our carbon reduction commitment.”

Mike Galloway, Milton Keynes Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “It’s great to see BT contributing something to the environment and electric vehicles will play an increasingly important role in reducing carbon emissions and helping us tackle climate change.”

Openreach also believes that electric vans could reduce vehicle fleet maintenance costs, as the engines only contain a few components, rather than thousands found in a combustion engine – which means the likelihood of them breaking down is far less.

For every 150 engineering visits that Openreach avoids through network improvements and fewer failed visits, it estimates it avoids one tonne of CO2. In 2008/09 the company avoided more than 2,000 tonnes as a result of these initiatives and between 2007 and 2009, BT reduced the distance travelled by its commercial fleets by 9.5 per cent, and its fuel consumption by 10.8 per cent.

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Notes to Editors:

The electric van trial is just one of a number of ways BT plans to reduce its carbon intensity by 80 per cent by 2020, from 1997 levels. For example, in California an array of solar panels is powering BT offices and data centres, whilst in the UK planning permission for the first of BT’s wind farms has been granted, part of the company’s plans for the UK’s biggest corporate wind power project outside the energy sector.

Openreach has also launched a number of other initiatives to cut energy usage and carbon levels in its vehicle fleet, including issuing tyre pressure gauges, speed limiting technology and the use of lighter and better designed racking and equipment. Upgrades to the Openreach telephone and broadband network, as well customer service improvement programmes have also led to energy reductions.