Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions is proving its environmental commitment by adding electric vehicles (EVs) to its own fleet. The company will install charging points at its Newbury and Trowbridge offices, enabling staff to use the on-site pool of EVs for carbon-neutral commutes between sites and to customer offices that are either ‘in range’ or have charging facilities.

The company has placed an initial order for two Nissan Leafs, shortly to be followed by a further model from a different manufacturer for comparison purposes. The vehicles will be available to all Hitachi Capital employees, and customers will also be encouraged to test drive the vehicles during visits to the company’s offices. In addition, customers with EVs on their fleet will be invited to use the charging points as required.

“I am a great believer in leading by example, and if we are to encourage our customers to run more environmentally-efficient fleets we should be practising what we preach. It also means our advice will be based on actual practice rather than theory,” explains Simon Oliphant, chief executive at Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.  “Our willingness to support customers financially with EV trials also demonstrates our true commitment.”

Oliphant continues: “It is our pledge to always invest in the latest technology to ensure fleet managers have the resources and equipment they need to run an efficient fleet. Hitachi Capital has always been committed to sustainable development, demonstrated by our position as the first leasing provider to gain the ISO 14001 certification. Being an action orientated business, we demonstrate our commitment to the environment by actually doing something to minimise our impact on it.”