BT Group orders 3,500 battery electric vans

BT Group has placed one of the largest orders ever for a fleet of battery electric commercial vehicles.

Ford, Stellantis, Toyota and Renault will deliver around 3,500 electric vehicles (EVs) to the telecoms giant over the next two years. 

The order is part of a larger delivery of 6,000 new vehicles, with more than half of the vans being EVs. 

The company already has around 4,300 EVs, supporting its target to become a net zero business by March 2031. 

The order will mean BT Group, which includes Openreach, will have one of the largest zero-emission fleets in the UK, with nearly 8,000 EVs, by the time the order is completed in 2026. 

Simon Lowth, chief financial officer at BT Group, said: “By integrating yet more electric vehicles into our operations, we are taking another significant step towards reducing our carbon footprint and supporting the UK's transition to a greener future. 

“As we extend our full fibre build from 16 million homes and businesses today to 25 million by the end of 2026, having the most efficient, sustainable electric vehicles will give our engineers the edge as they connect customers at pace to our next generation networks. 

“Our modern fleet will help us to be more efficient and deliver a better service for our customers.” 

Fleet News reported on another large EV fleet deal last year, when Royal Mail announced it was adding a further 2,100 electric vans to its fleet over the next year, with around half expected to be deployed by Christmas.

Royal Mail already had the largest electric delivery fleet in the UK with around 5,000 fully electric vans. The new additions will increase the total by almost half in just one year to more than 7,000.

BT Group manages the second largest commercial vehicle fleet in the UK, with more than 27,000 vehicles used by engineers across the country. 

Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said: “Businesses have a crucial role to play in driving the transition to electric cars and vans. 

“That’s why it’s fantastic to see that BT Group have made the most of our plug-in van grant to order 3,500 brand new EVs – which means they will have the largest electric commercial fleet in the UK. 

“We want to help more businesses decarbonise their operations, and we’ve extended our plug-in van grant with £120 million funding to help roll out more zero emission vans on our roads - part of our £2.3 billion to support industry and consumers switch to EVs and make the transition a success.”