King's College London electrifies fleet with new zero emission vehicles

King's College London has deployed a new fleet of fully electric vans and an electric car to support campus operations.

The fleet, which has been supplied through Scot Group, trading as Thrifty Car and Van Rental, comprises of seven Ford E-Transit electric vans and a zero emission BMW iX1.

The vehicles have been in operation on the roads of London since March 2024, based at campus sites in Denmark Hill, Guy’s, Waterloo, and Strand.

As part of their operational commitment to reducing their carbon footprint, King’s have taken the steps to swap conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with a new fully electric fleet.

With a range of 180-200 miles on a full charge, which is typical performance for one of the new vans, the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) will help decrease King’s long-term carbon footprint in line with their climate and sustainability action plan.

Nick O’Donnell, director of estates and facilities, said: “We are delighted to have introduced our new electric vehicle fleet, for use on and around our campuses.

“These new vehicles represent another positive step toward reducing our carbon footprint at King’s.

“We have worked to source and wrap the new vehicles using fully recyclable self-adhesive film and liner, which will now be seen across our campuses in their vibrant green branding showcasing King’s sustainability in action.”

Martin Wilson, Thrifty’s managing director, says it is great to see a “prestigious institution such as Kings College” become an early adopter of commercial EV fleet.

“The vans look great and really make a statement about King's aspirations to reduce their carbon footprint, they should be commended for taking this positive action,” he added.

Wilson explained that, as well as this tailored solution, the vehicle rental company has seen a “marked increase” in the utilisation of its fully electric fleet.