Wilmott Dixon to roll out EV charge points

Willmott Dixon has announced it will roll out electric vehicle (EV) charge points across all its sites and offices.

The company said it is working with EV charging company Rolec to install charging points at more than 100 locations across its sites and offices in England and Wales during 2021 for the nearly 300 of its people who have switched, or are switching, to electric cars under the company’s car scheme.

The company said move is part of its pledge to become net-zero by 2030 without offsetting.

In its latest initiative under it’s ‘Now or Never’ sustainability strategy, Willmott Dixon said it expects the move to reduce emissions by nearly 1 million kgCo2e, compared to the average Willmott Dixon vehicle carbon emissions driving 15,000 miles annually.

The company also said it expects the shift away from petrol and diesel fuel to lead to savings of £360k in fuel reimbursement and support more people transitioning to EVs.

Julia Barrett, chief sustainability officer, said: “Through our 2030 ‘Now or Never’ sustainability strategy, launched last autumn, we have set ourselves some of the toughest science-based targets in the industry, as we pledge to have no direct emissions from our day-to-day operations by eliminating fossil fuel use in our offices and on our sites.

“In order to achieve this objective, it is critical that we move to a 100% electric vehicle fleet, which will only be viable if we are able to provide our people with the relevant equipment to make this step change possible.”

Willmott Dixon has switched its car funding policy from a standard three-year operating lease to a salary sacrifice scheme.

Read more about Willmott Dixon's conversion to salary sacrifice and the hurdles it overcame in the May edition of Fleet News. 

Willmott Dixon said it launched a new vehicle scheme in January, encouraging staff to consider EVs and it has seen ‘several hundred applications'.

The company said it is committing to installing EV charging points at its sites and offices, creating the infrastructure to support the change. 

Barrett added: “Since 2019, all of our offices and sites have been powered by certified, natural renewable electricity.

“We are also encouraging our people to consider making the same change at home, having recently led an internal campaign for Earth Day during April.

“By combining renewable electricity powered charging points with electric vehicles, we are proud to able to provide a truly sustainable vehicle solution for all of our people.”

According to Arval Mobility Observatory, almost three in 10 (29%) fleets that already operate or are planning to adopt EVs within the next three years offer workplace charging for free.

Willmott Dixon’s latest sustainability commitment follows being awarded Level 3 of the Carbon Trust’s industry leading Supply Chain Standard, achieving a score of 82%.

The standard recognises organisations which can demonstrate that they are measuring, managing, and reducing carbon emissions from their supply chains, said Willmott Dixon.