Prime Minister and Chancellor take delivery of 500th British Gas EV

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak unveiled the 500th electric British Gas van to hit the road this week.

Centrica, owner of British Gas, has committed to electrify its 12,000 strong operational fleet by 2025, five years earlier than originally planned, as part of its commitment to become a net zero organisation.

It has also committed to make its 1,500 company cars EV only in the same time frame.

British Gas signed a deal with Vauxhall for 2,000 Vivaro-e electric vans in February, which followed an earlier order for 1,000 electric vans from the manufacturer.

As well as taking delivery of its 500th electric van this week, two plug-in British Gas vans are undertaking the 874-mile journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End to help drive EV uptake among employees and customers, and to demonstrate what the latest EVs are capable of.

The journey follows an announcement by British Gas to hire 3,500 ‘green skills’ apprentices over the next decade. Newly recruited apprentices and existing British Gas engineers will promote the opportunities available in key regions along the route.

Once qualified as Smart Energy Experts, the new cohort of apprentices will be upskilled to install and maintain carbon-efficient technologies, including much-needed EV vehicle charging points, in communities across the UK.