Holman has delivered the first 750 electric vans to BT Group as part of a record-breaking 3,500-plus order which will further decarbonise the communications giant’s fleet.
Originally announced in January, and creating the largest electric commercial fleet in the UK once the complete order is fulfilled in 2026, it drew praise from Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood and is part of BT Group’s plan to become a net zero business by 2031.
Holman’s role in helping to achieve this has been to help with vehicle trials and tests, then specify and source the vehicles, manage the funding and oversee the delivery of them to engineers.
Holman’s Managing Director, Nick Caller, said: “We’re delighted to partner with BT Group on this further transition across to electric vehicles, as part of their wider sustainability agenda.
“Our team has been instrumental through the procurement and wider supply chain activity, helping to appoint the right suppliers and providing products best suited for BT’s operational needs. These new vehicles coming on to fleet only further reinforce BT’s commitment to become net zero.”
In the initial batch, there are hundreds of Toyota Proace Electrics and Vauxhall Vivaro Electrics, as well as Vauxhall Combo Electrics.
With such a variety of vehicles needed, Holman has managed the funding of the vans, drawn from a panel of suppliers to ensure that pricing, specification, quality and costs are consistent. Holman will also oversee the defleeting of the existing ICE vans, preparing them for sale and managing remarketing channels.
Illustrating the confidence in the new electric models to fulfil their roles successfully, most are planned to run on a seven-year fleet lifecycle. Holman will also monitor and control the service, maintenance and repair of the fleet to ensure minimum downtime and cost.
With the vehicles now being delivered – the first batch of which were for Openreach – Holman has put a handover programme in place, with a number of designated locations to provide the engineers familiarisation training on electric van usage.
The further electrification of the fleet has also seen a transformation in approach, moving from one where a suitable driver was paired with an electric van to one where vans are now paired to roles: Holman was then tasked with helping to ensure the vans had the infrastructure and support to fulfil what is required of them.
Holman’s Customer Success Director, Nimesh Chauhan said: “This change of approach speaks volumes about the confidence that electric vans can do the job when everything has been put in place. Many fleets take the ‘low-hanging fruit’ approach to electrification but this bold strategy flips that, demanding decarbonisation across the board.
“It’s been our task to ensure that when these vans start work, everything is in place for them to succeed and for drivers to have everything they need so there is no drop-off in operational capability.”
Holman’s partnership with BT Group, one of the largest fleet management deals in history, began on September 30, 2023, supporting the operation of more than 37,000 vehicles from a new office in Birmingham, with hundreds of new employees and an expanded repair network of more than 2,000 sites.
Despite the massive logistical challenge of gearing up for the contract, the partnership saw Holman identify cost efficiencies of more than £1.8 million in the first 12 months.
Holman worked to reduce spend on unnecessary repairs by focusing on the requirements to keep the fleet operational. Challenging high-cost repairs, or costs which are outside of industry standards, helps Holman to manage the customer’s spend. Working with the BT Group team to evaluate anticipated costs based on age and mileage profiles, Holman is also helping them to make decisions to move, terminate and replace vehicles accordingly.
Chauhan said: “You can only achieve such remarkable results with the right people, and it makes me incredibly proud to see how the team has adapted to every challenge.
“BT Group’s footprint is vast, covering the breadth of the UK, which is why we’re working at grassroots level with vehicle users in every corner of the country to make sure that we continue to innovate, and meet their ever-changing needs. “The exciting thing is we are only at the start of the journey, providing ever better support to the drivers and working to decarbonise and electrify the fleet over the next few years.”
Images & article provided by Holman
