The John Lewis Partnership is replacing its Home Services fleet with electric vehicles. The move comes as part of its pledge to move 4,000 cars, vans and light trucks to electric by 2030.
The company will begin a trial in partnership with EV technology specialists Flexible Power Systems, which is establishing a mixed charging solution incorporating depot, public network and home charging.
The trial will start next month and will see FPS integrate data collected into a wider electrification plan for the 350 Home Services vehicles, which provide home estimating and fitting services for John Lewis.
The move follows a successful joint wireless van charging trial currently underway at Waitrose at St Katharine Dock in London.
John Lewis Partnership has pledged to fossil-free fleet by 2030 with its HGVs to move to Biomethane by 2028 and its delivery and Home Services fleet to be all-electric by 2030.
Kate Cosco, product services field manager, said: “This is another step along the path of the John Lewis Partnership’s ambition to move completely away from fossils fuels in the fleet by 2030, saving an estimated 500,000 tonnes of CO2 between 2020 & 2030. This is a wonderful opportunity to test how electric vehicles work for us in Home Services.”
Managing director of Flexible Power Systems Michael Ayres, said: “Replacing commercial diesel fleets with electric vehicles is just one part of the picture. We need to bring together the ecosystem of chargers, power management and operational interfaces required to keep fleets serving customers efficiently.”
“Like many company car drivers, Home Services partners have a range of working patterns and living arrangements, we need to ensure we can offer a flexible and scalable charging solution to fit these needs via depot, home or public network charging.
“It’s essential to collect data through trials like this one, to inform and de-risk the very substantial decarbonisation investments in vehicles and infrastructure fleets are planning.”
