SSEN starts EV switch after ‘new normal’ pledge

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), part of the wider SSE Group, has taken delivery of the first electric vans to serve communities across Scotland.

20th February 2020 by Networks

SSEN starts EV switch after ‘new normal’ pledge

The vehicles will be at the frontline of supporting the low carbon assets and infrastructure required to deliver net zero.

They are the first to arrive following the business’s commitment, in July 2019, to the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, which aims to make EVs “the new normal” by 2030.

EV100 is a global initiative bringing together corporate signatories that are committed to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

Our teams are hugely excited about the new technology and are very proud to be at the frontline of the EV rollout

Brian McLaren, SSE director of group change

With businesses owning over half of all new registered vehicles on the road, the Climate Group – a not-for-profit business-led campaign group – argues that it is crucial that companies lead the shift to electric vehicles.

Brian McLaren, SSE director of group change said: “As a major fleet operator across the UK and Ireland, the EV rollout is in line with SSE’s ambition to deliver low carbon infrastructure in a sustainable way and links to our wider business goal of helping accommodate 10 million electric vehicles in Great Britain by 2030.

“The vehicles will work in a wide variety of operational roles and conditions, maintaining and supporting the electricity network across the south of England and north of Scotland.

“I know that our teams are hugely excited about the new technology and are very proud to be at the frontline of the EV rollout.”

The vehicles will be closely monitored to allow a better understanding of EV-specific factors including: “range anxiety” for people whose job involves driving all day, the ease of home charging, the availability of rapid charge points, and overall performance in challenging and remote conditions.

Following its commitment to the Climate Group’s global EV100 initiative, SSEN is currently targeting the switch of over 3,500 vehicles to electric.

It has so far installed over 100 charge points across 20 of its main sites with plans to continue this across more remote locations as the fleet increases.

The wider group continues to provide national charging infrastructure projects across the UK.