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Above: Adam Griffiths of UES, left, with Nick Kew of Vanaways
A Bristol mechanical, electrical and renewables contractor has begun the electrification of its fleet as part of its journey towards B Corp status.
UES is working with Vanaways to replace diesel vehicles with 12 electric cars and vans, beginning with those used by its dedicated project team and then, subject to successful integration, progressing to the team of rapid response engineers.
The company, founded in 1986, provides commercial and industrial heating, plumbing, electrical and renewable services to customers across the South West and Wales.
Under managing director Adam Griffiths, it is working towards achieving its B Corp certification, which assesses the governance, employment standards, community outreach, environmental values and customer service levels of a business.
Fewer than 1,500 companies in the UK have achieved B Corp status – the gold standard certification for businesses making a positive impact on their various stakeholders.
Electrification of the UES fleet has begun with the leasing of a brand new Nissan Townstar Tekna EV, which will be driven by one of the company’s youngest project team.
Nick Kew, business development manager at Vanaways, said: “It makes sense for any company involved in the installation of renewable energy systems to be as eco-friendly as possible, so we’re delighted to be able to help Adam and UES with the journey towards B Corp certification.
“Adam’s engineers quite rightly want to know that their vehicles are going to be fit for purpose and can cover the mileage they need. At the same time, incorporation of electric vehicles can require some different ways of thinking which take charging needs into account while not impacting operatives’ ability to do their work.
“We know there’s a balance to strike between productivity and sustainability, so we’re here to help business owners consider all the necessary factors and find a fleet solution which works best for them and their customers.
“Meanwhile, manufacturers are beginning to recognise the importance of appropriate pricing, to ensure that electric vehicles are affordable to the mass market. And battery technology is improving all the time. So for many companies, now is a good time to get into electric vehicles.”
Adam said: “This is our first toe dipped into the water, moving across to see what the electric vehicle offering can do to improve our carbon footprint. We’re excited to see if it’s something we can roll out across the rest of the fleet as and when our contract renewals come up.
“As part of a supply chain, and with our own suppliers and subcontractors, we need to be aware of the sustainability of all the products and companies we work with. So we’re aligning ourselves with companies that have a similar ethos.
“For any business, these are all major decisions. So being able to tap into Nick’s knowledge base is great – indeed, we wouldn’t be able to be here without it. Having a vehicle partner on board who has our best interests at heart is really important.
“There’s a lot to consider and the technology is changing rapidly. So we’ll see how things go and by the time of our next B Corp assessment we hope to have made significant progress.”
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