Whistl has begun the rollout of electric vehicles within its van fleet following a strategic review of its future transport needs.
The rollout will include electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Whistl’s current 22 sites and the purchase of electric vans.
The first to be deployed will include four Maxus eDeliver 9 electric vehicles covering customers in the Bristol area as well as five for the Parcelhub brand.
The necessary charging infrastructure is being developed working with EO Charging following a comprehensive review of the marketplace.
In addition to the van fleet, Whistl is actively encouraging employees with a company car to choose a fully electric or hybrid option and has installed charging options at its head office and across its estate. The infrastructure rollout is expected to be complete this year.
As new electric vehicles come into the market, Whistl will assess their suitability to replace current ICE fleet vehicles. It recently announced its fleet renewal, including Peugeot Boxer 435 Vans which are on leases that enable Whistl to swap them with electric powered replacements when they become available.
Alistair Cochrane, CEO Whistl, said: “I am pleased that we can begin rolling out electric vehicles in Bristol and for our Parcelhub brand. We want to transition our fleet as quickly as possible to non-ICE and are actively trying to find ways to overcome the size and weight restraints of current electric vehicles versus our operational requirements.”
