The electric future of Arcus FM
At Arcus we are actively working to reduce our carbon footprint and to support our carbon reduction commitment, we began the process of electrifying the fleet by introducing two electric vans (EVs) back in October 2021.
This is the latest move in Arcus’ sustainability journey. Electrifying our fleet will significantly contribute to achieving a reduction of our own carbon emissions by 40% by 2025 and our longer-term net-zero goals. These aims and ambitions need to be carefully balanced against the need to protect service to our customers – and ensure our vehicles have the range and capabilities to deliver.
Our two electric vans are currently being used in South London and Essex, with 18 more EVs on order. These vans will be circulated throughout the UK, trialling different areas with access to varying infrastructures. Before moving to a zero-carbon fleet, we will analyse data from the 20 EVs to determine where in the business electric vehicles can work in the short term. This trial will test the capability of the public charging infrastructure and will demonstrate how zero-emissions technology can play an integral part in a sustainable future.
Anton Jungblut, Refrigeration Managing Engineer and Ryan French, Refrigeration Engineer, were the first of our colleagues to take on this initiative and after six months of trialling the Evs, they’ve shared their thoughts and experiences.
Anton said, “The new Electric van is comfortable and modern with some great features – a personal favourite of mine is the cruise control and speed limiter feature, it is an amazing addition to the van, as it helps prevent speeding fines. I imagine this would be a plus for most engineers. The shelving in the van is also minimal, this is a positive for me as I have managed to rearrange the van around my needs. I know this could be a minus for some engineers, but I personally like it.”
Ryan French shares, “It’s been an interesting and overall positive experience driving an electric van. I work around South London, and although the roads are always busy – it has been a good and easy vehicle to adjust to, with the bonus of its automatic drive, so there’s no constant clutch usage. While I’m not on call, the mileage from full to charge is perfect for daily use in my area of operation and because of this I haven’t had to stop and charge the van while I’m out – due to my daily mileage being covered.
“Overall, it has been an incredibly positive experience for me, with only a few downsides –and hopefully as electric vehicles become more popular, the negatives will reduce.”
To support our EV feedback and the rollout of an electric fleet, our primary focus will be expanding our home charging capability to counteract the gaps in public charging infrastructure, to make electric charging more accessible. As a business, we have already installed a total of eight electric charging point, which has the ability to charge up to 16 vehicles – with more charging points to be installed at our new Stevenage Training Centre.
This investment will help prepare our business for the UK Government 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles and will assist with meeting both the Government’s 2030 carbon reduction target and the 2050 net-zero target.
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