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PREVIEW
Ireland is entering a new era of automotive electrification, with the recent establishment of the Zero Emission Vehicle Office at the Department of Transport signalling further commitment to achieving the goals of the Climate Action Plan. In the quest to hit 945,000 low emissions vehicles on the road by 2030, ZEVI has also launched a new trial in July 2022 to promote and encourage the electrification of the commercial fleet in Ireland.
Increased range capacity, rising fuel costs and better access to charging points are encouraging more Irish fleet owners and operators to make the switch to electric. Zero-emission electrification is no longer considered to be just for brand perception, but is seen as a pathway to achieve genuine cost savings; and there are real business examples of this across Ireland today.
James Atkinson (DPD Ireland), Fiona Brady (FREE NOW) and Alan McCleave (Wallbox) are all key speakers at the Annual Electric Vehicle Summit which is being held at the RDS Dublin on the 9th November 2022. The group have shared their top tips and critical steps in the journey for making the EV fleet transition.
James Atkinson, Sustainability Manager, DPD Fiona Brady, Head of Operations & Public Affairs, FREE NOw Alan McCleave, UK & Ireland Country Director, wallbox
DPD Ireland has made considerable commitments in this space, commissioning 205 electric Ford E-Transit vans in 2022. James Atkinson, Sustainability Manager leading the fleet electrification at DPD stated: “DPD Ireland aims to be the most sustainable parcel company in Ireland, by lowering our emissions to zero. By electrifying our last mile delivery vans, switching our line-haul trucks to HVO and implementing energy efficiency projects in our 36 depots nationwide, we will reduce our emissions by 90%. 205 new Ford E-Transit vans have been ordered and will arrive in batches between now and February 2023. In 2023 alone, we will spend over €3m on
electric vans and charging infrastructure.”
FREE NOW is making waves in the eMobility industry, with a plan to be the first mobility platform in Europe to reach Net-Zero emissions by 2030. Fiona Brady, Head of Operations & Public Affairs for FREE NOW Ireland shared more on its commitment to enable passengers to make smart and sustainable transport decisions as part of the national effort to build a greener transport infrastructure. “As a business, we are committed to reaching a 50% fully electric fleet by 2025, and to be the first mobility platform in Europe to reach Net-Zero emissions by 2030. We also offset all emissions in an effort to become carbon neutral and are encouraging the electrification of rides by allocating more than €100 million of resources to this in the coming five years. Since the start of the year, we have added 860 EVs to our fleet and a third of vehicles available on the app are now electric or hybrid. Our goal is to have 1,120 EVs on the road by the end of 2022,” she said.
Wallbox is a global leader in EV charging and energy management solutions, committed to accelerating the adoption of EVs and more sustainable use of energy worldwide.
Having already sold over 10,000 chargers and expect to sell over 50,000 more by 2025, Alan McCleave, UK & Ireland Country Director, has set out it’s stall: “Globally, Wallbox has committed to a company-wide Net Zero GHG Emissions goal by 2030, not only to reduce its own impact on the environment but to ensure sustainable innovation is a key company driver. Last year alone Wallbox reduced the emissions from our HQ by 18%, through the installation of solar panels and the use of our proprietary energy management solution, Sirius. Putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do allows our team to build innovative solutions that work in real world scenarios, ultimately helping more businesses achieve their own sustainability ambitions”.
If interested in learning more about the opportunities that exist for electrifying fleets, the Electric Vehicle Summit is a good opportunity to meet with peers and leaders from vehicle manufacturers, leasing companies, charging providers and more.
As an event partner Fleet Car has access to a limited number of discounted passes. If interested in attending please email – enquiries@ fleet.ie
