Telecommunications specialist Openreach has ordered 270 Vauxhall Vivaro-e vans and nine Corsa-e cars as part of the company’s commitment to electric-powered vehicles.
Openreach is one of the UK’s largest fleet operators, with about 27,000 vehicles and has run diesel versions of the Vauxhall vans for the past 15 years.
This order comes shortly after The UK Electric Fleets Coalition, of which Openreach is a founding member, released its policy asks to the Government, asking for a target to be set for 100% of new car and van sales to be fully electric by 2030 (with exceptions for the small number of vehicles where this may not be possible).
The Vauxhall Vivaro-e is available with two battery options, with the 50kW unit achieving 143-miles of range under WLTP testing, while the 75kW unit extends the operational range to 205 miles. It can also be charged rapidly, with an 80% charge taking 30 and 45 minutes respectively. The Vivaro-e has a payload of up to 1,226kg and can tow up to 1,000kg.
Meanwhile, the Vauxhall Corsa-e has a 50kWh battery, which provides a zero-emissions range of up to 209 miles from a single charge and supports up to 100kW rapid charging technology – allowing for an 80% charge in as little as 30 minutes.
Both vehicles come with an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty and eight years of Roadside Assistance cover from Vauxhall.
Clive Selley, Openreach CEO, said: “Our order… is an important first step as we begin to move our fleet, the second largest commercial fleet in the UK, to being fully electric.”
James Taylor, General Sales Director of Vauxhall, said: “Having one of the UK’s largest fleet operators choosing our electric vehicles shows just how confident they are in our product.”
