SMT GB opt for fully electric company cars

Business charges ahead with environmental pledge by making the switch from diesel and hybrid cars

VOLVO Construction Equipment dealers SMT GB have taken another big step towards achieving their environmental objectives by swapping their entire company car fleet from diesel and hybrid to fully electric cars.

As part of the plan, the company is also providing financial support to allow home charging points to be installed for all company car users and is currently installing charging points across its entire Customer Support Centre network. All electricity supplied to the business is already generated entirely from renewable sources.

To quantify the importance of this new initiative, SMT GB say that in 2019 alone, their company car fleet generated 527 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). In order to offset the impact of this, the company would have to plant 7,900 trees per year.

Keen to spread the benefits of the new environmental initiative as far as possible, the company has also opened up access to all staff members to order their own electric vehicle (EV) via a salary-sacrifice scheme.

SMT GB’s environmental manager, Paul Burr, said: ‘As environmental manager, owning an electric car was always a dream of mine, but I’d previously found them to be unaffordable. Through the scheme I now have an electric car and it’s a fantastic benefit not just to me, but to the wider environment.’

With the company working towards achieving carbon neutrality, it believes the switch to a fully electric car fleet has greatly assisted the likelihood of attaining this goal. It is also hoped that the implementation and universal inclusion of the initiative will empower SMT GB staff members to consider their own impact on the environment and make changes for the better.

Jess Payne, head of human resources, said: ‘By moving to a full EV fleet, we are living our values. We care about the environment and the world we live in. We want our employees to feel good about working for SMT, and our scheme helps them and their families make a greener choice by providing an all-electric car.’

So far, the new initiative has been warmly welcomed by the staff members already running their new electric vehicles. Commenting on his new company car, CSA and parts operations manager John Green (pictured) said: ‘On the surface, they may come across as a bit expensive but, when you crunch the numbers, getting one quickly becomes a no-brainer.

‘My previous vehicle cost me 24p per mile to run, whereas my new car costs me 2p per mile. The service intervals are also far longer than a standard internal combustion engine car, and there are no oils or filters to change, which just adds to the cost saving and convenience of running it.’

Commenting on the new initiative, SMT GB’s chief executive officer, Nick Allen, said: ‘At SMT, we are fully committed to our sustainability goals. As early adopters to a fully electric fleet, we are setting the benchmark, not just within our industry, but for any business looking to improve its impact on the environment. We are committed to our bold environmental objectives and are excited to be leading the way towards a brighter future for all.’