SODEXO HAS increased the number of electric vehicles in its fleet to 18.
Four new Renault Kangoo vans, which are noise and C02 emissions-free, have been leased to transport staff and equipment around sites.
They will service AstraZeneca sites in Alderley Park and Macclesfield, both in Cheshire, where Sodexo provides on-site services.
Sodexo said the move was part of its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint as part of the company’s 2020 sustainability strategy, the Better Tomorrow Plan. It is also in line with AstraZeneca’s own environmental policies.
Sodexo currently operates a mixed fleet of more than 1,000 road-registered vehicles around the UK & Ireland and is introducing electric vehicles to help protect the environment and cut fuel costs.
Trials carried out by Sodexo at Aldershot Garrison and the Defence School of Transport last year, showed that replacing traditional diesel-powered vehicles with electric equivalents resulted in a 90% reduction in fuel costs as well as savings on road tax. Meanwhile, carbon emissions were reduced to zero and exhaust fumes were eliminated from clients premises.
Sodexo national transport manager John Ruiz-Molina said he now wants to encourage more contracts to “embrace electric vehicle technology”.