SMS adds electric vehicles to company fleet
We are delighted to announce SMS Plc has leased two new electric vehicles (EVs) to be used as company pool cars.
Following a trial period, during which a range of EVs were tested, the business has hired the BMW i3 model (one in blue and one in white) custom-branded with the SMS logo and slogan.
The BMW i3 is a ‘Category 1’ electric vehicle, meaning it produces zero driving emissions (a travel range of at least 70 miles without emitting any CO2).
The EV pool cars will be based at the group’s Icon Building in Doncaster and are the first wave of a more extensive planned rollout of EVs across the business.
A separate trial is currently underway with a view to finding an EV replacement for the group’s large number of commercial vans, with the Nissan E-NV200 currently being tested.
In order to accommodate the rollout of EVs, the business will soon be installing EV charging points at the Doncaster site. A number of charge points are also scheduled to be installed at further SMS office and warehouse locations in coming months in order to future proof these sites for the anticipated rise in our EV fleet, as well as an increase in private EV ownership.
SMS has recently expanded its operations into the growing EV charging market, becoming on Office of Low-Emission Vehicles (OLEV) accredited installer for the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).
We are also currently partnering with a consortium of companies for the Virgin Media Park and Charge Project (VPACH). In Q1 2019, this project took significant steps towards demonstrating the viability of a fully-integrated EV charging network for on-street residential parking in the United Kingdom.
In May 2019, the Committee on Climate Change urged UK government to advance its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 10 years. The current policy, which is set to come into force in 2040, will not be stringent enough for the electric vehicle (EV) market to reach its full potential and help meet climate targets, the committee said.
