- BT Group have ordered 3,500 new EVs in efforts to become a net-zero business
- By 2026, BT will be the largest commercial EV fleet in the UK
- It achieved a 61% reduction in carbon emissions intensity from 2017-2024
BT Group will soon have the largest number electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK after placing an order for 3,500 in a bid to reach its net-zero targets.
The order will be delivered by four manufacturers: Ford, Stellantis, Toyota and Renault over a two-year period. It is part of BT Group’s goal to be net zero by March 2031 and have a net-zero supply chain and customer emissions by March 2041.
From 2026, BT Group will have the nation’s largest electric fleet with 8,000 EVs, which aims to help support the upgrade of the UK’s largest broadband and mobile networks.
BT Group already manages the second-largest commercial fleet in the UK, just behind Royal Mail, with 27,000 vehicles across the country, 4,300 of which are electric. The new order of EVs is part of a larger order of 6,000 vehicles, the remaining 1,700 being petrol/ diesel vans.
Simon Lowth, chief financial officer, BT Group, described the purchase as “another significant step towards” reducing its carbon footprint and supporting the UK’s energy transition.
“Having the most efficient, sustainable electric vehicles will give our engineers the edge as they connect customers at pace to our next generation networks,” Lowth explained.
“Our modern fleet will help us to be more efficient and deliver a better service for our customers.”
Helped with the introduction of an EV fleet, BT Group achieved a 61% reduction in its carbon emissions intensity in September 2024 from September 2017.
Its broadband network covers more than 16 million households and businesses across Britain, as well as 19,500 mobile masts for EE, and 5,600 telephone exchanges across mainland UK and islands the Isles of Scilly.
The new fleet will provide efficient and sustainable vehicles to help build next generation broadband and mobile networks. Openreach engineers are on track to reach 25 million buildings by the end of 2026.
Lilian Greenwood, future of roads minister, said that businesses have a crucial role to play in driving the transition to electric cars and vans.
“That’s why it’s fantastic to see that BT Group have made the most of our plug-in van grant to order 3,500 brand new EVs – which means they will have the largest electric commercial fleet in the UK,” she added.
“We want to help more businesses decarbonise their operations, and we’ve extended our plug-in van grant with £120m funding to help roll out more zero emission vans on our roads – part of our £2.3bn to support industry and consumers switch to EVs and make the transition a success.”
The plug-in van grant (PIVG) was created in 2012 to help bridge the price gap between the cost of ultra-low emission vans and diesel vans.
