Dawsongroup Vans has launched a flagship clean energy fleet electrification facility at its Milton Keynes site with the help of e-fleet solutions provider VEV.

The microgrid delivers clean energy charging for the EV fleet despite restricted power supply at the site

The microgrid comprises solar power, battery storage and 34 EV chargers, delivering clean energy charging for the EV fleet despite restricted power supply at the site.

With a nationwide fleet of 13,000 vehicles and a fast-growing EV estate, Dawsongroup Vans operates at the forefront of innovation and electrified solutions in commercial vehicle hire.

The Dawson Road site in Milton Keynes is the largest hub for the firm’s vehicles and fleet maintenance operations, providing SMR for the hire fleet.

The microgrid solves the issue of restricted power supply at the site by generating solar power and storing it in onsite batteries ready to charge the vehicles. The 300kWh battery units store energy generated from the solar panels and then charge vehicles, reducing demand on the national grid. Electric vehicles supplied to customers from Milton Keynes will have been charged using renewable energy.

VEV provided a full turnkey solution from planning and design to power connection, procurement,  project management and build of the clean energy microgrid.

As part of the five-year full-service package, the microgrid and charging ecosystem is managed through VEV’s proprietary data platform, VEV-IQ. This integrated charger and energy management system operates the charging infrastructure and uses intelligent load balancing to optimise energy usage across all sources – the grid, solar power and battery storage. It provides insights to the fleet manager to maximise operational and cost efficiency.

Dawsongroup vans is forecasting carbon emissions savings from the project of 65 tonnes per year – and will spotlight how the ecosystem plays a crucial role in reinforcing the cost and efficiency benefits of switching to electric fleets.

The business will showcase the new clean energy ecosystem as part of the work carried out by its ‘Team Target Zero’ advisors to assist customers and suppliers with their carbon reduction plans.

Stephen Miller, CEO of Dawsongroup, said: “As a leading player in the UK’s commercial vehicle hire sector, Dawsongroup has a desire to help lead the way in decarbonising fleets. We chose to leverage VEV’s expertise in delivering end-to-end electrification solutions for our Vans business and can now show our customers how they can thrive in the electric age and meet emissions-reduction obligations. We’re delighted with our new clean energy microgrid at Dawson Road and are exploring how to bring electrification further into our business.”

Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV, said: “It was fantastic to see the microgrid and EV infrastructure become a reality at Dawson Road in December after breaking ground in spring 2024. We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with the team there as our experts in energy and operations leverage VEV-IQ to optimise the clean energy ecosystem and deliver cost-efficiencies for Dawsongroup Vans.”