The Nurture Group is spearheading sustainability targets with a move to an electric fleet, supported by Northgate.

Asim Iqbal, plant machinery and fleet manager at the Nurture Group

The group, which spans the Nurture Landscapes, Gavin Jones and Rokill Pest Control Services brands, runs a fleet of more than 420 vehicles and is working to be net zero by 2030.

Analysis of its carbon footprint identified that some 50% of emissions stemmed from its lower-mileage commercial vehicles and the group realised that fleet electrification was the most effective way to reduce this.

A Northgate customer since 2018, Nurture Group started its electrification journey with the help of Northgate’s Drive to Zero programme.

Following an invitation to one of Northgate’s EV roadshows, a thorough fleet analysis was undertaken to identify which of the group’s vehicles could be transitioned immediately to EVs based on their usage.

Its fleet provides transport for everything from grounds maintenance and landscape construction, to pest control, winter gritting and interior and exterior plants, resulting in wide-ranging daily mileages and usage needs.

The first vehicles to be replaced by eLCVs were small- to medium-sized vans which travelled less than 150 miles per day. These were switched to the LEVC VN5 plug-in hybrid, Renault Kangoo Van E-Tech, the Mercedes-Benz eVito and the Peugeot e-Expert.

The business is also using Northgate’s 12 months+ and flexible hire packages to gain access to new, reliable and efficient vehicles on flexible terms, supporting the transition of the rest of its fleet over time.

It’s also successfully implemented a greener company car policy: 87.5% of its fleet electric and hybrid vehicles, of which a significant majority are fully electric.

Asim Iqbal, plant machinery and fleet manager at the Nurture Group, said: “With a mission to reduce our carbon footprint and become net zero by 2030, Northgate has been a huge help to us in working towards this. The friendly team provided in depth advice and support along the way which has helped reduce our costs and attract more business.”

Neil McCrossan, sales and marketing director of Northgate, added: “The Nurture Group is a great example of a smooth, efficient and stress-free transition to a sustainable fleet that can be implemented over time.”