Openreach has placed an order for 270 fully electric Vauxhall Vivaro-e electric vans and nine Vauxhall Corsa-e electric cars.

Openreach operates a fleet of around 27,000 vehicles in the UK

With around 27,000 vehicles, Openreach operates one of the UK’s largest fleets, and has run diesel versions of the Vauxhall vans for the past 15 years. This comes shortly after The UK Electric Fleets Coalition, of which Openreach is a founding member, released its policy asking government for a target to be set for 100% of new car and van sales to be fully electric by 2030 (with exceptions for the small number of vehicles where this may not be possible).

The Vauxhall electric vans come with either a 143-mile or 205-mile range and a payload of up to 1,226kg.

The Vauxhall Corsa-e comes with a 50kWh battery providing a zero-emission range of up to 209 miles.

Both vehicles come with a standard eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty matched by eight years of Roadside Assistance cover from Vauxhall.

Explaining the choice behind the Vauxhall Corsa-e, Chris Mullings, operating licence & vehicle compliance manager, at Openreach, said: “Although, the Corsa-e is a compact car, it is surprisingly roomy, incredibly easy to drive and comfortable on both short and long journeys. The range is very good and with its DC charging capability it provides additional rapid charging options if ever needed.”

Clive Selley, Openreach CEO said: “Our order today is an important first step as we begin to move our fleet, the second largest commercial fleet in the UK, to being fully electric.”

James Taylor, general sales director of Vauxhall, said: “Our electric vehicles help achieve significant cost savings from day one, and equally as important have no compromise in capability. Having one of the UK’s largest fleet operators choosing our electric vehicles shows just how confident they are in our product. We are very happy to continue our partnership with Openreach, transforming their nationwide fleet with our new electric vehicles.”