Sky announces the arrival of 151 new Ford Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vans

Sky announces the arrival of 151 new Ford Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vans (PHEVs) as part of its commitment to net-zero emissions.

Sky’s fleet is going green with the arrival of 151 Ford Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vans (PHEVs) to be used by its Sky Engineers across the UK.

In February 2020, Sky set its commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030, two decades ahead of the government’s target and outlined its ambition to transition its fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles to zero emissions over the next ten years.

Ford Fleet Director, Neil Wilson, said: “Our new plug-in Ford Transit works for businesses driving in towns because its development included input and learnings from city-based fleets including Sky.”

“They had one of the 20 prototypes Ford loaned 17 London fleets in total, to understand real-world usage by collecting data on the test vans’ performance. I’m delighted that this early access impressed Sky enough for Ford to win this important and valued order.”

The Ford Transit Custom PHEV has a zero-emission range of 35 miles, while operating with a full load and carrying the ladders required by Sky for most installations. The new additions deliver Sky a C02 reduction of 90g/km, which is a CO2 saving of 60%, and will be assigned to low-mileage Sky customer engineers.

The van’s battery pack is located under the load floor, preserving the full 6.0m3 cargo volume offered by the standard van.

Ford describes the new technology as being ‘the best of both worlds’. PHEV utilises two separate power sources. A battery powered electric motor drives the vehicle, while its 1.0L Ford EcoBoost petrol engine works to recharge the hybrid battery and extend the vehicle’s range. The PHEV battery can also be recharged using most AC network charging points.

To spread the campaign’s message for net zero across the country, each van has been marked with the eye-catching ‘Sky Zero’ branding, encouraging others to #GoZero.

Sky is also extending a helping hand to its 11,000 suppliers on their path to net zero, and will plant trees, mangroves and seagrass to absorb any carbon that it cannot cut.

Through SBTI (Science-Based Target Initiative), Sky is confirming its targets and will publicly report its carbon footprint.

Since 2006, Sky has been carbon neutral from its own operation, but in order to reach net zero it will reduce its fleet emissions, which currently contribute 33% to its overall operational emissions.

“This is an exciting move towards our Sky Zero commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030. The arrival of these Ford Transit plug-In hybrid vans means we are cutting emissions today, while working towards finding 100% electric solutions for tomorrow”, said Jeremy Darroch, Group Chief Executive of Sky.

“The great strength of our business is its ability to adapt to change, and responding to the growing climate emergency is no exception. We want to work with suppliers and the government to speed up the transition to net zero fleets and ensure we have a strong charging infrastructure across the country.”

Photograph: Sky