First Mile installs new charging infrastructure to support EV fleet

London-based recycling company First Mile has had charging points installed at its west London depot, which are powered by renewable energy and will support First Mile’s new EV fleet.
 
The installation was supported by Octopus Group, the London-headquartered financial services and energy firm, which also includes Octopus Energy for Business, the commercial green energy supplier.
 
First Mile has been taking steps towards reducing the emissions of its collection process since 2017, when it launched its first zero-emission collection round in central London using cargo bike. This was followed by the purchase of its first electric vans later that year. Recently, the company has added a further five new electric vans to its fleet, as it continues to transition to a low-carbon collection process.
 
Octopus Energy for Business will supply First Mile’s chargepoints with renewable energy to charge their fleet from their Electric Juice offer, a green power supply service targeted specifically at the electric transport sector. Electric Juice allows customers to choose from four, flexible tariffs, and makes use of data-led analysis to help guide businesses on which is best suited for their usage profiles.
 
The collaboration with First Mile is the latest partnership making use of Octopus’ Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS) offering, which provides a range of innovative and highly flexible solutions to help commercial fleet operators go green.
Octopus offers pay-as-you-drive financing, enabling fleet managers to better manage their cash flow by matching repayments to rental income and usage, while Octopus Energy is able to supply renewable energy from a range of flexible tariffs.

The financing solution helps fleet managers reduce the risk of investing heavily in zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure, as well as the maintenance that comes with it. It also provides real-time fleet data, enabling fleet managers and owners to maximise the operational efficiency of their vehicles.
 
Michal Szuminski, Transport Manager at First Mile, said: “Our vision is to help the environment by encouraging businesses to recycle, and we believe our fleet should also reflect this. We continue to take steps in this direction by incorporating electric vehicles into our fleet. Our partnership with Octopus has allowed us to take this one step further, with our new charging infrastructure also being supplied by fully renewable energy. It has been great to work alongside a company that is as passionate about the environment and the transition towards zero-emissions as we are.”