AO invests two million into fleet decarbonisation

Electrical retailer AO has announced it is investing more than £2 million in improving the capacity of its fleet, while reducing carbon emissions.

The investment will see the company transitioning its fleet of tractor units from diesel to more environmentally friendly compressed natural gas (CNG).

They aim to have 90 per cent of its vehicles running on CNG by 2030.

AO originally purchased 10 CNG tractor units in 2022 and the Bolton-based company has now brought 10 more into its fleet. The switch will enable a reduction of up to 85 per cent in CO2 emissions, compared to the existing diesel fleet. 

To couple with the tractor units, AO has also acquired 20 longer moving deck double deck semi-trailers (LSTs) from Cheshire business Tiger Trailers. 

The LSTs are just over two metres longer than the standard trailers used by AO, allowing for a 10 per cent increase in capacity, as appliances can be double stacked on both lower and upper decks, as well as loaded four products wide if desired. 

David Ashwell, group logistics director at AO, said: “These tractor units and the new LSTs allow us to reduce our carbon footprint and save on costs. Crucially it significantly increases our capacity, which enables us to deliver even better service to our customers.

"The LSTs are the sixth generation of design supplied by Tiger over a nine-year period."

The new LSTs will carry large appliances between the company’s warehouse in Crewe and its delivery outbases across the UK. It takes the total number of Tiger-built vehicles in its fleet to over 300.