Ford Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vans for Sky Engineers

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.

Sky set its commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030 earlier this year and outlined its ambition to transition its fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles to zero emissions over the next ten years.

Sky has been carbon neutral from its own operations since 2006, but to reach net zero it will reduce its fleet emissions, which currently contribute 33 per cent to its overall operational emissions.

The Ford PHEV Transit vans have a zero-emission range of 35 miles whilst operating with a full load and carrying the ladders required for most installations. The new additions deliver a CO2 reduction of 90 g/km, which is a CO2 saving of 60 per cent, and will be assigned to low-mileage Sky Engineers to maximise the electric battery capacity and target a zero emissions operation.

The vans also feature geofencing technology that automatically modifies the vehicles settings based on its location, enabling it to switch into electric-only mode with urban and low emission areas.

Jeremy Darroch, Group Chief Executive of Sky, said: “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.

“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.”

Neil Wilson, Ford fleet director, added: “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.”