National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) has partnered with leasing specialists Ayvens to make the switch from an employee car ownership scheme to contract hire EVs.

Involving 1,000 vehicles, the move is estimated to save 4,474 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually for the network operator, which covers the South West, the Midlands and South Wales.

Chris Mayell, NGED’s Head of Fleet, said: “Reducing our carbon footprint and working towards net zero targets is a priority for us, and electrifying our fleet allows us to eliminate tailpipe emissions across 1,000 company cars. Ayvens have been a critical partner in this achievement." 

Chris Black, Commercial Director of Ayvens said: “Transitioning 1,000 vehicles from ownership to contract hire EVs requires careful planning around funding structures, vehicle selection, and driver engagement. Our consultancy team worked with NGED to design a solution that met their operational needs while delivering significant carbon savings. This is exactly the kind of fleet decarbonisation challenge we're set up to support - using data-led insights to help organisations make the switch to zero-emission fleets without compromising on performance."

NGED employees participating in the company car scheme typically each drive 17,000 miles a year. They have a wide range of EVs to use, including popular models by Tesla, Polestar, and BMW, which can be leased for two, three or four years.

NGED is also supporting its EV drivers by creating one of the largest privately-owned charging networks in the UK. It offers more than 500 charging points across its regions and has recently installed 176 rapid EV charger bays at 84 primary substation sites, plus 13 additional bays at strategic office locations.

This means its EV drivers are no more than 10 miles from an NGED-owned and operated EV charging point.