Vattenfall speeds up fleet electrification

After electrifying almost two-thirds of its benefit cars over the last three years, Sweden-based utility company Vattenfall is introducing compulsory measures to achieve full electrification by 2030 for its total fleet of 4,600 vehicles.  

Since 2017, all new benefit cars ordered by entitled staff at Vattenfall had to be either fully-electric (BEV) or plug-in electric (PHEV). That measure has helped electrify close to two-thirds of the benefit fleet. 

“Our goal is a fossil-free society,” says Tomas Björnsson, Vattenfall's head of e-mobility. “To our customers, we offer a full suite of EV solutions, from charging at home, work and business to access to an international public network of charge points. To 'walk the talk', we need to electrify our own fleet too.”

BEVs only
So now, the Swedish multinational wants to speed up the process. From the beginning of 2021, employees entitled to a management car – a sub-category within benefit cars – will only be allowed to order a BEV model. 

The same rule will apply to the commercial car fleet, which currently has only about 25% of BEVs or PHEVs. From next year, new commercial cars, which are used by sales or service personnel, may only be BEVs – with one exception: if a BEV would cause “significant harm” to the business. 

For example, in case emergency repairs or long daily distances would mean a petrol or diesel vehicle would still be a better solution than a BEV (relatively slower to charge, and with a more limited range).

Electrified vans
However, the LCV segment of Vattenfall's commercial fleet, 2,600 vehicles strong, faces the most work, with only 2% vans electrified so far. To be fair, this is due in large part to the limited availability of electrified vans on the market. 

“However, this has changed recently, and we hope to quickly gain speed in also electrifying our vehicles in this category soon,” says Pieter Dumas, programme manager of Vattenfall’s car fleet electrification.

To facilitate its sprint towards full electrification, Vattenfall has installed 865 EV charging points at its office locations, mostly in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Vattenfall also operates more than 16,000 charging points in those three countries and Norway, and offers access to an international network of public charging points. 

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