Accelerating Towards a Sustainable Fleet: Introducing Electric Vans and a Salary Sacrifice Scheme

We are proud to announce that have taken another crucial step on our journey to a more sustainable future with the introduction of 3 Citroën ë-Berlingo Electric Vans into our fleet. In celebration of our new vehicles, we have also introduced a brand new salary sacrifice scheme launching in July which will support our community to lease an electric vehicle for personal use.

The Citroën ë-Berlingo vans each have a range of up to 171 miles and are located at our Lincoln and Hull offices where charging infrastructure is available to support their use. The introduction of the E-vans is an exciting development for Lucion Group and the next step in our fleet greening journey as part of our carbon reduction strategy. This follows the introduction of Lightfoot Fleet Management System in fleet vans which has improved driver efficiency, saving 79 tonnes of CO2 since the system was deployed.

Transitioning to Electric Vehicles: A Crucial Step in Achieving Net Zero Emissions and Meeting Sustainability Targets

The UK government has confirmed that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will end in 2030, along with a 2035 delivery plan, which requires all new cars and vans to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe. In 2020, transport accounted for 24% of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions. The use of EVs is an important step towards achieving net zero emissions.

Fleets and businesses are responsible for over half of new car and van sales in the UK. Battery electric cars currently emit 3 times less CO2 than the equivalent petrol or diesel car, even after factoring in emissions from electricity generation, car and battery production. EVs are also significantly more energy efficient, with the energy use (MWh) of an all-electric fleet up to 75% lower than the equivalent petrol or diesel fleet. Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published its Global Electric Vehicle Outlook for 2023, including a prediction for a 35% year-on-year increase in EV sales, meaning one in five car sales in 2023 will be electric. 

The greening of our fleet, including the transition to hybrid and fully electric vehicles is a key step within Lucion Group’s carbon reduction journey and meeting our net zero targets. There are still lots of details to consider around our greening journey and we're currently working to explore infrastructure options.

Figure 1 – Greenhouse gas emissions by sector, 2020, by proportion 

The future of EVs

EVs continue to represent the future of vehicle travel, ensuring the development of a cleaner and greener future for transport, reducing emissions, decarbonising our roads and mitigating some of the adverse environmental impacts transport has on the environment. In recent years, there has been huge growth in the sale of EVs alongside improved range, availability and performance. This has been made possible, by the increase of publicly available charging points. The government expect around 300,000 public charge points to be available in the UK by 2030 as a minimum, with the potential for there to be more than double that number.

Jayne Clark, a Senior Surveyor based at Hull and Mason Davies, a Site Technician based at Sellafield are two of the new electric van drivers. We asked Jayne to share some insights about driving the new Lucion Group electric vans.

“I've enjoyed using it and it is certainly suitable for local jobs. It's really quiet and you can't tell its actually switched on, the charging points are not fitted in all the Shell garages but there is an app to direct you where they are fitted. I've found most in retail and pub car parks and some in supermarkets… The best are the rapid charge points which give about a 3-quarter charge in half an hour.”

As part of our commitment to a more sustainable future, we conducted an internal Employee Commuting Survey, where we received over 280 responses across all 6 companies. The survey data is currently being incorporated into our carbon footprint assessments which will be published later in the year. 

The Results

For the Lucion Group, we have seen a significant reduction in commuting associated with the increase in remote working, following the Covid pandemic. When commuting, the majority of our employees choose to drive, either in a petrol or diesel car, with rail travel and walking also accounting for a notable percentage of commuting journeys. Buses are the least popular form of public transport used to commute to our offices. 

Typical Mode of Commute (Average Number of Days a Week)

The typical mode of commute used by Lucion Group employees across the average number of days a week (Data collected from Lucion Group Employee Commuting Survey) The typical mode of commute used by Lucion Group employees across the average number of days a week (Data collected from Lucion Group Employee Commuting Survey) 

Supporting Our Employees To Make Sustainable Choices

A common point of feedback received in the Employee Commuting Survey was a request for a salary sacrifice scheme to support Group employees to lease an electric vehicle for personal use. We are very pleased to announce that we have agreed to a Group-wide salary sacrifice scheme with Pink. 

As a result of the government policy ‘On the road to Net Zero’, using a salary sacrifice on an Electric or Hybrid vehicle below 75g/km CO2 can save the employee up to 60% on tax. The Pink salary sacrifice scheme will provide a benefit, enabling employees to drive a brand-new electric car with an all-inclusive package with the cost deducted from gross salary.

Driving Sustainable Practices and International Collaboration for a "Beyond Net Zero" Future

We proudly embrace international collaboration and have joined the UN Global Compact, committing to 10 universal principles for good business practice. With our corporate disclosure of ESG and a focus on data-driven decision-making, we ensure responsible integration as we acquire more businesses.

At Lucion Group, we are leading the way towards a "Beyond Net Zero" future. Having achieved "beyond carbon neutral" status, we continue to limit our carbon production, aiming to offset an additional 50% of our output in 2023. We expand our international capabilities through our founding membership, through our company Delta-Simons Ltd, in the Inogen Alliance, a global network of experts providing innovative environmental, health, safety, and sustainability solutions.

If you are interested in joining a purpose-driven company on a mission to protect people and the planet, explore our full range of opportunities across our business here: Lucion Careers