National Highways begins switch to an electric fleet

National Highways has begun the electrification of its vehicle fleet with the delivery of its first Toyota EVs.

The body, which is responsible for the operation and maintenance of England’s motorways and major A-roads, has ordered 51 Toyota bZ4Xs as daily transport for its team of inspectors.

Andy Butterfield, National Highways’ operations customer service director, said: “Modernising our fleet with 51 state-of-the-art bZ4X will not only reduce our emissions but also ensure that journeys are smooth and reliable.

“We operate more than 1,300 vehicles, so introducing new EVs helps accelerate our journey to net zero.”

National Highways aims to achieve net zero for its emissions by 2030, with a commitment that its non-traffic officer vehicles will be 100 per cent electric by 2027, and its traffic officer fleet following by 2030.

Butterfield added: “This is a huge step towards that commitment. We will continue to invest in green and electric vehicles as the technology becomes available, meeting the Government’s Road to Zero strategy.

The new Toyotas, supplied through the fleet team at Steven Eagell Toyota, will be used daily by operational highways inspectors to assess the UK’s strategic road network, identifying and reporting defects for repair and restoration.

Neil Broad, general manager at One Toyota Fleet Services said: “In choosing which vehicles to use, National Highways priority was not simply to adopt electric power. It also needed to be certain that the vehicles would be reliable, day in and day out. That’s where bZ4X fits the bill perfectly, benefiting both from Toyota’s leadership in electrified technologies and its proven reputation for delivering quality, durability and reliability.”