The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

Cleanology Launches All-Electric London Fleet

Cleanology Launches All-Electric London Fleet
20 April 2021
 

Following a deal signed with Nissan last autumn, UK cleaning and FM firm Cleanology has taken delivery of its brand new all-electric London fleet.

Cleanology has managed the change to electric vehicles without any real issues, and the staff report that the vehicles are quieter and smoother to drive.

This is just the latest move in Cleanology’s ongoing environmental sustainability journey. Moving over to a fully electric fleet for its London operations means over 5,000 litres of diesel per vehicle each year is saved – equal to 13.5 tonnes of CO2.

“This move reduces emissions and lowers our carbon footprint, significantly improving our environmental sustainability credentials, and the financial savings really add up,” says Cleanology CEO and founder Dominic Ponniah.

 

“Five years ago, these vehicles simply did not have the range to make their use viable. But now that aspect is considerably improved, and I would recommend any business which operates vehicles across London 24/7 to look into changing over to electric."

–Dominic Ponniah

CEO, Cleanology

 

No Road Tax and No Congestion Charge

 

“We save over £3,000 a year per vehicle on fuel, there’s no road tax to pay, and there’s no London congestion charge, which saves close to another £5,500 a year per vehicle. That’s a massive £8,500 a year cost reduction per vehicle.

“There are so many advantages in swapping over to a fully electric fleet, from the environmental gains to costs savings, but it’s also about how our clients see us, and they expect us to demonstrate best practice in everything we do,” says Ponniah. “It’s about taking a leadership position and setting a good example.”

“Five years ago, these vehicles simply did not have the range to make their use viable,” says Ponniah. “But now that aspect is considerably improved, and I would recommend any business which operates vehicles across London 24/7 to look into changing over to electric.

“The range for cars has improved dramatically, but less so for vans and there is a lot less choice when it comes to commercial vehicles, which are still at an early stage of development. That seems odd to me, as commercial vehicles are on the road more than cars. Although I can see that range and options are only going to get better."

 

Tower Bridge cleanology

Picture: a photograph of one of Cleanology's EVs on Tower Bridge

 

Charging Options Must be Simplified 

 

“We recharge back at base, but also make use of street-side charging points across the city. In Westminster and central London there are plenty of charging points, but in the outskirts, while the infrastructure is still developing, many supermarkets provide a good service. One thing that makes it unnecessarily complicated is that there are too many different types of charger. When it comes to paying for parking, there are only one or two different apps, but when it comes to recharging there are around ten different companies providing the service and we need accounts with all of them. If electric vehicles are really going to become the future, this needs to be simplified."

 

Sustainability Credentials 

 

Cleanology achieved a European-first with its portion-controlled biological cleaning sachets which save 16,092 litres of cleaning solution and cut plastic bottle use from 21,600 to 600 every year.

“Cleanology has advocated chemical-free cleaning for over 10 years and is now almost chemical-free across its entire portfolio,” says Dominic. “The impact of portion control is hugely significant – imagine the global impact of a 99.4% chemical usage reduction!”

In another UK-industry first, Cleanology cleaning operatives now wear sustainable uniforms made from a total of 7,000 recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton. Combined with the savings from using portion-controlled sachets, the company saves 28,000 plastic bottles from landfill every year.

There has also been a focus on reducing paper use, resulting in a dramatic fall of 33,000 sheets of paper each year, by switching to e-invoices for clients, and e-payslips for staff.

“Cleanology aspires to be a truly sustainable business, innovating and considering the whole lifecycle of every product, material or fuel it uses, while ensuring that employees follow its environmental practices and policies,” concludes Dominic. “The move to electric vehicles is just one more piece in our environmental sustainability puzzle.

“Seeking sustainable solutions, from recycled uniforms to electric vehicles, produces immediate and visible gains which not only benefit the planet but also sets a good example and reassures our customers.”

Picture: a photograph of one of Cleanology's EVs with the London Eye in the background

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 20 April 2021

Share



Related Articles

Compleo Launches New High-Power 200 kW EV Charger

EV charging manufacturer Compleo has unveiled its 200 kW ultra-fast electric vehicle charger. The eTower 200 can deliver 200 kW ultra-fast charging for two vehicles...

 Read Full Article
Government Increases Electric Car Charging Grants for Schools

The Department for Transport has announced that state schools will be able to apply for a grant to cover 75 per cent of the cost of buying and installing EV charging...

 Read Full Article
RAC Says Government’s Ultra-Rapid EV Charging Targets Have Failed

Targets for every motorway service station in England to have at least six rapid chargers above 50kW by the end of 2023 have failed, according to data from RAC and...

 Read Full Article
Maintenance Partners for EV Charger Network Needed

A UK EV charge point manufacturer is looking for new maintenance partners to service over 2,000 installations. Compleo Charging Solutions UK’s tender process...

 Read Full Article
TfL Electric Vehicle Charging Contact Awarded

Transport for London has awarded a contract for 39 new electric vehicle charging bays across 24 locations in south and southwest London. The charging bays will be...

 Read Full Article
Energy Assets Launches Net-Zero Business

Energy services company Energy Assets has launched “EA Net Zero” to help their customers adopt low-carbon technologies. Specialising in the industrial and...

 Read Full Article
First Ammonia Semi-Truck Competes with EV Fleets

Amogy, a pioneer of emission-free, energy-dense ammonia power solutions, has announced the successful testing of the first-ever ammonia-powered, zero-emission semi-truck....

 Read Full Article
Mitie Wins Job Centre EV Charging Contract

The Department for Work and Pensions has awarded Mitie a contract to install 250 new electric vehicle charging points at job centres across the UK. The £4.3...

 Read Full Article
Government Risks Stalling EV Growth With Outdated Systems, Says Mina

The government is out of touch with the cost of running EVs, and as a result, drivers are having to subsidise business trips themselves, research from charging payment...

 Read Full Article
Hydrogen Vehicles – EV Killers?

A new study from Juniper Research has found the number of hydrogen vehicles in service globally will exceed one million in 2027, from just over 60,000 in 2022...

 Read Full Article