E-fleet solutions provider VEV have partnered with commercial van rental business Dawsongroup on a clean energy fleet electrification facility.
The site in Milton Keynes included a full turnkey solution from planning and design to power connection, procurement, project management and build of a microgrid comprising solar power, battery storage and 34 EV chargers.
It contains a 262kWp solar energy system, with two double cantilever carports, and 300kWh battery units storing energy generated from the solar panels, which charge vehicles. Electric vehicles supplied to customers from Milton Keynes will have been charged using renewable energy.
As part of a five-year full-service package, the microgrid and charging ecosystem is managed through VEV’s proprietary data platform, VEV-IQ. This integrated charger and energy management system operates the charging infrastructure and uses intelligent load balancing to optimise energy usage across all sources.
Dawsongroup vans is forecasting carbon emissions savings from the project of 65 tonnes per year. The business will showcase the new clean energy ecosystem as part of the work its ‘Team Target Zero’ advisors do to assist customers and suppliers with their carbon reduction plans.
Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV, said:
“We are delighted to work with a nationwide service provider that’s on a mission to inspire more fleets to make the switch to electric. It was fantastic to see the microgrid and EV infrastructure become a reality at Dawson Road in December after breaking ground in Spring 2024. We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with the team there as our experts in energy and operations leverage VEV-IQ to optimise the clean energy ecosystem and deliver cost-efficiencies for Dawsongroup vans.”
Stephen Miller, CEO of Dawsongroup said:
“As a leading player in the UK’s commercial vehicle hire sector, Dawsongroup has a desire to help lead the way in decarbonising fleets. We chose to leverage VEV’s expertise in delivering end-to-end electrification solutions for our Vans business and can now show our customers how they can thrive in the electric age and meet emissions-reduction obligations. We’re delighted with our new clean energy microgrid at Dawson Road and are exploring how to bring electrification further into our business.”
Image courtesy of VEV/Dawsongroup
