Openreach NI gets its first electric vehicle

Openreach, Northern Ireland’s largest digital infrastructure provider, has introduced its first electric vehicle to its fleet as part of a UK-wide commitment to reduce carbon emission and to move all possible vehicles to being electric by 2030.
By Claire Cartmill
Published 15th Mar 2021, 17:00 BST
Long-serving engineer Stephen Galloway receive keys to Openreach's first electric vanLong-serving engineer Stephen Galloway receive keys to Openreach's first electric van
Long-serving engineer Stephen Galloway receive keys to Openreach's first electric van

With more than 70 electric vehicles operating across the UK already, Openreach is committed to replace older vehicles with leaner alternatives and to actively phase out diesel vehicles by upgrading them to electric vehicles once they’re ready for retirement. This, along with the commitment to now only purchasing electric vehicles where possible, will set Openreach in good stead to achieve its goal of migrating more than a third of its fleet to EVs by the mid-2020s.

Mairead Meyer, Director of Openreach in NI, said: “The introduction of the first electric vehicle to the fleet in NI is an exciting step for Openreach that’s made all the more memorable going to Stephen who has been with the business for 46 years. This is a great start, but it’s only the beginning of Openreach’s plans to reduce our operational impact. We now have a dedicated project team who are focused on cutting our fleet emissions and identifying alternative, cleaner technologies, with the aim of replacing all possible diesel vehicles by 2030.

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“We’re focused on upgrading the region’s digital infrastructure to connect as many homes and businesses as possible to our network, and electrifying our fleet is helping us lead the charge in achieving this goal in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.”

Stephen Galloway, a Newtownabbey-based Planner with over 46 years’ service at Openreach, is the first to receive keys to an electric vehicle in the NI fleet. A portable charging point has been installed at Stephen’s home, allowing him to take the first steps to help Openreach NI achieve its sustainable fleet goals.

Stephen said: “My role is focused on building the ultrafast Full Fibre broadband network throughout NI, helping connect homes, businesses, families and friends which means I often drive the length and breadth of the region. The roll-out of electric vehicles is a welcome one and I’m proud to be the pioneer, doing my part to minimise our impact on the environment. I’m hopeful that we’ll see a lot more electric vans on the road in the coming years.”

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Related topics:OpenreachEVs