TOOL manufacturer and construction solutions company Hilti has announced it has started its latest rollout of electric vehicles, replacing more than 200 cars across the UK with electric models.
As part of this move the Kia e-Niro ‘4+’ was selected as the electric vehicle of choice. The Kia vehicles are zero emissions and will help the company’s broader targets of becoming carbon neutral by 2023.
Hilti said the change to EVs across the business is expected to reduce its total global emissions by some 48%.
With Hilti employees in the UK driving an average of 111 miles per day, research was undertaken to ensure the new vehicle would be fit for purpose. As well as internal polling, Hilti also looked at other factors including the EV innovation pipeline offered by each car brand to guarantee the availability of vehicles in other rollouts, reliability and safety, and available financial benefits for staff.
Hilti added that the chosen Kia will require less than one charge per day for the average employee, and as part of the rollout all staff are to be supplied with a charging station at their home, free of charge.
Those who are unable to charge the Kia e-Niro ‘4+’ at home are to be provided with a Toyota Corolla ST 1.8 Icon Tech Self-Charging Hybrid, which emits 23% less CO2 than Hilti’s current diesel-powered fleet cars.
Hilti replaced 35% of its fleet with eco models by the end of 2021 and is targeting 50% by the end of 2022, and the entirety of the fleet by 2024. Hilti also has a fleet of around 300 vans with plans to also replace these with electric models.
Annette Boren, Hilti’s head of finance and head of sustainability, said, “All of our sustainability efforts are ultimately to benefit the wider environment rather than us as a business. Our target of carbon neutrality is to ensure we are in line with global efforts to tackle climate change, but we have long focused on sustainability efforts in all areas of our business, with initiatives like our tool recycling scheme.”
John Hargreaves, general manager for fleet and re-marketing at Kia UK, added, “This is yet another great example of how seamlessly Kia’s electric cars can fit into a busy fleet with exacting requirements.”
