New fleet of electric vehicles supports sustainability ambition
South London and Maudsley’s ambition to achieve environmental sustainability is being supported with the arrival of five new electric vans and two electric cars, in addition to the two electric vehicles already in the fleet.
The Capital, Estates and Facilities team is supporting the NHS’s carbon reduction target of 80 per cent reduction by 2028-2032 and the commitment for 90 per cent of the NHS fleet to use low, ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles by 2028.
Matt Doe, Capital, Estates and Facilities Business and Performance Manager at South London and Maudsley, said: “We are working to deliver our fifth strategic aim to become an effective and sustainable organisation, as outlined in our five-year strategy Aiming High; Changing Lives.
“This is a huge step forward for us and we are proud to be supporting the Trust’s strategy and the NHS’s carbon reduction target. We have a large estate at Bethlem Royal Hospital, and we know this new addition to our fleet will support us to become as effective and efficient as possible.”
The vehicles will be used by Estates, Facilities and Ground & Gardens teams, and the Water Hygiene team, with the majority of the vehicles being based at Bethlem Royal Hospital.
As the limitations on vehicles with higher emissions was increased in 2021 with the expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, the Trust’s Capital, Estates and Facilities team reviewed the fleet to maximise the efficient use of the vehicles and to reduce unnecessary journeys.
The team has also installed a bank of electric charging points at Bethlem Royal Hospital and will be swapping, where possible, the remaining non-electric vehicles in the fleet with electric vehicles in the next two to three years.
South London and Maudsley is also reviewing its lease car scheme and looking at the use of alternative vehicles for Trust activities to maximise the value – financially, environmentally and societally – of our resources.
