Half-a-million-pound grant sees ViaVan announce UK’s first fully-electric on-demand fleet
ViaVan has announced the launch of the UK’s first fully-electric fleet serving on-demand shared rides in Milton Keynes.
This milestone is made possible by a £544,000 grant from the UK Department for Transport’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles, awarded to ViaVan and secured through Milton Keynes Council.
Milestone
ViaVan marks its one-year anniversary in Milton Keynes with the introduction of five electric Mercedes-Benz Vito eTourers to its fleet, and plans to expand the fleet of on-demand shuttles to 30 electric vehicles by 2020.
The funding through Milton Keynes Council supports the Department for Transport’s initiatives around Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, which aims to help cities meet targets for reducing carbon emissions and provide an efficient and sustainable on-demand service for passengers.
Likewise, for ViaVan, the electrification of its fleet in Milton Keynes represents an important step in ViaVan’s vision to evolve public transport across the UK with smart, sustainable, and congestion-reducing shared rides. The programme aligns with the recent announcement by the UK Government to set bold plans to accelerate the decarbonisation of transport and Milton Keynes Council’s ambitions to become the greenest city in the world.
Vision
ViaVan CEO Chris Snyder says: “We are honoured to receive funding from the UK Department for Transport with support from Milton Keynes Council to fully electrify our fleet in Milton Keynes.
“Together with Milton Keynes Council, we are excited not only to establish a plan to achieve success for green, on-demand mobility offerings in the city, but also to create a model for how the public and private sectors can work together to realise the vision of smart, sustainable public transport for the future.”
ViaVan has powered more than 100,000 rides in Milton Keynes since launch, and recently surpassed 7m rides in its London service.
