Fleet of 200 electric vehicles to be deployed at Heathrow

London Heathrow Airport, car maker Jaguar and travel services company WeKnowGroup have reached an agreement that will see a fleet of up to 200 fully-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles deployed to transport passengers to and from the airport.

Scheduled to be launched this year, the chauffeur-driven service will support Heathrow’s commitment to improving air quality around the airport.

Under the terms of the agreement, a fleet of 50 I-PACE cars will be initially deployed at the airport with the option to add a further 150 cars over the next year.

It is estimated that the fleet will support up to 1,000 trips to and from Heathrow each day, thereby helping to save at least eight tonnes of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions each year.

WeKnowGroup has agreed to install a dedicated charging hub at Heathrow to support the uninterrupted operation of EVs.

Designed and engineered by Jaguar Land Rover in the UK, the all-electric I-Pace is powered by a 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is capable of delivering a range of 298 miles.

Heathrow executive director Emma Gilthorpe said: “We are thrilled to be working with two British companies on this landmark initiative to support more sustainable transportation choices for our passengers.

“We will not compromise on our commitments to the environment and our local community and we remain focused on addressing the impact road vehicles have on air quality on the roads around the airport.”

Considering a number of announcements by car makers, government and the Mayor of London, economic consultant CEBR estimates that up to 58% of vehicles on London’s roads will be electric by 2030.

Nearly 32% of London-based passengers travelling to Heathrow said they would be fairly likely (22%) or very likely (9%) to use electric taxis to access the airport if they became more available.