The UK’s Heathrow Airport has added the 50th electric vehicle to its fleet as a part of the airport’s ‘Go Electric’ programme.
The airport plans to make all its cars and small vans electric or plug-in hybrid by 2020 to improve air quality around the area.
It is estimated the electric vehicles reduce the airport’s fleet CO2 emissions by 165t per year.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Our sustainability strategy, Heathrow 2.0, and global commitments like EV100 tie Heathrow to some ambitious but realistic targets to clean up our fleet and speed up the take-up of electric technology across our airport.
“Since our pledge to switch to electric cars and vans in 2015 we have made tremendous progress towards improving air quality in our city, but we are committed to go further yet.”
Heathrow has also invested in installing EV charging infrastructures at the airport. Currently, there are more than 80 charging points available for use by passengers, colleagues and airside vehicles.
More than £4m has been spent to date on charging infrastructure for the airport’s Go Electric programme. It is expected that more the £5m will be spent by the end of next year.
Heathrow is working with Transport for London (TfL) to install seven rapid charging points for black cabs by the end of this year. These charging points will be installed in Heathrow’s Taxi Feeder Park.
Along with the electrification programme, Heathrow is planning to provide new public transport options into the airport with Crossrail and a potential Western Rail access.
The new transportation routes will reduce emissions and congestion around the airport.
