Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has ordered 50 Smith Edison vans for home shopping deliveries in London. When all 50 vehicles are delivered, Sainsbury's will have the UK's largest electric van fleet with 68 vans - all of which have been purchased independently.
Jat Sahota, Sainsbury's head of corporate responsibility, says: "Showing respect for the environment is one of our key values, which is why we have just placed this order for 50 electric vans. We are committed to using electric vehicles wherever possible."
The supermarket chain's main depot in Kensington, London has undergone a significant upgrade to accommodate the electric vehicles (which have already been on trial with Sainsbury's since 2006).
A spokesman for the company's transport department says: "We have completed the planning for the charging infrastructure and are now in the process of installing it at depots that don't already have it. We've got 18 electric vans in service already, and the majority of the new vehicles are expected to be on the road by September."
Sainsbury's Online, along with TNT Express, are two of seven UK companies working with the London Mayor Boris Johnson to encourage the wider uptake of electric commercial vehicles. Johnson has pledged to establish a comprehensive network by installing 25,000 charging points across the capital as well as adding 1,000 electric vehicles to the Greater London Authority's fleet by 2015.