The materials supplier has purchased a dropside Ford E-Transit, which is being used predominantly for daily deliveries into Central London.

The van has a range of up to 150 miles and a payload of 750kg. It can be charged on-site at TG Lynes’ Enfield base. On a sunny day, all the required electricity comes from the business’ high-performance solar panels.

John O’Connell, transport supervisor at TG Lynes, said the vehicle was already proving very useful. “The E-Transit is very versatile, and its range is easy enough to use for deliveries within Central London. It drives very well, and we have found it particularly good in the W1 and EC postcodes where roads are constrictive, and space is at a premium.

“We’ve moved towards dropsides in recent years as they can carry pipe up to six metres in length, compared to just four metres for panel vans.

“The most important thing for us is to have a fleet that is as versatile and as sustainable as possible. This new addition will help us to lower our carbon footprint even further while improving service for our customers.”

John said the E-Transit was taking around two-and-a-half hours to charge too full. TG Lynes has six different vehicle options available in its fleet, ranging right from Class 2 18-tonne DAF lorries to an e-bike.

More than 30% of the fleet is now powered by renewable energy, including two of the 18-tonne lorries which use HVO, a cleaner alternative to diesel that is manufactured from 100 per cent renewable and sustainable waste, including vegetable oil, tallow and used cooking oil.

“Sustainability is one of the core values of the business and it’s something we take very seriously,” said John.