The National Grid’s Decision
The National Grid, one of the largest providers of gas and electricity in the world, has pledged to stop the addition of petrol and diesel cars to its fleet by 2027. This is in accordance with, and well ahead of, the UK government’s ban of petrol and diesel cars by 2035 and goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. In addition, the National Grid has secured a $743 million green loan, named the Viking Link Project, to advance its renewable energy services.
“Britain’s energy system is in the midst of a rapid and complex transformation. We know we have a critical role in the acceleration towards a cleaner future. This green loan represents another important contribution towards our net zero commitment and it reinforces our strong leadership position in the path to a greener energy landscape.” – Commented Katerina Tsirimpa, the Head of Corporate Finance for National Grid.
The motivations for this decision include:
- Significant reduction in CO2 levels: The National Grid has calculated that for each electric van that replaces a diesel version, 20.7 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be cut – leading to a 23 million kilograms saving in CO2 when the entire fleet is replaced.
- Financial savings: electric vehicles generally cost half as much to maintain, when compared to petrol and diesel cars.
- Driving change: The National Grid is taking the initiative on tackling the UK’s goals of net-zero emissions, inspiring other organisations to start the transition towards electric vehicles.
Electric Vehicles Replacing Diesel Cars
The National Grid has already started this transition by deploying 60 new e-NV200 Nissan electric vans into its fleet over the last year. Many manufacturers around the world are following in this direction. The global electric vehicle market, being worth $162 billion in 2019, is set to grow to a value of $802 billion by 2027. Cities such as Bristol are also taking the initiative by banning diesel cars in certain parts of the city from this year.
Another notable British organisation that has started its transition to an electric future is LEVC London Taxis. In 2020, our technical representatives made significant progress in the production of the new London Taxis. We achieved this by providing lightweight, strong and crash-resistant adhesives for structural and glass bonding applications within the vehicle. This was made possible through the top-performing BETAMATE, BETAFILL and BETASEAL products provided by our brand DuPont.
The rise in the popularity of electric vehicles has also led to a rise in energy storage systems. That is why our top brands are providing efficient bonding and sealing solutions for battery pack assembly, EV charging stations and vehicle electrification.
