Virgin Media O2 has ordered more than 100 Renault Master E-Tech electric vans to support its network engineering operations, as the British telecoms group continues to expand its electric vehicle fleet.
The vans will primarily be deployed by the company’s Network Engineer teams to carry out essential maintenance work across urban and rural areas. Each vehicle is expected to travel an average of about 13,000 miles per year during a planned five-year operating cycle.
Virgin Media O2 selected the Renault Master E-Tech for what it described as two key advantages: its driving range and its availability in the L2H2 body configuration. The electric van offers a range of up to 285 miles on a single charge and is equipped with a 105 kW motor and an 87 kWh battery.
According to Renault, the vehicle can gain up to 142 miles of driving range in around 30 minutes when connected to a DC fast charger.
The vans will be fitted with a specialised conversion package designed for field engineers. The modifications include rear racking systems, a workbench, additional lighting, a 240-volt inverter power supply, ladder loaders, a key-out safety system and a roof-mounted solar panel.
Michael Brown, head of fleet and EV propositions at Virgin Media O2, said the vehicle meets the operational requirements of the company’s engineering teams.
“Our Network Engineers need vehicles that can support them wherever they’re working, whether busy city centres or rural locations. The Renault Master E-Tech electric offered the range we need, along with the right configuration to support our engineers on the road and on site,” Brown said.
Justin Costello, head of fleet at Renault Group UK, said the order reflects growing demand for electric commercial vehicles in fleet operations.
“Virgin Media O2’s decision to introduce over 100 Master E-Tech vans underlines how our electric LCVs are now delivering real-world capability for demanding fleet operations,” Costello said.
The latest purchase follows an earlier order of 280 Vauxhall e-Vivaro vans in 2021, which represented Virgin Media O2’s first major step toward electrifying its fleet. That programme also included the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure from Liberty Charge.
At the time, the company outlined a plan to electrify its fleet of around 4,300 vehicles by 2030. More recently, Virgin Media O2 has said the new electric vans will support its broader goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
