delaware Belux adds 1,000th electric vehicle to its fleet of company cars

May 06, 2024
  • press release

On April 25, Yoni Roussel, senior consultant at delaware, drove delaware Belux’ 1,000th electric vehicle onto the road for the first time. This event marks a huge sustainability milestone in the company’s journey to a fleet of 100% electric company cars. Yoni opted for a BMW iX3, distributed by delaware’s trusted partner BMW Jorssen.

BMW iX3

delaware isn’t sitting still when it comes to greener mobility initiatives, having made the conscious choice to switch to clean energy in 2016 well ahead of the pack. delaware’s journey with electric vehicles officially began on April 3, 2020 when it got the keys to its first 100% electric car. It was a hallmark commitment to long-term sustainability and an investment in a greener legacy. 

Four years on, the 1,000th-vehicle mark has been crossed.  In late April, Yoni Roussel, Senior Consultant at delaware, was pleasantly surprised when delaware and BMW celebrated his receipt of the 1000th EV with the pick-up of his new car. Reflecting on his choice, Yoni shares, “Ever since BMW introduced the iX3 model, I've been charmed by its elegant design and spaciousness, making it perfect for accommodating my family.” As he embarks on his journey with his first electric vehicle, Yoni expresses his enthusiasm, “My initial experience has been very positive. I am proud to join the next generation of driving innovation.”


Mobility policies that go the extra mile

“In 2016, we determined the strategy for our mobility in the future,” says Pieter Sanders, Fleet and Facility Manager at delaware. “At the time, electric driving was still a long way off and there wasn’t as much financial pressure on fleet management as there is today. Our mobility strategy had to be future-oriented and manageable for years to come.”

The decision to be more sustainable was threefold: reduce the company’s collective carbon footprint created by its fleet of gas/diesel-powered cars, make travel more cost efficient and fostering employee work-life balance by establishing satellite offices closer to their homes for non-customer-facing days. These initiatives are integral to delaware's broader climate action agenda. The company introduced electric vehicles long before regulations came into effect in 2022, making it mandatory for all new company cars issued in Belgium to be electric as from 2023. 

As soon as the option to drive electric cars became possible, delaware decided to go 100% electric (EV) rather than make a transition via plug-in hybrids. "You need to experience and accept the outcome of learning something new through having employees using it," says Pieter Sanders. “Doing so means that initial doubters become ambassadors and get more colleagues to follow suit.” 

At the end of 2020, delaware counted only 25 EVs in its fleet. In January 2022, the 100th fully electric car was charged up. By February 2023, 25% of company cars were EVs. Now it is already 65%. Part of this exponential growth is owed to delaware’s future-proof mobility policy. 

“The transition to electric driving has taken place quickly and without having to force anyone,” Pieter Sanders notes. “Imposing too many rules and not calculating the TCO (total cost of ownership) is a pitfall that other companies still fall into too often. Above all, electric driving must be workable and we want to have minimal barriers in the use of EVs,” Pieter Sanders says.  

Other sustainability initiatives at delaware 

Achieving delaware’s sustainability pillars doesn’t stop at its fleet of 1,000 electric vehicles. When satellite offices opened in Limburg and Liège, this meant employees from these regions had shorter commute times and less traffic to contend with on non-customer facing days. Video meetings and working from home meant fewer miles logged.

In 2018, delaware introduced bicycle leasing to stimulate multi-mobility with a car + bicycle option when leases were renewed, or a wage exchange for getting a bicycle. In 2022, average CO2 emissions were still 95g/km, with a target of 80g/km by the end of that year. Today that average is barely 40g/km. And with more changes to come in delaware’s Ghent office later this year, that average is likely to lower further.

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