19th May 2026

Putting our 7,000^th electric vehicle on the road is a massive milestone for Openreach, and one I’m proud of. But for me, the number only really matters because of the approach behind it - and what it means for our engineers, our customers and the communities we serve.

Electrifying our fleet helps us cut carbon, improve air quality and reduce noise on our streets, making a real difference where people live and work. Just as importantly, it has to work in practice for the engineers who rely on these vehicles every day as they build and maintain the UK’s largest Full Fibre broadband network. Of course going electric is great in theory – but if a vehicle’s no good in the real world, on real roads, it simply won’t stick.

A practical choice that stands up in the real world

Our engineers work across the UK, from remote rural outposts to busy towns and city centres. Their vans carry the tools and technology that keep people connected, wherever they are.

That’s why our move away from diesel hasn’t been about making a statement. It’s been about making it work.

Electric vehicles need to make sense for the business and the people using them every day.

For a fleet of our size, that means being practical. Vans need to be in the right place, doing the right job, with the right support around them, so engineers can rely on them day in, day out.

We’ve focused hard on matching the right vans to the right roles. By combining data - like mileage and driving patterns - with insight from our engineers, we better understand how vehicles are used and we can make decisions that work operationally and commercially.

A shift in mindset as well as technology

We started our electric vehicle journey back in 2019, and we’ve learned a lot since then. The tech has evolved quickly, helping to build confidence and making electric vehicles feel like a natural part of everyday working life.

Moving away from diesel is also about changing habits.

Driving an electric van can mean new routines, whether that’s thinking about charging or planning journeys a little differently. What we’ve seen is that, with the right support, those changes quickly become part of the day‑to‑day.

Data helps us manage that transition, but listening matters just as much. Electric vehicles don’t stop engineers doing their jobs – they help them do those jobs differently. Our role is to keep improving that experience.

That’s why involving engineers and acting on their feedback has been so important. Their insight helps shape what we do next.

Charging: one of the real challenges

One of the clearest lessons we’ve learned is that charging is where fleet electrification either works or doesn’t.

For engineers who are out on the road every day, charging needs to be simple and reliable, without getting in the way of the working day.

Where it’s possible, home charging works best. It’s usually cheaper, more convenient, and less disruptive. That’s why we’ve installed more than 4,000 EV chargers at engineers’ homes and across our operational sites.

But around one in three of our engineers can’t install a home charger, often because of where they live. That’s a real challenge, and one we have to plan for properly.

A mix of charging options, built around how engineers work

There isn’t a single solution to charging, and there doesn’t need to be.

Across Openreach, engineers use a mix of home, workplace, depot and public charging, depending on where they live and how they work. We’ve introduced shared, bookable depot charging to give reliable options to those who can’t charge at home.

We’re also testing new approaches, like cross‑pavement charging. Right now, a small group of engineers are testing whether these solutions are safe, practical and easy to use.

Because confidence in the process matters just as much as access to it.

Partnerships powering progress

Reaching 7,000 electric vehicles isn’t something we’ve done alone. Our partners have played an important role too, from vehicle manufacturers to infrastructure providers and charge point operators.

Working with partners has helped us build solutions around real operational needs, and adapt as we’ve learned what works best in practice.

A milestone – and a foundation for what’s next

Fleet electrification isn’t something we think is ever complete. It’s something we want to keep improving.

We run the UK’s second largest commercial fleet, with around 23,000 vehicles, and 7,000 of them are now electric. That progress reflects better technology, stronger data and the partnerships we’ve built along the way.

And while we’ve made real progress, there’s still more to do. We’ll keep listening, keep learning and keep working with our partners to remove barriers and improve the experience as we scale – so we can continue delivering for the people who rely on us every day.

For me and my team, this milestone is less about a number and more about building a better future for our engineers, for our customers and for the communities we serve.