Toyota Proace Electric puts National Highways on the road to zero carbon

• National Highways adds 18 Toyota Proace Electric medium-duty vans and a further 40 Toyota bZ4X for its vehicle fleet, supporting the organisation’s decarbonisation programme
• Proace Electric chosen as the first light commercial vehicle to enter service with National Highways
• Fleet agreement follows the organisation’s recent purchase of 51 Toyota bZ4X

Supervising the thousands of miles of roads, tunnels and bridges across England’s major road network calls for a fleet of vehicles that can be counted on to do the job with complete reliability – day in, day out. When it came to choosing the first vans to join its fleet, National Highways turned to the Toyota Professional LCV range and the Proace Electric medium-duty van as the ideal choice.

A new order for 18 Proace vans and a further 40 bZ4X, reinforces Toyota’s role as one of the organisation’s providers of choice, following on from 50 Toyota bZ4X electric SUVs being delivered to National Highways in 2024.

Toyota’s supply of battery electric vehicles is contributing to National Highways’ commitment to make its corporate emissions net zero by 2030. A key goal is for all of its non-traffic officer light vehicles to be electric by 2027.

National Highways is the organisation responsible for operating, maintaining and improving England’s 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads. The Proace Electric vans will be used by its specialist structures inspectors whose role plays an essential part in keeping roads safe and open.

Beyond its zero emission performance, the Proace Electric offers generous cargo space and payload. The ingenious Smart Cargo system extends the load area, giving extra room for longer items to be carried – such as the measuring poles used by the National Highways teams. Interior racking can be fitted to safely transport the teams’ safety items, all-weather equipment and test samples.

Andy Butterfield, Director of Operational Services at National Highways said: “Our operations run 24/7 to keep roads safe, well maintained and free-flowing—helping people reach their destinations safely and on time. These new vehicles will support that round-the-clock service, particularly for asset inspectors keeping vital infrastructure in check.  Just as importantly, they represent a major step in cutting our carbon footprint. By 2027, all our non-traffic officer light vehicles will be electric, with traffic officer vehicles following by 2030. It’s a big shift—and this investment proves we’re committed to making it happen.”

Neil Broad, General Manager One Toyota Fleet Services, said: “It is rewarding to partner again with National Highways and support their work across the country maintaining safety of our road network. As more businesses look to make the switch to electric vehicles, we have a team able to provide guidance and support along with one of the largest ranges of commercial vehicles available in the UK market.”

ENDS