Triton Construction reports CO₂ reduction after adopting EV salary sacrifice scheme

West Yorkshire contractor Triton Construction has reported a significant drop in fleet emissions after introducing an electric vehicle (EV) salary sacrifice scheme from Fleet Alliance for its employees.

The Hightown-based firm implemented the programme with fleet management provider Fleet Alliance in October 2023, aiming to cut carbon emissions and encourage the uptake of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles among its 70 employee-owners.

Thirty months after the scheme’s introduction, the company said average CO₂ emissions per vehicle had fallen from 117g/km to 25g/km, representing a reduction of around 78%.

Based on an average annual mileage of 20,000 miles per vehicle, Triton said its total fleet emissions have declined from around 94 tonnes of CO₂ per year to approximately 20 tonnes – a reduction of 74 tonnes annually.

The company, which undertakes private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects valued between £500,000 and £15 million, operates as an Employee Owned Trust, meaning all staff have a stake in the business.

Most employees receive a car allowance following the closure of a previous company car scheme and can access the salary sacrifice programme, which offers vehicles from a range of manufacturers. Around 75% of participants have chosen fully electric vehicles, including models from Polestar, Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo and Toyota, while plug-in hybrids have been supplied by Jaecoo and Volkswagen.

Managing director Paul Clarkson said the emissions reductions aligned with the company’s wider sustainability goals.

“The reduction in our average CO₂ emissions per vehicle is great news,” he said. “As well as tackling tailpipe emissions, we have installed new air-sourced heating powered by solar panels to generate our own electricity and low voltage lighting throughout to help us move towards a net zero carbon environment.”

Triton has also installed charging infrastructure at its offices, with seven EV chargers at its head office and four at its North West regional office in Birchwood, Warrington. Employees are also provided with electric fuel cards and can access interest-free loans to install home charging points.

Clarkson said the salary sacrifice scheme had also broadened access to electric vehicles for employees.

“I have personally bought into our EV salary sacrifice scheme and have just taken delivery of a zero-emission Porsche Macan Electric, which I probably would not have ordered if the scheme had not been in place,” he said.

The fleet is managed using Fleet Alliance’s cloud-based e-Fleet platform, which provides real-time reporting and allows drivers to research and order vehicles through an associated app.

Michael Hooper, a Fleet Alliance appointed representative who worked with Triton on the scheme, said that Triton is seeing the real benefits of the salary sacrifice scheme, with greater choice for employees at more attractive rates while also helping the business meet its environmental goals.

“Our scheme is a great way to offer an electric car at no extra cost to the business, including as it does all service, maintenance and breakdown costs.

“At the same time, it encourages staff to make the transition to electric cars and, as we have seen from the CO2 figures, helps reduce the corporate carbon footprint while assisting the business in meeting its ESG agenda.

“The order process for all employees is simplified via the use of e-Fleet, which provides an overview of EVs in the marketplace in addition to indicative costings.

“Our approach is always to keep lease rentals costs as low as possible so, to that end, we competitively tender each new vehicle via a panel of up to eight funders to ensure we provide the most attractive rates,” he added.