Personal care giant Unilever has become the first FMCG company to join the EV100 initiative, cementing its commitment to 100 percent electric vehicles by 2030.

The initiative brings together companies in a bid to make electric transport ‘the new normal’ and help accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. Encouraging global businesses to swap their ‘large diesel and petrol fleets to electric, hybrid or fuel cell vehicles, and installing electric battery charging infrastructure’, Unilever is one of 10 founding members alongside the likes of Baidu, Deutsche Post DHL Group, and IKEA.

Unilever’s Global Fleet Services Manager, Lee Warner, explains: “By reducing our vehicle carbon emissions, we’re contributing to a healthier, cleaner and more sustainable environment. Technology in this field is advancing rapidly with ever-increasing mileage ranges and into the future, fully electric self-driving vehicles.”

The aim of the initiative is to send out a market signal that there is a mass demand for electric vehicles by 2030 or before. And with businesses said to own a significant proportion of all vehicles on the road, EV100 will encourage company leaders to assist in the transition.

Unilever’s own goal is to phase EV’s into the company in incremental time periods, and aims to be 25 percent EV/hybrid by 2020, 50 percent by 2025 and 100 percent by 2030. Likewise it will ensure hybrid vehicles are available to Unilever company car drivers, as well as for suppliers as and when contracts come up for renewal.

The company is also partnering with car hire and taxi firms that offer or use EVs and are also looking to install charge points at Unilever offices.