KeolisAmey Docklands celebrates major milestone on the road to a fully electric fleet

Teams from KAD, DriveElectric and Ford came together on a freezing November morning to mark the milestone and showcase the vehicles that will support day-to-day operations across the Docklands Light Railway network. The event highlighted not only how far the project has come, but also the collaboration, planning and expertise behind it.

KAD operates and maintains the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), one of London’s most iconic transport networks. As part of its new eight-year contract with Transport for London (TfL), the organisation committed to transitioning its entire road fleet to electric within five years.

But progress has moved far faster than expected. Working closely with DriveElectric and Ford, the team is on track to complete the full transition by December 2025, a full four years ahead of TfL’s original deadline.

The new fleet replaces a legacy of petrol and diesel vehicles with 39 electric vans and 6 electric cars, including specialist conversions such as tail-lifts, flatbeds, racking and shelving. Traditionally, these variants have been challenging to electrify, making this milestone even more significant.

All vehicles in the fleet have been supplied by Ford, creating a fully integrated and consistent fleet solution. The line-up includes:

• Ford Puma Gen-E cars
• Ford E-Tourneo minibuses
• Ford E-Transit and E-Transit Custom vans
• Specialist variants including double cabs, dropsides, flatbeds and tail-lifts

Using a single manufacturer has enabled KAD to deploy Ford Pro telematics, giving real-time visibility of energy use, driver behaviour, vehicle performance and uptime. These insights are already helping the team operate more efficiently and safely.

Switching to electric vehicles has delivered clear environmental benefits, reducing tailpipe emissions across the fleet and supporting cleaner air for staff and the surrounding East London communities.

But KAD is also seeing financial gains. Lower fuel and maintenance costs are helping the organisation reinvest into future carbon-reduction projects, accelerating its progress toward long-term sustainability goals.

To ensure business continuity, DriveElectric supplied short-term electric rentals during the handover period. The team also supported KAD with energy planning across two grid-constrained sites, a common challenge for London-based fleets.

The project is the result of close collaboration between KAD, DriveElectric and Ford, a partnership praised across all sides.

Adam Kemp, Sales Director at DriveElectric, reflects on the scale of the challenge:

This shared commitment is setting a new benchmark for sustainable fleet management in the UK light-rail sector, and yesterday’s launch event showcased just how powerful that collaboration can be.

With the final vehicles arriving later this year, KAD is on course to operate a fully electric fleet by December 2025. The progress already achieved shows what’s possible when technology, operational insight and shared ambition come together.

For DriveElectric, the project is a strong example of how we help organisations navigate large-scale electrification, from specialist vehicle sourcing to energy planning and driver engagement.