Above l-r: Neil-Broadbank, Raw-Charging, Lilian-Greenwood, Transport Minister, Bianca-Sammut, Merlin Entertainments, Toby Poston, BVRLA.
THE BVRLA has kicked off a summer campaign to shine a spotlight on destination charging. Bon VoyCharge will showcase best practice across the UK and where the industry and policymakers can collaborate on further development.
On 17 July the Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP joined industry professionals for a roundtable at Alton Towers.
Marking two years since the site installed its charging bays for electric vehicles, the Minister joined leading organisations from the electric vehicle, tourism and hospitality industries. Their discussion looked at what good practice looks like and how to expand chargepoint availability at key tourist destinations.
With the UK welcoming 41.2 million visitors from abroad in 2024, plus British residents accounting for 106m overnight stays, the UK’s tourism sector is worth over £30bn every year and expected to grow in 2025. For those visitors driving electric vehicles, there are currently an estimated 7.5k electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints available at accommodation and leisure or tourism locations.
“Tourism is big business. Our rental sector plays a vital role in keeping visitors mobile, enabling them to visit new areas and explore the best the UK has to offer. As the sector evolves in a sustainable way, it is encouraging to see businesses in this space embracing the shift to electric vehicles. Through cross-sector collaboration, we can make domestic tourist travel greener, cleaner and more enjoyable.”
In the same week as the Government launched grants for buyers of new EVs, Minister Greenwood said: “We want to make sure everyone reaps the benefits of owning an EV, which is why I met with the industry to help turbocharge the rollout of chargepoints at holiday hotspots and give people the confidence to drive and rent an EV no matter where they go. This will help us deliver our Plan for Change by supporting jobs, backing our £30 billion tourism industry, and help drivers make the switch to electric.”
The Bon VoyCharge campaign is a collaboration between the BVRLA, Autotrader, Charge UK, EVA England, UK Hospitality, UK Inbound, and Zapmap, supported by rental companies Arnold Clark, Drivalia, Europcar, and Hertz.
Activity through the summer will include political engagements and direct guidance for businesses and travellers. A selection of guides will be published that support accommodation and leisure locations in installing or upscaling their EV charging provisions, alongside driver guides that give tourists the information they need to rent an EV with confidence during their trip.
Ministerial and MP interactions will include site visits and round tables, in addition to wider briefings and local outreach with the support of industry stakeholders and fleet professionals.
Further information of the Bon VoyCharge campaign is available via BonVoyCharge.co.uk.
P+B in new partnership to help businesses improve their vehicle strategies
Pike+Bambridge has announced a new partnership with The CFO Centre UK, which supplies part-time Chief Financial Officers
Anxiety around EV residuals is evaporating, reports Cazana
Cazana says that consistent demand and strategic pricing have kept recent residual values robust, with EVs leading the charge
Steve Cocks receives Funder of the Year trophy from BVRLA’s Toby Poston
Steve Cocks was presented with the Lex Autolease Funder of the Year trophy at the BVRLA Committee Summit by BVRLA CEO Toby Poston
VWFS and Kwik Fit Fleet agree tyre partnership
VOLKSWAGEN Financial Services (VWFS) is partnering with Kwik Fit Fleet, which will manage the tyre requirements of the VWFS fleet
Autoserve promotes Lisa Jones to Sales Director
Vehicle management and maintenance provider Autoserve has promoted Lisa Jones to Sales Director after seven years
News in brief: Executives on the move in the broker sector
Monday 8 June News in Brief: News in brief: Executives on the move in the broker sector
