Fleet managers head for the wall charger

FLEET managers want to electrify their fleets.

A survey by Go Ultra Low, in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, found that a third of fleet managers expected to have 50% of their fleets fully electric within five years.

The survey was across a wide cross section of UK fleets, from two to 100 vehicle fleets.

Most of the respondent said the recent changes to benefit in kind taxation for electric vehicles was the starting gun for the electric switchover, yet surprisingly, one third of fleet managers said they did not know about the BIK changes.

Despite this positive attitude to company car electrification, fleet managers highlighted three key factors holding them back:

the elevated price point of electric vehicles (47%);
their limited range (51%); and
the lack of chargepoints (56%).

Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, commenting on the findings said:

The research highlights that the government’s benefit in kind tax incentives are helping to shift behaviour around company fleets and the car industry is supporting with exciting products. There are around 60 electric models now available and most are able to travel more than 200-miles on a single charge. The decisions fleet managers make about EVs today will be critical in driving mass adoption tomorrow.

The UK now has more than 31,000 public chargepoint connectors, and an additional 500 chargepoints are installed each month, but we still hear from businesses that charging infrastructure remains an area of frustration. Fleet depots and rental branches, for example, often need to negotiate complex terms with landlords, electrical consultants and energy providers to install their own chargepoints. That’s why we’re developing a series of fleet-specific initiatives with the help of the Energy Saving Trust, to provide companies with the information and advice they need to make the transition to electric as seamless and cost-effective as possible.

Go Ultra Low said that Britain’s fleet sector accounted for 53.3% of last year’s 2.3m vehicle registrations. It is seen as a pivotal player in accelerating EV adoption.