A MORE FLEXIBLE WAY TO SWITCH TO EVs
Driver interest in electric vehicles is fast-rising, according to new research from LeasePlan, leading to much greater needs for flexible fleet solutions.
More fleets and drivers are ready to go electric, but barriers still remain, according to new research from LeasePlan.
With the race on to increase adoption before 2030, its annual Mobility Insights Report shows 58% of UK respondents says they have a favourable view of zero-emission electric driving, while half (50%) said that their opinion towards electric driving has improved over the past three years.
Furthermore, over half (51%) of respondents intending to get a new car in the next five years say they will consider an electric vehicle (EV), indicating driver acceptance of EVs is now reaching a tipping point.
But obstacles remain. A recent study of 502 fleet managers carried out by the leasing giant revealed a number of perceived barriers to fleet electrification, including a lack of flexibility with fleets’ current ICE vehicle lease contracts. More than a fifth (21%) said their inability to switch was a barrier to adoption.
Given the current ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and considering over half (53%) of fleet managers stated that their fleet would increase in the next 12 months, the majority (81%) think having a flexible fleet vehicle leasing option would help their organisation to handle unpredictable changes.
Meanwhile, among drivers, there are still hurdles to overcome. For those looking to buy, purchase price is cited as the main reason that over half of respondents (55%) would hold off.
Answering this call for flexibility and to give fleet managers greater confidence and assurance in their decision making, LeasePlan UK is offering support via its existing LeasePlan Flexible product, plus a new product: LeasePlan Confident.
LeasePlan Flexible
This product lets SME and small corporate customers rent a car or van, for anytime between three months and two years, with the freedom to change vehicles, plus extend or end the hire agreement whenever you need to.
The solution includes a range of electric cars as well as diesels. Vehicles can be chosen to suit all business and driver requirements, from low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK), CO2, driver appeal to company image.
LeasePlan Confident
LeasePlan Confident is also on offer to SME and small corporate customers, providing businesses the opportunity to lease vehicles – with built-in cover and return without an early termination fee – if there is an unexpected event. This means customers can take advantages of opportunities and upsize their fleets, while knowing they have the flexibility to downsize again if the situation changes – with no early termination charges.
LeasePlan’s EV Driver Tool
For companies and organisations, there’s LeasePlan’s dedicated Consultancy Services Team. They can provide information and insight about EVs, plus help set up fully scalable pilot programmes that can give customers the confidence to make the switch. LeasePlan also offer a free on-line driver tool, to see if employees are ready to go electric.
LeasePlan’s EV Salary Sacrifice
One of the cheapest ways to get an electric vehicle and increase EV take-up, is LeasePlan’s new EV salary sacrifice scheme. Like other salary sacrifice schemes such as childcare, or pension contributions, it works by letting an employee pay for an electric car using their gross salary – before tax and other contributions are deducted.
SUPPORTING CHANGE ACROSS THE INDUSTRY
LeasePlan is part of the Climate Group EV100 and has partnerships with the Land Life company, Global Action Plan (GAP) and GreenTV – the founder of World EV Day. This allows it to help drive the EV debate forwards and get the message out as widely as possible.
LeasePlan also runs live events, create podcasts and videos, host webinars and produce research papers to demonstrate that zero-emission vehicles are a viable proposition. This includes pieces on range concerns and the affordability of EVs.
