The clock is ticking: are we ready for 2030?

By David Savage, vice president, UK and Ireland, Geotab The UK government is hurtling towards its transition plan commitment of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, as part of its wider 2050 net zero ambitions. In the Government’s own words, this “[puts] the UK on course to be the fastest G7 country to decarbonise cars and vans”. This is an admirable, ambitious goal – but the scale of current electric vehicle infrastructure and pace of adoption means we are not on track to achieve this transition, without damaging economic growth.

Rising energy prices and the cessation of various cost incentives mean the economic prospect of transitioning to an electric vehicle has soured for many, with Auto Trader recently revealing that interest in electric vehicles on their site had declined by 65%, whilst in the commercial space, only 0.9% of vehicles in the UK’s van fleet were electric in 2022.

Combined with high list prices for vehicles and extended lead times due to the aftershocks of the silicon shortage, and a lack of charging infrastructure throughout the country, many fleet operators are reconsidering their transition plans, and are having to rebalance their vehicle roster and sustainability goals.

So, what can be done, and how can telematics help us get ready for 2030? There’s a lot of work to be done between now and 2030, but given the urgency and impact of climate change, we cannot afford to compromise when it comes to our goals. The good news is that with the right approach to using telematics data and technology, we have a much better chance of being ready for our zero-emissions future, in time.