Beyond electrification: An alternative path to fleet decarbonisation
By Matt Shirley, head of sales and accounts, at KINTO Join.
Beyond electrification: An alternative path to fleet decarbonisation
By Matt Shirley, head of sales and accounts, at KINTO Join Ltd.
Working across three continents building EV infrastructure, and now leading decarbonisation strategy for fleets across Europe, I keep landing on the same conclusion: full electrification of UK fleets won't happen in the next 10 to 20 years, let alone by 2030. While some may feel that outlook is pessimistic, it’s simply pragmatism.
As fleets move towards electrification, the core issue remains – public charging infrastructure simply hasn't kept pace with the number of vehicles it needs to serve. Across Europe, at least 44% of drivers can't charge at home and that figure rises the further down the income scale you go. Without access to reliable charging, whether at home, through public infrastructure or through workplace charging, we risk creating a divided society where those who can charge off-street get on with their lives and those who can't, lose time and money every time they need to top up.
For fleet managers, and employees with electric vehicles, this issue manifests in a very practical way. Employees who can't plug in overnight are required to avail of public chargers in their own time, while businesses that adopt EVs are left hoping the infrastructure catches up before their vehicles do.
Public charging hasn't developed at the pace, or the capacity, that was promised. Across ultra-rapid charging rollouts, a distinct pattern emerges – remarkably few sites have the space, power and access needed for 150kW+ charging. This issue isn’t confined to the UK and Europe, however. For example, In Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, home to Bondi Beach, there is currently just one ultra-rapid charger for a population of 300,000 people. With 77% of local residents unable to charge at home, and a quick 20-minute top-up rarely an option, organisations must look to alternatives so employees can charge.
UK fleets are now grappling with this same challenge, under pressure to electrify from every direction without the necessary infrastructure in place. I've watched fleet managers get this wrong under that pressure, electrifying too soon, then backtracking and dumping stock into an already difficult residual value market. This doesn't help anyone – not the organisation, the employees or the environment.
There’s also the fact that for many UK fleets, electrification is logistically impossible right now. Think prison transport or blue-light emergency services. Route length, depot charging infrastructure, and vehicle availability for specialist or high mileage use cases all get in the way, regardless of intent or budget.
If a fleet can electrify, it should. If it can't, forcing the issue puts operations at risk.
Matt Shirley, head of sales and accounts, KINTO Join
As such, it's worth taking a step back and looking at the actual goal. We need to decarbonise and cut vehicle particulate pollution quickly. While electrification is one route to that, it’s not the only one. For fleets that genuinely can't electrify yet, there's still real, measurable progress to be made elsewhere. Routing, utilisation, driver behaviour, commuting patterns and supply chain emissions all contribute and none of them depend on the vehicle itself.
If a fleet can electrify, it should. If it can't, forcing the issue just puts operations at risk. It's also worth remembering that EVs aren't carbon neutral either. Businesses still have to measure and report their energy consumption under Scope 2.
The approach that works is a holistic one: understand where emissions are actually coming from, identify where the greatest scope for improvement lies and apply solutions that drive measurable progress toward operational carbon neutrality. This can range from integrating carpooling and encouraging active travel, to supporting EV drivers with bookable workplace charging. Done properly, this strengthens the bottom line as well as cutting emissions and sets businesses up for future growth.
I've lost count of the number of fleet managers who visibly relax when they realise I'm not there to evangelise EVs. Electrification is brilliant, and inevitable, for those who can make it work. Being honest about who can't, and pragmatic about the alternatives, is what will actually get this industry to where it needs to be.
