TRANSITION TO EV
Proper preparation
A joined-up approach supports an effective EV transition. David Rowan, head of UK fleet and leasing sales at Enterprise Mobility, offers a strategy for fleets
TRANSITION TO EV
Proper preparation
A joined-up approach supports an effective EV transition. David Rowan, head of UK fleet and leasing sales at Enterprise Mobility, offers a strategy for fleets
Our discussions with leasing companies often explore opportunities for transitioning more employees to EVs – as well as ensuring that current users are offered a rental EV first when their own vehicle is not available. Most customers report that the majority of their new fleet vehicles are electric – salary sacrifice programmes and a favourable tax regime have helped to drive this transition.
Alongside this, there are further opportunities to ensure consistency. If someone has ordered an electric company vehicle, providing them with an EV lead-in car to use while they are waiting for delivery of their new vehicle is an important step towards early readiness and familiarity with this new fuel type.
To support a full transition, it’s also important to ensure an electric replacement vehicle is available when the company car is being serviced or repaired. Some organisations have a clear ‘EV-first’ policy for these short- and medium-term temporary vehicles, which means that an EV will be the first option offered when the employee comes to book their rental. Yet in most cases there’s no specific mandate for EVs. It’s more likely to be a request.
As a result, customers may have EVs as more than half of their regular fleet, but book only a few for their more ad hoc travel requirements.
“To support a full transition, it’s also important to ensure an electric replacement vehicle is available when the company car is being serviced or repaired”
Plan your EV rental need
A conversation with the mobility partner, coupled with data analysis on vehicle usage, helps to plan when and where the need will be, enabling the right vehicles in the right place at the right time to support consistent EV business use. An employee who drives, for example, a luxury EV would be provided with a suitable replacement, unless they chose something different.
Uptake in the replacement world is a good indicator of consistency. An EV driver who has been involved in an accident or breakdown will want an EV as their replacement vehicle.
Many organisations also want to ensure their drivers are seen in EVs when they visit customers and other stakeholders. How do you make certain the right vehicles are waiting for them at the airport or transport hub when they reach their destination?
The mobility partner’s capacity to ensure a full EV transition, including all these contingent requirements, is central. It focuses on the ability to mobilise vehicles quickly when they are required.
Replacement and rental EV van capability is also key to the planning phase. Can electric commercial vehicles easily be accessed when and where you need them?
Identify the right solution
Understanding employee journey requirements, knowing who has already made the commitment and who is happy to make the switch, enables travel booking platforms to prompt EV selection when the employee makes the booking at their desk or on their phone.
An effective planning conversation can ultimately enable higher EV usage overall. Sometimes the right solution will be to look at an on-street car club. It may offer a more convenient option, especially if the vehicles are located close to where employees live or work and don’t need to be delivered from a branch.
A dedicated, onsite EV car club could be another option for larger organisations. This also provides the opportunity to introduce EVs to those employees who aren’t eligible for a company car but still occasionally need to drive for business.
Create access
A range of approaches will also help to provide efficiencies to the total cost of ownership (TCO), including emissions. Overall, ensuring an exceptional driver experience is central. Providing convenient, easy-to-access mobility means putting people first as well as the EVs they drive. Combining the two can be a winning strategy.
