1 Smaller businesses need a net zero boost
From regulatory push to consumer pull, decarbonisation impacts almost all businesses in the UK. Three-quarters (75%) of survey respondents either already have a net zero CO₂ strategy in place (47%) or are working towards one (28%), but the maturity of that process differs enormously based on the size of the business.
Large and listed businesses must publish Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) energy use and emissions within their financial reports. Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions reporting is optional, but organisations who do so can influence smaller partners’ strategies too. This scenario shows in the results:
How are businesses engaging with Net Zero?
2 Nearly all fleets are in transition to EV2 Electrifying cars is easier than vans
Fleet electrification is a cornerstone of businesses’ decarbonisation plans. Almost all (94%) of respondents with a net zero strategy have deployed electric vehicles, compared to just half (49%) of those who don’t have this initiative in place. Nine out of 10 fleets who have EVs (90%) said they had reduced their CO₂ emissions as a result.
3 Vans lagging behind cars on EV uptake
The UK will phase out new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and LCVs by 2035, and manufacturers must meet annual zero-emission vehicle (ZEV – battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell) sales targets in the meantime. Buy-in from fleets and businesses, which account for over half of new car registrations and the majority of LCVs, is vital to help avoid fines.
HOWEVER... uptake differs. With plenty of choice and strong tax incentives, electric vehicles had a 24% share of new company-owned car registrations during the first six months of 2024, according to the Department for Transport. That compares to just 5% of LCVs, which still have cost, payload and range compromises compared to diesel versions.
4 More public chargers are required
Access to convenient and cost-efficient charging is vital for EV fleets, but the results show there’s still room for improvement. Almost half (48%) of fleets said there are not enough public chargers to meet their needs, while 38% said they could be easier for drivers to use.
Thankfully, fleets have more options than they had with fossil fuels. Most (79%) said their vehicles are plugged in overnight, supplemented by charging during drivers’ break times (23%) or dedicated mid-shift stops (21%) –and the locations differ between vehicle types:
Where are your vehicles charged?
5 Home charging benefits are appreciated by most
Charging at drivers’ homes reduces the cost and operational challenges of deploying electric vehicles – unsurprisingly, 75% of respondents are doing so. Although two-thirds of fleets (64%) said drivers pay to have chargers installed, the remainder almost evenly split between paying for it for all employees (18%) or only for those with a job need (17%).
Employer-funded home charging points are Benefit-in-Kind exempt, can deliver lower operating costs compared to public charging and enable reimbursement to be automated too. All new home chargers installed since 30 June 2022 must include a data connection – and some can automatically invoice employers for the cost of energy used.
6 Workplace charging really does work
Three-quarters (74%) of surveyed fleets said they had installed workplace charging, either exclusively for employees (such as a depot) or available to visitors too. The advantages can be similar to home charging; drivers don’t pay Benefit-in-Kind for the energy, even if it’s for private journeys, while fleet operators can reduce their dependence on more expensive public networks.
Despite those benefits, fleets saw the most value integrating workplace charging within their decarbonisation strategy. Operators with their own charging points were also more likely to be generating energy from renewables (37% vs 33%) and have solutions for energy storage (18% vs 10%) and load management (33% vs 22%) than the overall average.
What do fleets want from workplace charging?
