FUTURE OF FLEET > CHARGING
FUTURE OF FLEET ELECTRIFICATION: THE IMPORTANCE OF AFFORDABLE CHARGING
Tom Eilon I founder and CPO at The Electric Car Scheme / creator of The Charge Scheme
Fleet operators across the UK are accelerating plans to transition company car fleets to electric vehicles as part of broader net-zero strategies. Yet, one major hurdle threatens to slow this transition: the high cost of public EV charging. According to the RAC, charging an EV on the public network is roughly 40% more expensive per mile than running a petrol car, and three times as costly as charging at home.
This price disparity erodes the fuel cost advantage of EVs and is especially punitive for drivers without access to cheap home charging. In fact, over nine million UK households lack off-street parking (and thus home charging), forcing them to rely on public chargers where energy can cost more than petrol or diesel, particularly at rapid charging stations.
This dynamic creates what many describe as an unfair ‘two-tier’ system in which EV adoption becomes a privilege of those with driveways or depot facilities, rather than a viable choice for all. High charging costs aren’t merely a frustration; they are actively slowing down the shift to electric, jeopardising the UK’s ability to hit its net zero transport goals.
The Charge Scheme:
Cutting charging cost by 20-50%
Addressing this cost barrier head-on is The Charge Scheme, the UK’s first EV charging salary sacrifice solution. Designed for company car fleets, this innovative scheme enables drivers to save 20-50% on all their EV charging costs by paying for electricity through gross salary deductions. In essence, it extends the well-known salary sacrifice model, which has already made EV leasing up to 50% cheaper for thousands of drivers, to cover day-to-day charging expenses.
Employees can now save on all personal charging costs through salary sacrifice, making electric car charging cheaper for everyone, whether at home, the office, or in public. By routing charging payments through an HMRC-compliant salary sacrifice agreement, an EV driver’s charging spend is taken from their pre-tax income, instantly cutting the effective cost of every kilowatt by the employee’s income tax and National Insurance rate. This translates to hundreds of pounds saved per driver each year.
“The fleets that succeed in this transition will be those that pair electrification with smart cost-management strategies”
Affordable charging fuels the fleet future
Looking 5-10 years ahead, the UK fleet industry is poised for a transformation. By the early 2030s, electric cars will likely dominate new fleet acquisitions, driven by the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales and growing pressure to decarbonise corporate travel. The fleets that succeed in this transition will be those that pair electrification with smart cost-management strategies. Affordable charging will play a pivotal role in keeping electric fleets economically viable and scalable. We can expect to see more initiatives that mirror or build upon the salary sacrifice charging model, ensuring that no driver is left behind paying a premium for fuelling their EV. In practice, that means fleet decision-makers must not only procure electric cars, but also champion fair charging solutions.
