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WELCOME TO

Guarded excitement

The move to running electric vehicles on fleets will start taking a huge leap forward for many businesses on the back of the Government’s announcement that it’s bringing the internal combustion engine sales ban forwards a decade to 2030.

This is around two to three changeover cycles for fleet so it’s absolutely something that should be on the agenda for all fleet operators, as per the BVRLA’s column. And the extra five years for the phasing out of hybrids is much welcome.

But the road to going electric is not necessarily a smooth one, including when it comes to charging. Recent analysis from energy consulting group Cornwall Insight suggests that the number of public charge points per electric vehicle has fallen to its lowest level since 2018, standing at 0.28 chargers per EV – this equates to just one public charger per four vehicles. This compares to 0.31 public charge points in January 2018 when the company starting researching the subject.

The fall has primarily been as a result of Covid-19 stunting charge point installations; however, at the same time, the UK has experienced an increase in EV registrations, showing their rising popularity as a result of changes to BiK. And also a rethink by drivers on both air quality issues and the way they travel, due to a shift to home working.

While it’s heartening to know that the Government is aware of this issue – the creation of ‘Rapid Charging Hubs’ was a key announcement in the Spring 2020 Budget – our 'Fast Charge' feature asks the experts if these hubs are the opportunity they appear, how they will work for fleet and suggests it might be too little, too late.

On the flip side, the opening of Gridserve’s first electric forecourt at Braintree, Essex, is an exciting EV development. Accompanied by a new EV leasing service – said to be the first to be net zero – the forecourt is part of its £1bn programme that will establish 100 sites, able to charge around 30 vehicles at rates of up to 350kW, enabling drivers to add 200 miles of range in just 20 minutes. While their vehicles are charging, owners can then relax and shop – much like you do currently at motorway services – while electricity is generated from both the solar power canopies above the chargers, and a network of hybrid solar farms. All of this makes charging your EV almost as normal as putting petrol or diesel in the tank and potentially actually a better experience.

Also very positive is latest news from Arval that “noticeable” numbers of former opt-out drivers are coming back to company car schemes thanks to the benefits of electric vehicles.

It’s something that’s been increasingly reported since the zero and low Benefit-in-Kind rates were set out in July 2019 and subsequently came into effect in April 2020 – but now Arval has said the return of drivers to the company car fold is becoming increasingly more apparent and that the development will feed demand for zero-emission vehicles and lead to wider, faster adoption.

May I take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy Christmas and a prosperous 2021.

I hope you enjoy the issue and don’t forget to look out on the final page for the latest news from evfleetworld.co.uk

Martyn Collins Editor

We’re proud to be sponsoring this December digital edition of EV Fleet World. Electrification is a topic that we’ve been passionate about for quite some time and we’re committed to helping fleets and fleet managers discover the benefits of electric vehicles for themselves. One of our key business goals is for our entire funded fleet to be net zero emissions by 2030.

For some fleets, making the switch to electric is straightforward, but we recognise that for many others, it’s a gradual process and it may be difficult to get started. This is one of the reasons we created our new LeasePlan Flexible service. It gives companies an easy way to introduce EVs into their fleets – or even just test the viability of EVs in key roles.

The service can do this because it is built around flexibility. This is something we know is always important to businesses, but the value is even clearer right now. After all, it’s hard to make long-term plans about fleet expansion when the situation over the coming months is so unclear.

With LeasePlan Flexible, fleets can access a range of low-emission, low BiK cars for as little as three months – but with the freedom to keep them for as long as they need, with no costly or inconvenient swaps. If you’ve been holding back on introducing EVs to your fleet, it could be just what you need to get things moving.

>>

WELCOME TO

Guarded excitement

The move to running electric vehicles on fleets will start taking a huge leap forward for many businesses on the back of the Government’s announcement that it’s bringing the internal combustion engine sales ban forwards a decade to 2030.

This is around two to three changeover cycles for fleet so it’s absolutely something that should be on the agenda for all fleet operators, as per the BVRLA’s column. And the extra five years for the phasing out of hybrids is much welcome.

But the road to going electric is not necessarily a smooth one, including when it comes to charging. Recent analysis in an Autocar magazine news story, from energy consulting group Cornwall Insight suggests that the number of public charge points per electric vehicle has fallen to its lowest level yet, standing at 0.28 chargers per EV - this equates to just one public charger per four vehicles and is down from around nine per EV at the start of 2018.

The fall has primarily been as a result of Covid-19 stunting charge point installations; however, at the same time, the UK has experienced an increase in EV registrations, showing their rising popularity as a result of changes to BiK. And also a rethink by drivers on both air quality issues and the way they travel, due to a shift to home working.

While it’s heartening to know that the Government is aware of this issue – the creation of ‘Rapid Charging Hubs’ was a key announcement in the Spring 2020 Budget – our 'Fast Charge' feature asks the experts if these hubs are the opportunity they appear, how they will work for fleet and suggests it might be too little, too late.

On the flip side, the opening of Gridserve’s first electric forecourt at Braintree, Essex, is an exciting EV development. Accompanied by a new EV leasing service – said to be the first to be net zero – the forecourt is part of its £1bn programme that will establish 100 sites, able to charge around 30 vehicles at rates of up to 350kW, enabling drivers to add 200 miles of range in just 20 minutes. While their vehicles are charging, owners can then relax and shop – much like you do currently at motorway services – while electricity is generated from both the solar power canopies above the chargers, and a network of hybrid solar farms. All of this makes charging your EV almost as normal as putting petrol or diesel in the tank and potentially actually a better experience.

May I take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy Christmas and a prosperous 2021.

I hope you enjoy the issue and don’t forget to look out on the final page for the latest news from evfleetworld.co.uk

Martyn Collins Editor

We’re proud to be sponsoring this December digital edition of EV Fleet World. Electrification is a topic that we’ve been passionate about for quite some time and we’re committed to helping fleets and fleet managers discover the benefits of electric vehicles for themselves. One of our key business goals is for our entire funded fleet to be net zero emissions by 2030.

For some fleets, making the switch to electric is straightforward, but we recognise that for many others, it’s a gradual process and it may be difficult to get started. This is one of the reasons we created our new LeasePlan Flexible service. It gives companies an easy way to introduce EVs into their fleets – or even just test the viability of EVs in key roles.

The service can do this because it is built around flexibility. This is something we know is always important to businesses, but the value is even clearer right now. After all, it’s hard to make long-term plans about fleet expansion when the situation over the coming months is so unclear.

With LeasePlan Flexible, fleets can access a range of low-emission, low BiK cars for as little as three months – but with the freedom to keep them for as long as they need, with no costly or inconvenient swaps. If you’ve been holding back on introducing EVs to your fleet, it could be just what you need to get things moving.