Peter McDonald
The Ohme man offers a glimpse into the future of fleet, discussing one change that could have a big impact on businesses and operations
Fortune telling isn’t just for people in tents at funfairs asking you to cross their palms with silver, it’s a skill for fleet managers too. Sadly, the new edition of Fleet World may not come with a pack of tarot cards mounted on the front cover or a free crystal ball for all subscribers, but we do already know something that’s in the future for fleets for 2026.
As you reach for the aspirin from your New Year’s Eve party the night before and hang your 2026 calendar on the wall, 1 January will also see the arrival of the UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (or SDR). The SDR framework will mandate that companies and financial institutions will have to disclose their impacts on the environment and society from the start of next year, including their climate impacts and, crucially, vehicle carbon reporting.
For fleet managers, the mandatory fleet emissions will fall into three scopes: Scope One covers direct emissions from company-owned vehicles; Scope Two is emissions from purchased electricity (such as charging EVs at work, on the road or at home) and Scope Three is any emissions from outsourced transport or other activities from supply chains.
Those fleets with significant transportation activity, such as large van fleets, can have a substantial carbon footprint. However, reporting on that footprint and getting the data associated with the CO₂ emissions of that fleet can be challenging, especially when it comes to EV fleet charging. The arrival of SDR will drive renewed consideration both for vehicle fuel type and also how those vehicles are used. If fleets have been reluctant or slow to make the switch to EVs for their car or, especially, their van fleets, then these requirements could be all the extra encouragement they need.
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The SDR framework will mandate that companies and financial institutions will have to disclose their impacts on the environment and society from the start of next year, including their climate impacts and, crucially, vehicle carbon reporting
EVs by their very nature have an advantage on tailpipe emissions, so can make a dramatic drop on the average CO₂ levels of any fleet. Plus, as EVs are naturally more digital in nature, the fleet manager will have more governance and control in their reporting ability in how they are fuelled.
Of course, if a driver can charge at home at off-peak times and using a smart energy tariff, then you also have a much better CO₂ rating on your charging than when using a public charger.
Using an Ohme charger can give a driver and fleet manager detailed CO₂ information on a vehicle’s charging at home over the course of a month, week, day or even each individual charge. It means that that data is perfectly aligned for what’s required by these forthcoming SDR regulations, which we’ve ironically pre-empted with our unique software and technology.
With that in mind, the added factor of course, is charging at home versus public charging. Public charging is obviously important and plays a crucial role especially for high-mileage drivers, but, where possible, drivers will want to charge predominantly at home. Firstly because it’s considerably cheaper (sometimes by a factor of 10 for smart charging vs ultra-rapid chargers), but also because there are amazing CO₂ benefits.
In short, while the turn of the year may seem like a good few months away, the reality is that the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements will be with us before we know it and the best fleet managers should be prepared.
An EV fleet will clearly have an immediate advantage over those who are running a high number of ICE vehicles and, in turn, those who enable a higher level of home charging among their drivers – both for cars and vans – will have an added advantage too. And those fleet managers that aren’t paying attention to those facts are going to have a very difficult times ahead indeed – something that even the worst fairground fortune tellers will be able to spot…
