Rolec

Electrification: the year of the fleet

Last year was a promising, encouraging year for electric vehicles as registrations rose like never before; this year we’re expecting fleets to continue their road to electrification, says Rolec EV

SMMT (the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders) announced that in 2020, a total of 175,082 BEVs and PHEVs were registered; BEVs experienced a 185.9 per cent rise compared to the previous year, while PHEV sales were up by 91.2 per cent.

It is fair to say that while 2020 presented several challenges for the car industry, EVs experienced a year of success.

We remember the days of EV sceptics: “It’ll never happen;” “there’s not enough range in the vehicles;” “what about charging infrastructure;” – the list goes on! But despite their negativity, the EV industry has come a long way, and as the choice and quality of EV models has increased, so has consumer confidence. Typical gas-guzzling enthusiasts, city car lovers, families and, of course, fleets are opting for electric vehicles; and we simply cannot blame them.

We’ve seen it all. Supermarkets, hotels, caravan parks, multi-storey car parks, national attractions and many more have been installing charging infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for electric vehicles, and of course with that comes the demand for accessible chargepoints. But there’s always something special about fleets: fleet managers, operators and directors are making a conscious decision to electrify their fleets – for the good of their business and the greater environment.

Environmental benefits aside, fleet electrification provides businesses with significant reductions in running costs – and that’s music to many businesses’ ears during these uncertain times. For London-based fleets, the switch to electric is an absolute ‘no-brainer,’ as recent research conducted by Citroen suggests that fleets could save up to £17M per year in the London Congestion Charge Zone.

Some businesses have already begun their electrification plans by transitioning a fraction of their fleet to electric vehicles. Such small incremental steps are not to be frowned upon, we all need to start somewhere. Electrifying your entire fleet can take time. There are many factors to be taken into consideration; for example, does your power capacity meet the demands of your chargepoints; are the vehicles the right choice for the nature of your business; is it possible to operate your business using an electric fleet?

We understand the concerns raised by fleet managers, but with hundreds of fleets opting for our load management capabilities, OCPP integration, real time analytics and much more, we are here to ensure that businesses are never alone when it comes to making that all-important switch.

Electrifying your fleet could save up to £17M per year in the London Congestion Charge Zone. Could this be the year your business makes the transition?

For more details on our fleet charging solutions, please contact our Fleet Business Development Manager, Jake, on

jakeh@rolecserv.co.uk