Electric Vehicle Special
Sponsored by
EV REPORT
Report: making the switch to electric Recent reports suggest that the government is set to bring forward the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, from 2040 to 2030. Evidence shows that there is support for such measures, but that barriers remain in place before fleets can confidently make the switch to electric vehicles The UK government is seeking to phase out petrol and diesel powered vehicles to get everyone into electric or other zero emission vehicles in order to reach its net zero emission targets by 2050. Recent reports suggest that the government is set to bring forward the ban on sales of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, from 2040 to 2030. It comes following a concern voiced by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) that the original 2040 date wasn’t soon enough to meet the net-zero target. Evidence shows that many in the fleet and road transport industry are willing for this to happen. According to the results of a GreenFleet poll ran at the JUICE online event on 30 July, the overwhelming majority of delegates (96 per cent) believed that ending the sale of new ICE cars and vans could be done before 2040. Half of the respondents thought that the ban should take effect by 2030, 20 per cent thought it would be feasible by 2035, and twelve per cent thought that 2032 is achievable. Twelve per cent meanwhile thought it would be possible to bring the ban into effect earlier than 2030. Only six per cent said that 2040 is when the ban should come into effect. Many organisations have electric vehicles on their fleet, and there is a rising trend for large fleets to make public commitments to transition their fleets to zero emission vehicles, to show to industry and government that demand is there. However, the issue of charging infrastructure comes up as a barrier time and again. Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), told GreenFleet: “Electric vehicles are now a realistic option for many drivers and businesses as the technology matures and manufacturers invest in new models. But if we’re to get close to 100 per cent electric new car and van sales by 2030 – which our National Infrastructure Assessment says is achievable – then a major barrier to changing behaviours has to be addressed: range anxiety. “There is a straightforward solution. Government should build on the steps it has already taken to boost take-up and commit to a national rapid-charging network. This
would allay the entirely understandable fear many drivers have of being left without power far from home, with nowhere to plug in and quickly charge up. Subsidising chargers in rural and hard-to-reach areas where the market is unlikely to deliver in the short term is a good place to start. But progress also means getting councils to set-aside more of their parking spaces for future conversion to charge points, and making sure the electricity grid is optimised for this growth in demand. “The government’s national infrastructure strategy, expected this autumn, is a great opportunity to commit to this approach and send a clear signal to drivers that the UK’s roads are ready for an electric future.” It is not just the limited number of public charge points that is cited as an issue - its the network’s ease of use that is also a hindrance. Drivers currently still often need to use multiple apps and cards to pay to charge on different networks. This can lead to what Zap Map has called ‘charger anxiety’ – concern about being able to access the right charge point when needed. In a recent survey of the GF100 Most Influential - a cross-industry group of individuals who have all helped shape the low-carbon transport agenda over the year, 23 per cent (the majority) said that the uptake of zero emission vehicles is hindered by the lack of public charging and its difficulty of use. In an attempt to boost the UK’s charging infrastructure, in January this year the Government doubled its EV charger fund allocation to £10 million
Fleet demand Many fleets are already on the journey to switching their fleet to zero emission vehicles, and many have made public commitments to electrify their fleets in the coming years. Environmental charity Global Action Plan started the Clean Van Commitment, which is a public pledge to move to zero emission vans in cities by 2028. Signatories to the Clean Van Commitment include ENGIE, Tesco, Network Rail, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Climate Group meanwhile commenced EV100, where companies make a public commitment to integrate electric vehicles into their fleets or to install charging infrastructure. The Climate Group has also launched the UK Electric Fleet Coalition, which aims to provide a strong and positive message to government that some of the biggest companies in the UK are prepared and eager to make the transition to electric vehicles, but they need that ambition matched by the government. Founding member of the UK Electric Fleets Coalition, Openreach, has one of the UK’s largest fleets with around 27,000 vehicles. In a move that kicks off its electric vehicle ambitions, the company has recently placed an order of 270 fully electric Vivaro-e vans and nine Corsa-e cars. EV100 signatory Mitie has reached a major milestone in its electric vehicle rollout, having taken delivery of its 250th electric vehicle. However, Mitie has pointed out that there needs to be more charge points – both on-street residential and rapid chargers as well as greater availability of larger electric vans before it can meet its pledge to convert its entire fleet to electric by 2030. Simon King, director of sustainability and EV strategy at Mitie, said: “As this important milestone shows, our electric vehicle commitment is picking up pace as we rapidly rollout electric vehicles all over Britain, putting 75 new EVs on the roads every month. However, if the UK is going to meet crucial targets to reduce carbon and minimise the effects of climate change, we need more businesses, like Heathrow Airport, as well as government departments and city councils, to join us in the switch to electric vehicles. The first step to achieving this is ensuring an adequate number of charge points, in the places where they are needed most, are installed all over the UK, so that drivers are sure they can charge where and when they need to.” E Issue 129 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE
23
