ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Electric Vehicle Special
EXPERT PANEL A number of large companies have made public commitments to switch to zero emission vehicles, with many already on that journey. But barriers still need to be overcome to ensure those who want to switch to electric vehicles, can. Our panel of experts discuss the challenges on route to zero-emissions Gill Nowell, director, EVA England Gill has worked on EV-grid integration projects since 2012. She works for ElectraLink, the UK’s Energy Market Data Hub, on data-driven solutions for a more flexible, smarter energy system. Gill is a Board member of Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England, a consumerfocused organisation offering a voice to EV drivers in England, and runs EVclicks – a free, open source library of EV images. Gill is an EV driver and smart charger.
Lee Brown, head of 0Zone, The Grosvenor Group Lee Brown is head of 0Zone, the Grosvenor Group’s innovative and market leading solution to help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultra-low emission and electric vehicles. Lee is also managing director of Interactive Fleet Management, the Grosvenor Group’s specialist fleet management business, which means he brings a perfect balance between how fleets can drive down their emissions and the implications of policy setting. Lee joined the Grosvenor Group in 2001, became finance director of Interactive Fleet Management in 2012 and managing director in 2020, and is well-known for his clear and inciteful advice for companies with car and light commercial vehicle fleets.
Dean Hedger, EV new business development manager, The AA Dean joined the AA in 2018, and, most recently, took on an EV advocacy role. In collaboration with the AA’s senior management team, Dean is delivering new product and services innovation, focusing on EV capability in managed services, customer experience and digital integration.
There is a trend for companies with large fleets of vehicles to make public pledges to electrify their fleets, to show industry and government that the demand is there. The Clean Van Commitment, for example, is a public pledge to move to zero emission vans in cities by 2028. Led by charity Global Action Plan, signatories include ENGIE, Tesco, Network Rail, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Climate Group meanwhile commenced EV100, where companies are invited to make a public commitment to integrate electric vehicles into their fleets or to install charging infrastructure at premises for staff and customer use. The Climate Group has also launched the UK Electric Fleet Coalition, a group of companies that are eager to make the transition to electric vehicles, but have voiced that they need their 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. The company has recently placed an order of 270 fully electric Vivaro-e vans and nine Corsa-e cars to kickstart its journey to an electric fleet. These public pledges from businesses show that the appetite for electric vehicles is there. But barriers still need to be overcome to ensure those who want to switch to EVs can. Lee Brown, head of 0Zone at the Grosvenor Group, said: “The key concerns, when you talk to companies with vehicle fleets, are typically the same. Is the infrastructure ready? Can vehicles with a limited range meet the needs of the corporate market? Are the electric vehicles on the market fit for purpose to enable employees to carry out their jobs? “The Government has placed huge financial incentives in place to draw both drivers and companies towards electric vehicles. It has also put conditions in place to ‘force the hands’ of the motor manufacturers to produce electric vehicles, and it is continuing to invest in the charging infrastructure. “You might argue that the Government could always do more, but we can clearly see a shift towards EVs taking place.” Gill Nowell, director of Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England, comments: “The benefit in kind tax advantages available for company car users has been, and is, E September 2020 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET
31
