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The RAC released a report revealing that the cost to charge an electric car on a payas-you-go basis at a public rapid charger has increased by 42 per cent – or 18.75p per kilowatt hour – since May, to reach an average of 63.29p per kilowatt hour.
The RAC’s figures show that a driver exclusively using rapid or ultra-rapid chargers will now pay around 18p per mile for electricity, which compares to 19p per mile for a petrol car and 21p per mile for a diesel one. But the key point to highlight here is that these figures are for those ‘exclusively’ using public rapid or ultra rapids. In reality, these people will be in the minority. Indeed, a recent report from Mina shows that drivers on average only spend 45 minutes charging in public. Most current EV drivers will predominantly charge at home where electricity is cheaper. The RAC report says that under the Energy Price Guarantee, the cost per mile for an average-sized EV is around 9p and the cost to charge a car to 80 per cent at home will be £17.87.
What this does highlight however is the huge price gap between home and public charging. Drivers who depend on the public charging network, such as those that don’t have driveways, pay a premium to run electric cars.
This is all food for thought for businesses that are planning their fleet strategies. But with high petrol and diesel costs – and the firm commitment to phase out fossil fuel cars – organisations still need to take steps to electrify their fleets. This issue of GreenFleet focuses on the transition to electric, with information on the latest grants available, charging guidance and EV myth busting.
Angela Pisanu, editor
Given the current energy crisis, it’s no surprise to see headlines recently talking about the rise in electric vehicle charging costs.
Cost of using public rapid EV charge points rises 42% in three months; Real world EV charging costs revealed in new report; Fleets urged to understand onsite energy-capacity limits
There is various funding support for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, but with the criteria and focus changing often, we summarise the latest government grants to ease the switch to zero emission vehicles
How can companies ensure they adopt the right
Webfleet Solutions is at the forefront of EV adoption, giving you the right tools to get the full value from your electric vehicles. Our comprehensive platform is continuously evolving to help you effectively oversee your EV fleet operation for the long term. With Webfleet, you can continue confidently towards a goal of net-zero emissions.
Webfleet Solutions is at the forefront of EV adoption, giving you the right tools to get the full value from your electric vehicles. Our comprehensive platform is continuously evolving to help you effectively oversee your EV fleet operation for the long term. With Webfleet, you can continue confidently towards a goal of net-zero emissions.
Webfleet Solutions is at the forefront of EV adoption, giving you the right tools to get the full value from your electric vehicles. Our comprehensive platform is continuously evolving to help you effectively oversee your EV fleet operation for the long term. With Webfleet, you can continue confidently towards a goal of net-zero emissions.
According to data from RAC Charge Watch, the cost to charge an electric car on a pay-asyou-go basis at a publicly accessible ‘rapid’ charger has increased by 42% – or 18.75p per kilowatt hour – since May to reach an average of 63.29p per kilowatt hour, a rise caused by the rising costs of wholesale gas and electricity.
This means that it now costs drivers on average £32.41 to rapid charge a typical family-sized electric car with a 64kWh battery to 80%, which is up nearly £10 (£9.60) since May and £13.59 compared to a year ago.
Drivers using the fastest, so-called ‘ultrarapid’ chargers that have a power output of
more than 100kW have seen average charging costs increase by a quarter (25%), or 12.97p, since May with the current average price of charging sitting a little over the ‘rapid’ cost at 63.94p per kilowatt hour. This puts the cost of an 80% charge at £32.74, up from £26.10 in May (25% increase) and from £17.51 in September 2021 (87% increase).
The RAC’s figures show that a driver exclusively using a rapid or ultra-rapid charger on the public network will now pay around 18p per mile for electricity, up from an average of 13p per litre in May. This compares to 19p per mile for a petrol car and 21p per mile for a diesel one, based on someone driving at an average of 40 miles to the gallon.
In reality, many current electric car drivers will predominantly charge at home where electricity is cheaper – under the Energy Price Guarantee that takes effect next weekend, the cost per mile for an average-sized EV driven reasonably efficiently is around 9p and the cost to charge a car to 80% at home will be £17.87. But the huge price gap between home and public charging
Almost six out of 10 UK businesses (57 per cent) have started preparations for the 2030 Government deadline
to stop sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles, research from the latest Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer shows.
When asked how well they were prepared to operate zero emissions vehicles in response to the government’s ban on sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030, a total of 24 per cent said that they had plans in place and expected to have a zero emission fleet by 2030, 23 per cent said that some preparation and planning had been done and they may have a zero emission fleet by 2030, and ten per cent that they had plans in place and would have a zero emission fleet by 2030 or sooner.
However, 42 per cent said that they had undertaken no preparation work because there was plenty of time until the deadline.
Shaun Sadlier, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “In some respects, 2030 still feels like some time away, but for the majority of businesses that employ a four year car replacement pattern, it is only two cycles. For van operators, who tend to keep vehicles for longer, it is even less.
“Perhaps what the data does indicate is that there is a definite difference in attitude between the six out of 10 fleets who are taking a structured approach towards 2030 and the remaining four out of 10 who may see it as something that they will need to manage in the future or have more urgent challenges to manage today.
“Arval in the UK is already working with many fleets who are aiming to fully electrify their car fleets well ahead of the 2030 deadline, with some having unofficial targets of being fully electric by the middle of the decade. This is achievable, and what is interesting is that businesses pursuing this aim represent all sizes and come from all sorts of sectors.
“The process is likely to be more protracted among van fleets – the adoption of electric light commercial vehicles requires a higher degree of operational adaptation while new vehicles have been slower to come to market – but again, relatively large numbers of companies are aiming to fully transition well before the end of the decade.
“Those businesses which don’t have transition strategies in place are not doing anything wrong in strategic terms. However, they may find that factors such as taxation policies, clean air zone restrictions and even vehicle availability may effectively force them into transitioning well before 2030.”
highlights the extent to which drivers who depend on the charging network, including those who don’t have driveways and can’t charge at home, pay a premium to run electric cars.
The RAC is also concerned the relatively high cost of rapid charging on the public network risks putting off drivers from opting for electric cars when they next change their vehicles.
While the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme should help prevent charging costs from spiralling still further, it remains the case that drivers using public chargers unfairly pay 20% in VAT for electricity they buy, compared to charging at home where it’s just 5%. The RAC therefore backs the FairCharge campaign’s call for both rates to be set at 5%, a move that would reduce the cost of an 80% rapid charge by 7.91p to 55.38p per kWh, and an ultra-rapid charge by 7.99p to 55.95p per kWh and would not unfairly penalise those drivers who can’t charge their cars at home.
UK Power Networks is working with Cambridgeshire County Council, Norfolk County Council, Cambridge City Council and Redbridge Council to incentivise chargepoint installers to provide EV chargers in places where the market has so far failed to deliver.
The new approach, evolved as part of the Charge Collective innovation project, reduces the cost of reinforcing the electricity network for connecting customers, so keeps costs as low as possible.
Over 50 per cent of households where UK Power Networks delivers electricity, (London, South East and East of England) do not have off-street parking, making it harder for them to consider an EV.
The local electricity network operator is collaborating with local authorities to show the value in a scalable, long-term means of incentivising new chargepoints. Following a recent regulatory review by Ofgem, a similar model will now be rolled out across the country.
For example, 8,000 people in the West Chesterton and Riverside areas of Cambridge which lack public EV chargepoints are the first under the initiative to get access to chargepoints within a five minute walk of their homes.
The findings are informing local authorities’ Local Area Energy Plans to ensure that those who park on the street can take part in the transition to EVs.
EV payment specialists Mina has launched a new quarterly report, which provides realworld data on how EVs are being used across the UK – and how much they really cost.
The ‘Mina EV Report - Summer 22’, looking at June-August, reveals that over the quarter real-world home charging costs for EVs have risen 30%, and public charging by 19%, while drivers on average only spend 45 minutes charging in public.
It also highlights pence-per-mile costs, trends and behaviours gathered from businesses running vans and company cars.
The report finds that the average pence per mile (ppm) cost for an electric van if charged at home is 10ppm – double that of the Government’s Advisory Electricity Rate (AER) of 5ppm, while cars charged at home cost 7ppm on average.
INFRASTRUCTURENine out of ten charges result in car and van drivers being out of pocket if they reclaim costs using the AER.
The average cost of home charging over Summer 22 was 26 pence per kilowatt hour (p per kWh) – more than 30% higher than the previous 12 months.
The average cost of public charging is 56p per kWh – a rise of 19% over the previous year. There is a huge variation in public charging tariffs – from cheapest of 30p per kWh to the most expensive 277p per kWh.
On average, drivers only spend around threequarters of an hour charging in public, generally taking on around 90-100 miles of charge.
Mina CEO Ashley Tate said: “There’s a lot of discussion about the real cost of charging EVs, but much of it is entirely theoretical, and
based on lots of assumptions and ‘what-ifs’. At Mina, our technology monitors every single charge, and every piece of associated data from the moment a car or van is plugged in, so we know exactly what is going on in the real world, the second it happens.”
Which? is calling for urgent improvements to the UK’s charging infrastructure, as new research reveals that flaws have resulted in three-quarters (74%) of EV owners reporting that they are dissatisfied with the current infrastructure.
Which? believes the UK government needs to move quickly to address issues with the UK’s charging infrastructure, including poor reliability and confusing payment options, as well as doing more to ensure charge points are available where drivers need them.
The survey of almost 1,500 Which? members who own an EV or plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) highlights current difficulties with finding a charger that works. Half (48%) of EV drivers who use the public charging infrastructure find it a challenge simply to find a charging point in good working condition. Meanwhile, four in ten (40%) reported that they have experienced a non-working charger and four in ten (43%) have faced ‘technical issues’ with charging points.
Which?’s research also exposed difficulties around payment at public charge points – with six in ten (61%) having experienced an issue making payments.
Respondents also reported that there are
EV TYRESnot enough options when paying for electric charging. One in six EV drivers (18%) who no longer use public chargers were put off by the lack of convenient payment options, while eight in ten (84%) who currently use public chargers want to be able to pay via contactless bank card to avoid the hassle of paying via multiple apps. Currently, only a limited number of charge points offer payment by bank card.
The survey also revealed that around half of those using the public charging networks believe they do not have adequate access to charge points close to their homes (48%) and nearly half (45%) felt this was the case while on journeys.
Which? asked EV drivers to estimate how far the nearest public on-street charging point was from their homes and nearly half (45%) estimated that the nearest was more than a 20-minute walk away. This is an issue for drivers that do not have off street parking and are unable to charge at home, but are faced with a long walk to and from their car while charging takes place.
Meanwhile, one in five (20%) EV owners who no longer use the public charging infrastructure were put off by a lack of adequate
charge points, while one in five (21%) drivers who have never used the public networks have been put off for the same reason. Which? believes many of the proposals the government has made to improve the consumer experience at public charge points are positive and wants them to be implemented swiftly. Which? is also calling on the government to extend the planned reliability standard for rapid charge points to cover all public charge points, to drive improvements across the entire infrastructure. This ‘reliability standard’ means that charge point networks have to be in working order for an average of 99 per cent of the time. Which? is also urging the government to ensure its proposals for ‘payment roaming’ will mean consumers no longer need to navigate multiple apps and cards to pay for charging. Which? believes drivers should be able to pay via bank card wherever possible, or via a single app or payment card that is accepted by all networks.
New research from Apollo Tyres has identified that 82 per cent of motorists in the UK are unaware that it is possible to purchase tyres specifically developed for electric vehicles (EV).
Awareness of these products is even lower among non-EV drivers. Eighty-six per cent of petrol and diesel car owners said that they were not aware of EV-specific tyres, compared to 62 per cent of battery electric vehicle and hybrid car owners.
The survey found that younger people are more likely to be aware of EV-specific tyres. Fifty-six per cent of those aged 18 to 24 are aware of these new products, compared to just nine per cent of those aged 55 to 64. In addition, 21 per cent of men are aware of EV tyres, compared to 14 per cent of women.
Despite the lack of knowledge about EV tyres, once made aware of them a majority (54 per cent) said they believe that they should
be fitted as standard to all EVs. Furthermore, 40 per cent of those who drive an internal combustion engine car say that when they make the switch to an EV, they would prefer it to be fitted with tyres that had been developed specifically for use on an EV, even if they cost more than conventional tyres.
substantial number of EVs. The infrastructure is improving but it’s not there yet.
is a far more cost-effective option than paying for a grid infrastructure upgrade.
EV charging infrastructure specialist
Mer is urging fleets to understand the energy capacity available from their local grid as limitations can slow down their decarbonisation plans.
Simon Tate, Sales Director at Mer UK said fleets’ plans are increasingly being frustrated by the available energy at each depot. He explainsL “Many older sites were simply not designed and built with the grid infrastructure needed to support a
“This was not a problem in the early stages of electrification, when perhaps only a handful of EV charging points were required at each workplace. However, the next phase of mass adoption is really testing grid capacity, and too often it is found wanting. These problems can be overcome, but you need the right mix of solutions to do so. It is therefore really important for every fleet manager to understand what energy is available on site and how to optimise it, in order to make truly informed decisions on your EV roll-out.”
Mer provides site surveys to identify energy capacity and is also expert in finding ways to get around limitations, through its load balancing technology. Load balancing is when a network of charging points shares available power to ensure all vehicles can still be charged, albeit at slower rates. It
Skills development company City & Guilds is working with industry associations and companies to develop training to equip more electricians with the skills to install electrical vehicle (EV) chargers.
To develop a new portfolio of charging design and installation training courses, City & Guilds has been working in collaboration with companies such as Shell UK, to ensure the products truly meet the needs of industry. The shared aim is to set exceptional, market-leading standards and help train up the net-zero generation of the future. The courses include skills to instal domestic and small-scale commercial EV chargers, as well as commercial and large-scale design and installations.
Roger Hunter, VP of E-mobility at Shell, said: “By 2030, we aim for 90% of UK drivers to be within 10 minutes of a Shell fast
charger. Installing and maintaining these will involve thousands of hours of highly skilled work, requiring electrical engineers that the UK doesn’t have in vast numbers today. So, this is a great opportunity for us to combine our skills to train up the net-zero generation of the future.”
City & Guilds is also asking people to strengthen the call to professionalise the EV charging market by making their own commitment to drive up standards and promote safety. To join the campaign, City & Guilds is inviting charging companies and electricians to make a pledge via the website and they will receive a City & Guilds digital credential that can be shared.
Site surveys, grid capacity and load balancing are all covered in a new free publication, the Complete Fleet Manager’s Guide to Electrification. Created by Mer to help fleet managers better understand how to electrify their fleets, it also includes information on how to procure the right chargers for each site, how to bring home charging into the mix, and how to efficiently manage a charging network.
“Fleet managers are not energy experts and they shouldn’t have to be,” added Simon. “However, it’s vital that they get their EV infrastructure right first time. Working with an expert partner like Mer can ensure that grid constraints don’t act as a speed bump as fleets accelerate the transition to EVs.”
Northamptonshire Police has taken delivery of new petrol-electric hybrid motorcycles, for its neighbourhood policing teams.
The three-wheeled WMC300FR motorcycle has been developed by Northamptonshire based White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) in collaboration with the Force and a number of British engineering innovation companies.
Following the completion earlier this year of an initial pilot scheme to test the innovative technology in a policing context, Northamptonshire Police is now bringing eight of the hybrid motorcycles into its operational fleet.
Lem Freezer, head of transport and Logistics for the both the police and fire services in Northamptonshire, said: “Like all emergency services, we need to meet national objectives to reduce carbon emissions and move away from petrol and diesel powered transport by 2030. The technology behind the design of the WMC300FR reduces emissions by up to 50 per cent compared with a comparable non-hybrid model.
“This, together with detachable batteries that can be charged using a standard three-pin plug, provides a versatile and cost-efficient transport solution, which can be deployed as part of the current fleet without the need for expensive charging infrastructure.”
The batteries are compact and easily removed, and spares can be carried on the bike or conveniently stored back at the station – meaning the bikes do not need downtime for charging and can continue to be used for patrol.
A survey commissioned by Kia has identified that a significant proportion of UK motorists have changed their driving habits to save money during the cost of living crisis.
Thirty-seven per cent say they are now using their car less for short urban journeys, and 37 per cent have instead taken to walking or cycling ‘where possible’.
With fuel and electricity prices rising, a third (33%) of drivers surveyed say they now pay more attention to where they can refuel / recharge their car more affordably. In addition, 28 per cent say they now make more effort to plan journeys (e.g. times and routes) to save fuel.
Thirty-one per cent of motorists say they are thinking more about their own driving style to increase efficiency and save money on fuel, accelerating less often and keeping to a lower speed. The survey found that a much higher proportion of younger drivers (54 per cent of those aged between 18 to 24) have changed their driving style in this way, compared to just 26 per cent of those aged between 55 and 64.
The survey also highlighted how rising fuel costs are impacting how frequently drivers use their car to visit family and friends, with 25 per cent of respondents confirming they have cut back on such journeys. The trend is highest among Londoners (35
per cent), with those in Northern Ireland the least likely to say they have reduced this type of trip by car (11 per cent).
Overall, 19 per cent of those surveyed say they have cut their spending on non-essential items so they can continue using their car as normal. However, there are wide regional variations –33 per cent of Londoners have made cutbacks to keep driving, compared to 20 per cent of Scots and just 10 per cent of those based in the West Midlands.
More UK drivers are also considering switching to an electrified vehicle. Of those with a petrol or diesel car, 52 per cent of survey respondents said they were now either ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to switch to an electric or hybrid vehicle when they next change their car. The survey also highlighted that Londoners were the keenest on electric or hybrid car ownership (56 per cent), while those located in the East Midlands were least enthusiastic (38 per cent).
Of those likely to change to an electric or hybrid vehicle, an equal number (42 per cent) would choose a hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicle as those who would choose a battery electric vehicle, while 8% reported no preference.
Just when we thought things might settle down for a while, there’s more stormy policy weather: energy price subsidies of historic proportions, a run on the pound, likely interest rate rises and general market upheavals.
With an incoming Government at Westminster, we knew it was likely that there would new leadership at ministerial level, of course; Anne-Marie Trevelyan (replacing Grant Shapps) is the new Transport Secretary and Lucy Frazer (replacing Trudy Harrison) is the new minister responsible for transport decarbonisation at the DfT.
Then we have a review of the UK’s net zero strategy. While the incoming Government reaffirmed a commitment to net zero, voices within the governing party have become louder against the backdrop of energy market volatility and the cost-of-living crisis.
The review is intended to focus on ensuring the UK’s fight against climate change maximises economic growth, while increasing energy security and affordability for consumers and businesses.
We were reassured that the review will be led by former Energy Minister Chris Skidmore MP, who was the minister in charge of signing Net Zero legislation in 2019, and has been one of the strongest voices from the governing party in support of the climate agenda.
The review – which is expected to report before the end of the year – will look at “what the most pro-business, pro-growth and economically efficient path to reaching net zero is”. It will look at how to maximise the economic opportunities that the target presents as well as increase innovation, investment, exports and jobs and what the economic costs and benefits are associated with new and emerging policies and technologies.
So with the tumult all around us both politically and in the energy and financial sectors, it would be easy to think now is not the time to look at transport. But I disagree. The new transport secretary and ministerial team are grasping the nettle and nothing we hear indicates any desire to back away from the decarbonisation challenge ahead. Certainly, at the working level the research and development into zero emission trucks and infrastructure to power them is ‘charging’ ahead with more announcements planned. Our PLV (powered light vehicle) initiative with the MCIA continues apace, and policy work on the regulations for ZEV mandates and phaseout dates is unabated. In energy, the caps on both domestic and business electricity rates will hopefully (when plugging in at home or work) ensure that electric miles remain cheaper than those driven with fossil fuels. But as that gap narrows the benefits of thinking about energy and transport together, as a ‘system’, become greater.
Installing solar PV on homes and businesses has never been a more compelling proposition since the demise of the feed-in-tariff (now giving over 60p per kWh to those lucky enough). Plus ‘smart’ or overnight charging with a suitable tariff can still mean EVs operating at around two pence a mile.
So, yes, there may be a lot of ‘noise’ around at the moment, but my sense is that this isn’t a moment to take your foot of the pedal in terms of the decarbonisation transition in transport, or elsewhere, but a time we’ll look back on as one in which the changes we’ve been talking about for many years became the new normal. The reasons for choosing smaller more efficient vehicles, optimising their use and driving economically are greater now than ever, but so are those for electrifying every mile you can and searching out the best charging options wherever they may be.
So steady hands are needed, perhaps not on the tiller, but certainly on the steering wheel, the charging plug and the procurer’s pen, together with, as always, a steady (light) foot on the accelerator.
Andy Eastlake will be chairing GreenFleet’s ‘Commergency’ event at Milton Keynes on 13 OctoberWith the spread of e-mobility, the demand for charging stations is increasing, especially in places where people spend a lot of their time. As a result, more and more companies are investing in electric charging stations in car parks
me takes up very little space (only 24 cm long and 12 cm deep) and is extremely light (only 6.5 kg including the cable).
Switch it on, plug it in, and start charging. And the charging process is just as simple: colour-coded LEDs with self-explanatory symbols indicate the current status to the user: ready for operation, activation by RFID card, and charging in progress. And it’s even simpler with e-vehicles that use Plug & Charge: when you plug the charge coupling into the car’s charging port, the station automatically recognises the car and starts charging immediately.
Zero-emission mobility is growing. Attention to the environment is pushing for electric vehicles, and companies are adapting with initiatives that run on two tracks: on the one hand, the conversion of company fleets and, on the other hand, the installation of electric charging stations in company car parks to make themselves more attractive to consumers. With the increasingly rapid spread of electric cars, charging stations are becoming necessary wherever people spend time, for example when doing shopping at the supermarket, when going to a restaurant or to the fitness centre, when at golf lessons and on tennis courts, when going to the hairdresser’s, attending doctor’s surgeries and of course at home and at work.
Snack loading: shorter and more frequent recharging AC charging technology is the most suitable for this purpose, because - unlike DC fast chargers - you only need the existing supply line to connect. Just half an hour of charging at a 22-kW station is enough to guarantee a range of another 31 miles, which is the average distance driven per day in urban traffic. Contrary to what is believed, with modern lithium batteries
it is neither necessary nor advisable to fully discharge and recharge as was still necessary with nickel batteries. Shorter and more frequent recharging times, i.e. ‘snack loading’, even help to extend the life of the vehicle battery. Just like mobile phone, the charge level of an electric car should ideally always be between 20 and 80 percent.
To meet this need, Juice Technology has developed the Juice Charger me. It is a compact charger that fits perfectly into any architectural environment and has all the features that are necessary for charging in private and semi-public spaces, such as optional local dynamic charging, load management, and, optionally, a meter that complies with calibration standards.
It is one of the first wall chargers to automatically be equipped with the ‘Plug and Charge’ charging standard (ISO 15118), but also allows activation via RFID. Thanks to its modular concept, the charger can be adapted to local requirements or even to customer projects. Unlike other stations, the Juice Charger
Christoph Erni, CEO and founder of Juice Technology AG, puts it this way: “Juice integrates this function as standard in all Juice Charger me units in accordance with ISO 15118. This once again puts us ahead of our competitors, who so far offer this function only as an optional extra, if at all. When all is said and done, charging has got to be simple and easy, whether it’s a mobile phone or an electric car.”
The Juice Charger me station can be installed as a single unit in a home or a shared car park, but it is also ideal for any type of car park, such as those at hotels, supermarkets and workplaces. This allows users to easily recharge their car while shopping, working or going to the gym, thus ensuring that they have enough battery power for all their trips without the risk of running out of charge.
The wall charger is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The polycarbonate glass front panel is UV and impact resistant. The charging station can therefore be used in both summer and winter, as it operates in ambient temperatures ranging from -25 to 45 °C. Its temperature sensor for reducing the charging current works independently of ambient temperature.
The Juice Charger me has been approved by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) for home and workplace use and is eligible for government subsidies. L
September certainly brought about it change in the world of politics, with a new Government and some bold new plans. It hasn’t changed the focus of many of us who are championing EVs however, as we continue to support the move to zero emission motoring
vehicles added to company fleets in the past 12 months were zero emissions vehicles.
The survey also highlighted the positive impact that Benefit in Kind has had on the democratisation of ZEV access with BVRLA data showing that over 60 per cent of salary sacrifice users are basic rate taxpayers.
Committing to reduce a company’s impact on the environment could also help to address the current challenge suffered by all employers of recruiting and retaining staff. Staff shortages are being suffered by multiple UK industries, but employee benefits specialist Caboodle reminds us that employers should focus on a benefits package that employees value most to help address their recruitment and retention challenges.
Paul Gilshan, CEO, Tusker
One of the biggest questions for the sustainable motoring industry in the UK is that of the future of Benefit in Kind (BiK) rates. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has been campaigning for clarification on this matter from the treasury, joined by many within the leasing industry.
The association’s #SeeTheBenefit campaign highlights the success of the tax regime for electric cars to date, encouraging members to write to their local MP to educate them on how company car schemes are vital in the move to EVs. Having been well received by drivers, the campaign has seen over 1,000 letters going to MPs. The campaign is urging the Chancellor to support the uptake of electric cars by keeping Benefitin-Kind rates low and giving foresight beyond the current 2024/25 cut off.
While it may seem like a lesser priority for the UK Government than some at the moment, it is in fact a decision which will have major consequences not only for the industry, but also for the UK’s ability to meet its Net Zero targets.
With Tusker’s own research backed up by wider reports showing that low BiK rates for electric and hybrid vehicles have been instrumental in onboarding many motorists
to low or zero emissions vehicles via company car or salary sacrifice car benefits schemes, the current uncertainty around these tax rates after 2025 could well begin to prove detrimental to the EV revolution.
Founding members of the EV100, Tusker are committed to driving down emissions. Our average CO2 for 2022s orders is just 18.4g/Km, down from 31g/ Km in 2021 which is due to our order bank now being over 80 per cent EV.
This year’s report from the BVRLA, dubbed the Road to Zero Report Card which was published this week, confirms Salary Sacrifice is leading the way when it comes to zero emissions motoring as more drivers than ever turn to the environmentally friendly car benefit scheme.
The report shows that salary sacrifice has grown by 73 per cent since the 2021 report, reinforcing its growing appeal for getting lower rate taxpayers behind the wheel of a zero-emission car, which benefits both employees and employers. It continues to grow faster than any other vehicle acquisition type with personal car leasing reporting the next highest growth at just 18 per cent.
A total of 84 per cent of salary sacrifice
In a recent study by Mastercard, 58 per cent of consumers said they are now more mindful of their environmental impact since COVID-19, and with that in mind introducing employees to an eco-friendly car scheme such as an EV car featured top of Caboodle’s article entitled’ Which employee benefits do they value the most?’
The most popular benefit remains the salary sacrifice car scheme, which enables employers to save money, whilst providing a benefit that has great appeal to its employees, all at no risk to either party.
While the world is changing at a fast pace right now and 2025 might seem like a long way off, in vehicle leasing cycles, this deadline is approaching rapidly. Many motorists will be considering their next vehicle for 2024/25 now, meaning that the possible tax rate payable on this vehicle will be of crucial importance for these motorists.
With just eight years until 2030, if the net zero target is going to be met then the continued on-boarding and acceptance of EVs needs to continue at a pace. Reassurance on the continuation of advantageous tax rates for low or zero emissions vehicles is needed, and fast if the Government wants to ensure that drivers continue to move towards the future of sustainable motoring.
As is always the case at times of change, even a little reassurance can go a long way.
There is various funding support for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, but with the criteria and focus changing often, we summarise the latest government grants to ease the
to
The plug-in car grant ended earlier this year, with the government saying it had achieved its objective of stimulating the EV market. It has however retained a form of the grant for taxis, motorcycles, vans, trucks and wheelchair accessible vehicles.
The grant for small vans apply to vehicles that are less than 2,500kg gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and can travel at least 60 miles with no emissions. The grant will pay for 35 per cent of the purchase price for small vans, up to a maximum of £2,500.
The grant for large vans meanwhile is for vehicles that are between 2,500kg and 4,250kg gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km, and can travel at least 60 miles without any emissions at all. The grant will pay for 35 per cent of the purchase price for these vehicles, up to a maximum of £5,000.
The grant for taxis can be used on vehicles with CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km that can travel at least 70 miles without any emissions at all, such as the Dynamo Taxi and LEVC TX. The grant will pay for 20 per cent of the purchase price for these vehicles, up to a maximum of £7,500.
The grant for small trucks is for vehicles that are between 4,250kg and 12,000kg gross weight, with CO2 emissions of at least 50 per cent less than the equivalent conventional Euro VI vehicle that can carry the same capacity and can travel at least 60 miles with no emissions. The grant
will pay for 20 per cent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £16,000.
Between 1 April to 31 March there are a limited number of grants available. These are 250 grants at the £16,000 rate and up to 10 grants per business or organisation at the £16,000 rate. If either of these limits are reached, the maximum a business or organisation can apply for is £5,000.
The maximum amount of plug-in van or truck grants a business or organisation can get each year is 1,000. The limits reset every year on 1 April.
For large trucks, the grants are for vehicles that are heavier than 12,000kg and have CO2 emissions of at least 50 per cent less than the equivalent conventional Euro VI vehicle that can carry the same capacity. They must be able to travel at least 60 miles with no emissions.
The grant will pay for 20 per cent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £25,000. There are a limited number of grants available, which is 100 grants at the £25,000 rate and up to five grants per company or organisation at the £25,000 rate.
If either of these limits are reached, the maximum a business can apply for is £16,000. A business or organisation can get up to 10 grants at this rate. There are
250 grants of up to £16,000 available. After that, the maximum a business or organisation can apply for is £5,000.
A total of 1,000 plug-in van and truck grants can be applied for each year, and this limit resets every year on 1 April.
The workplace charging grant covers up to 75 per cent of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints and is capped at a maximum of £350 per sockets and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant. If you apply for less than 40 sockets, you can submit additional applications in the future until you reach that limit.
The grant works as a voucherbased scheme, with successful applicants receiving a voucher code by email, which can then be given to the chargepoint installer, which has to be OZEV-authorised.
Once the chargepoints have been installed, the installer can claim the grant from OZEV on the applicant’s behalf.
The chargepoint installation must be completed and the voucher claimed within six months of the voucher’s issue date.
The sites where the charge points are needed must have dedicated off-street E
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There is no doubt that for organisations that depend on a predictable and steady flow of new vehicles, the huge drop seen in new vehicle production – and which looks likely to continue well into 2023 – is a huge challenge. Planning ahead and considering different mobility solutions is vital to keep operations moving.
Starting to think about the transition to zero also needs to be planned for carefully, and with partners that can be flexible to an organisation’s changing needs.
Every fleet manager we talk to wants to be able to transition to zero emissions in a manageable way and renting an electric vehicle makes sense for individuals and businesses – to cut their carbon footprint and to ‘try before they buy’.
Indeed, building on learnings from trying out a mix of different electric motoring options is becoming the big focus for many of the fleet managers we are talking to. Avoiding long-term commitments to leasing or outright purchase until they have a complete understanding of any impact on productivity, as well as identifying driver training that will make their mobility flow efficiently, is all part of the process.
Working collaboratively with a partner that takes a flexible, and long-term, view of an organisation’s mobility needs is, we believe, crucial. That’s why at Europcar Mobility Group UK, we are focusing on giving businesses of any size the chance to get on their journey to decarbonisation, with a level of flexibility that simply isn’t possible with traditional leasing or outright purchase.
Our solutions offer plenty of flexibility and, combined, with a growing fleet of low and zero emission vehicles, provide a great opportunity to have a real-world EV experience, which we believe is vital before making long-term fleet decisions. L
parking, and either be owned by the applicant, or if not, have consent from the landlord.
Each site must have a minimum power supply of 3kW to each individual socket that is not diminished by their simultaneous use, and have no more than one socket installed for each accessible parking space.
Before applying, applicants are encouraged to discuss their needs with one or more authorised approved installers and identify which of the models on the approved chargepoint list they want to install.
They must undergo a site survey with an authorised installer to ensure the electrical capacity of the site can support the number of sockets for which they are applying.
If the applicant does not own or manage the land where they wish to install chargepoints, they must also secure the necessary permissions ahead of making an application. For example, if the applicant has access to off-street parking via a garage or private car park that is provided by a third party, they are eligible for the WCS provided the parking space meets all other eligibility criteria. If they do not own the parking space, however, they will be required to gain written permission from the landlord or owner.
The Workplace Charging Scheme is also open to charities and small accommodation businesses, such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks. They must have 249 employees or less to be eligible.
The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets gives money towards the infrastructure needed for chargepoints, as well as for installing the chargepoints themselves. It is for small and medium sized companies, with 249 employees or less.
It is a different grant from the Workplace Charging Scheme, which does not help towards the cost of chargepoint infrastructure.
Businesses do not have to install all the chargepoints at once, but it allows them to plan for the future by creating infrastructure that can enable chargepoints to be installed later on.
A business can receive up to five grants in total. Each grant must be for a different site that the business owns, leases or rents.
The chargepoints installed must be exclusively for staff or fleet use and cannot be for visitor or guest use.
The grant supports the provision of chargepoints and future chargepoint locations where chargepoints may be installed at a later date. A minimum of five parking spaces must be provisioned with charging infrastructure, at least one of which must have a working chargepoint.
Businesses can get up to £500 for each parking space that will get charging infrastructure.
Each grant application can be for up to a maximum of £15,000. If more chargepoints are needed in addition to those provided by this grant, then the Workplace Charging Scheme may be used.
This grant covers the costs of installing the infrastructure needed for chargepoints to operate and for future chargepoints to be installed. It includes work like electrical connections at a metered electrical supply point, such as a consumer unit or feeder pillar, and dedicated, safe, and unobstructed routes for electrical cabling.
The work undertaken, and charging infrastructure provided, must ensure there is appropriate power for all the chargepoints and future connection locations. This may include power upgrades to the local supply or network; the implementation of load balancing solutions and upgrades to the building’s electrical control room.
The charging infrastructure provided must include any additional earthing needed for the chargepoint and identification of any earthing locations needed for any future connection locations.
The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is for local authorities, and its aims is to increase the availability of on-street chargepoints in residential streets where off-street parking is not available.
The scheme is administered by the Energy Saving Trust, Cenex and PA Consulting. It provides up to a maximum of 60 per cent of project capital costs, down from the previous level of 75 per cent, although applications submitted to the Energy Saving Trust prior to 1 April 2022 are eligible for the higher level of funding.
All chargepoints installed through this scheme must have a minimum payment method, such as contactless, and be as accessible as possible.
Ron Santiago,
Chargepoints may be installed on land not owned by a local authority. It is hoped this is particularly beneficial for rural local authorities, where community-owned land (for example, a village hall car park) is often well suited to providing charging infrastructure. This will be considered on a discretionary basis where it can be demonstrated that a lack of suitable local authority land poses a barrier to the installation of residential chargepoints.
£20 million is allocated to this scheme for 2022 to 2023. Funding is for up to 60 per cent of eligible capital costs and the total funding provided will not exceed £7,500 per chargepoint unless electrical connection costs are exceptionally high. In these cases, funding up to £13,000 per chargepoint may be provided.
Capital funding will be provided for the installation of the chargepoints. The capital items that are eligible for claim are limited to the purchase cost of the chargepoint up to 22 kW; the purchase cost of electrical components related to the chargepoint, including distribution network operator (DNO) connection costs; and the cost of civil engineering works related to the installation. Labour and hardware costs of the installation are also included, and where applicable, the capital costs of a parking bay and traffic regulation orders.
The rapid charging fund (RCF) is a £950 million fund to future-proof electrical capacity at motorway and major A road service areas to prepare the network for the mass adoption of electric vehicles. However, it is not yet open for applications.
When the fund opens, it will aim to help achieve the government’s vision for the rapid chargepoint network in England, which is to have at least six high-powered, open-access chargepoints (150-350 kW capable) at motorway service areas in England by 2023.
By 2030, the government expects around 2,500 high-powered, openaccess chargepoints across England’s motorways and major A roads, and by 2035, it expects around 6,000.
The EV chargepoint grant provides funding towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart chargepoints at domestic properties across the UK. It replaced the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) on 1 April 2022.
The EV chargepoint grant is for anyone who owns and lives in a flat or rents any residential property. It covers up to 75 per cent of the cost to buy and install a chargepoint socket, up to £350 per grant.
The property must have its own private off-street parking space, and the person that will use the chargepoint must own a qualifying vehicle. L
From fleet management to telematics, AssetWorks has spent over 40 years perfecting its globally integrated cloud-based SaaS technology to provide an outstanding commitment to safety, compliance, efficiency, and sustainability. Their ecosystem of fleet solutions helps organisations control every asset-related interaction within the fleet management journey. AssetWorks leads over 575+ fleets into operational efficiency while achieving its sustainability goals.
Sponsoring the ‘Transition to Electric’ special was an opportunity to demonstrate how important data management is for transitioning fleets and why fleets shouldn’t fear transitioning. By harnessing data, AssetWorks customers have seen EVs becoming more cost-effective to run and maintain as well as seeing improvements in their preventative maintenance schedules.
Mike Gadd, AssetWorks, managing director shares: “Supporting companies like GreenFleet who are educating and helping fleets prepare for tomorrow is in AssetWorks DNA. No fleet should have to comprise their operational efficiency to become sustainable – it is all about using data to plan ahead.”
For modern fleets, investing in EVs is just the beginning. ‘A blended strategy of EV, as well as other alternative fuel types, must be the first step into managing carbon reduction. In the next five years, we may improve on EVs, but other alternative fuels have their place with heavy fleets. Without a doubt, battery technology is going to improve - the length and time of batteries’ capabilities and the marketplace is going to improve. It may not be the only powertrain for the future, but it is certainly the first step’ adds Gadd.
AssetWorks’ FuelFocusEV empowers fleet managers to transition their fleets while maintaining total control and visibility of their fleet data. AssetWorks industry-leading EV charging experts created an integrated software package to monitor, alert and record all relevant data from charging. AssetWorks software can help fleets embrace the EV technology of today while preparing for alternative fuels as they become the stronger solution to net zero. L
The Plug-in Car grant ended earlier this year, with the government saying it had achieved its objective of stimulating the electric vehicle market. It has however retained a form of the grant for taxis, motorcycles, vans, trucks and wheelchair accessible vehicles, paying a percentage of the costMike Gadd, managing director of AssetWorks Supported by
Within a decade, new ICE vehicles will no longer be sold in the UK. Deciding which of your vehicles to switch to electric, and when, can be a daunting project, especially when charging and automotive options and the resale value of ICE vehicles change frequently, together with government incentives. Tailoring an EV transition plan to suit your unique fleet operations, regularly reassessing that plan, and updating your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) illustration is key to success
permitted for personal use. Consider how an EV plan will accommodate or impact your employee vehicle policy and your drivers’ commutes or other working arrangements. You should also investigate whether it’s possible to install chargers in your drivers’ home locations.
Once you have examined the characteristics of your fleet profile and considered your unique requirements for an electric-powered operation, it is time to devise a feasible plan, select the best EV models for the job and understand the costs. This research could either be conducted by a consultant, by your leasing provider, or in-house.
Every business’ fleet electrification plan should uniquely reflect the fabric of that business and the types of journeys that a fleet typically makes. This can differ wildly from business to business, and across industries and regions. Examine the following characteristics of your fleet to help you determine the best way to go electric.
Mileage. What is the longest single trip that each vehicle makes? EV range will be a factor for your business when choosing appropriate EV models. As well as the length of individual trips, examine roughly how many miles each vehicle will need to travel in a day. Choosing vehicles that exceed your daily range requirements will help drivers feel at ease and allow them to work without interruption. If longer trips are infrequent, consider those routes and the potential charging points along the way to help you decide whether a lower-range vehicle would suffice. There are some exceptions to this rule, which we’ll explore below.
Specification. Some businesses will easily be able to match EV models with their daily operations. If you require specialist or customised vehicles, these may be harder to find. In this situation, your plan could include electrifying part of your fleet now and transitioning the more specialised vehicles when more options become available to you. Make a note of what each vehicle needs to do, and importantly what
it needs to carry, to form your payload criteria before you start looking for options.
Activity. Where each vehicle is parked overnight is equally as important as where it might stay parked for a substantial period during the day, as these are both options for charging locations. Also consider how many of your vehicles are kept in these areas. Could you address more than one vehicle’s charging needs with a single charger, or by installing a double charger in the same location? If you use a vehicle tracking system, examine your vehicle usage patterns, as this can help you to spot surprising charging opportunities and to economise.
Location. Public charging infrastructure is expanding at a rapid rate. Ensure you have the latest information to hand when listing your charging opportunities. Include convenient public chargers in your charging plan to limit your installation requirements, but incorporate the cost of using those public chargers in your forecast for a complete picture.
Drivers. Your drivers are the heart of your fleet operations and it’s critical to consider how an EV would impact their daily job. Communicate any changes to them and listen to their views and concerns, but also factor into your plan the more logistical characteristics of how they use your vehicles. For example, the vehicles may be shared between operatives, they may be taken home at night or currently
At Quartix, we offer a comprehensive service that intelligently uses your GPS tracking data and third-party sources to create a recommendation for your fleet, presenting you with the latest options and minimising the work involved.
If you decide to do the research yourself, or pay a one-off fee for advice, keep in mind that the landscape is constantly changing, and the best recommendation today may be different tomorrow. Look for sources that can be refreshed to give you the latest information, and stay informed of government incentives too, so that you can make the most cost-effective decisions.
Remember the reasons why you are switching to electric. Illustrating emission reductions alongside your forecasted costs will show the difference this will be making, an achievement well worth celebrating with your team. Tools such as Quartix EVolve can illustrate a TCO forecast, and the fuel and emission reductions that your EV transition will result in, helping you put things into perspective with little effort. If you are calculating TCO independently, remember to include vehicle tax changes, vehicle depreciation, driving charges and electricity costs, for a holistic view encompassing all factors.
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How can companies ensure they adopt the right approach to transitioning to electric vehicles? Research for the Fleets ahead! report has shown that there are broadly five key stages to fleet decarbonisation, which are explored here
As more and more corporates make net zero pledges, many are having to figure out what the pathway to decarbonisation will look like. One of the immediate areas of focus will be fleets. As highlighted in our report, Fleets ahead!, written in collaboration with National Grid and Field Dynamics, fleets are large. There are over six million vehicles in the UK in this segment, made up of corporate cars, taxis, buses, heavy goods and logistics vehicles. Decarbonising these fleets can make a material improvement to air quality and reduce emissions. It can also be a source of major competitive advantage, in terms of ESG credentials. However, getting decarbonisation wrong will be costly and undermine business operations. So how can companies ensure they adopt the right approach to this complex transition?
We interviewed some 40 entities associated with fleet decarbonisation to understand what that transition road map looks like.
And our interviews confirmed that some companies have already identified critical milestones on this journey. Our research confirmed there are broadly five key stages to fleet decarbonisation. And in this article we shall share some insights for each of these stages so that companies looking to start on this journey will be well prepared.
1. The importance of collaboration internally and externally
The complexity of the transition cannot be underestimated for fleet managers. They will be moving to a new world where they will need to consider a host of issues not typically associated with internal combustion engines: what type of electric vehicles (EVs) to procure and how to fund them? Which charging models to adopt and charging infrastructure to deploy? How to manage associated power consumption challenges? And not least, ensuring a culture where EVs are readily adopted by employees, just to mention a few examples. Given this complexity the need to collaborate will be very important and takes different forms. Decarbonisation is not just a fleet manager responsibility. Other functions will have vested interests and a need to contribute including. This includes finance (funding EV procurement); real estate (exploring the location of charging assets); HR (developing incentives for EV adoption across employees); operations, and many others.
Fleet managers will need to collaborate with companies that provide support in fleet electrification, for example Charge point operator EO Charging is working with Amazon to electrify their fleet. Or managers may need to partner with parties which own strategic real estate, such as the Pod Point alliance with Tesco using the supermarket chain’s retail sites for destination charging.
Then again, it may simply be a question of collaborating with other companies who have already started this journey to understand what they have done and gone through.
Of the fleet managers we interviewed, all are still in the early stages of decarbonisation but will have learned valuable lessons.
2. Access to data to analyse and understand user needs Quite often companies make the error of discussing which EVs to purchase or what type of charging infrastructure to deploy, before understanding what their actual needs are. And to this point data is critical.
One of the first steps for fleet managers will be understanding current driving patterns. Consider the following questions: What are the current routes employees typically use? How often do they make these journeys and how long do they last?
Given current fleet cycle times, when is the optimal moment to substitute vehicles?
If the fleet is to be replaced by EVs, how will they be charged? Where? And what will the dwelling times for charging be?
3. Assess the charging infrastructure requirements and implications
Once managers have a good handle on driving and potential charging patterns, they will be better placed to consider the charging infrastructure required to support fleets.
Charging infrastructure and charging models will also dictate the volume of EVs required. So for example, a depot-based charging model may guarantee flexibility and scale to charge multiple EVs. However, a home-based charging model for drivers who cannot charge at home (they live in
flats) and lack access to on-street chargers may limit the volume of EVs to be procured.
Power consumption patterns will also have ramifications. Overnight trickle chargers (7kW) will consume less power than faster chargers (50kW+). The latter may require grid reinforcement which could result in multi-million pound investments if installing an array of fast chargers.
Some fleet managers have explored industrial estates with existing power capacity for conversion to a charging hub to minimise these costs.
Many corporates also fail to realise how fleet decarbonisation can reshape the existing business and the operating model. Consider servicing. Operators of large fleets may have an in-house function to service their ICE vehicles. As these fleets electrify, companies will need to review whether they wish to develop their own in-house capabilities, or whether it now makes more sense to outsource servicing to the OEMs or other third parties. While electric vehicles have significantly fewer moving parts than an ICE counterpart, the technology is new and complex. If they wish to keep servicing inhouse, service teams will need to be re-skilled and service sites will need to be repurposed to accommodate health and safety measures.
4. Multiple strategies to consider when deploying solutions
Given EVs are an emerging market, it is important fleets are wary of over-dependency on single suppliers. Moreover, fleets will need to explore a combination of strategies: some fleets may decide to stagger the purchase of EVs. Using smaller orders, fleet managers are able to test and trial deployment. Other fleets may decide to place large orders to secure OEM supply. A forward view of the lease cycles of the current fleet should be considered to understand deployment squeezes.
As for the procurement of electric vans (eVans), which is a growing trend, this raises other challenges. eVans have received less attention from OEMs so far resulting in limited choice. There is currently a restricted choice of electric vans in the UK. At the time of writing our report, there were 20 eVans on sale in the UK. This is compared to some 90 electric vehicles on sale.
Furthermore, the performance of these vans is also limited (many have low range).
It is important corporates work through emerging alliances (such as EV100) and with the OEMs to better inform them of industry requirements and codevelop new vehicles.
Tactically, fleet managers may also need to weigh up the trade-off between payload and range. If range is more important for the fleet then payloads will need to be reduced.
Aside from procurement and charging infrastructure, another major challenge in this phase of the journey is the winning of hearts
Oneof the firststeps for fleetmanagers to takebefore buying EVswill be currentunderstanding patternsdriving
and minds to encourage EV adoption. When fleets receive their EVs how do they ensure employees adopt and promote the new technology?
Fleet managers have emphasised the need to identify champions in the business. Centrica described three categories of employees: the EV equivalent of ‘petrol heads’ who are enthusiastic for EVs; those who are sitting on the fence and are not too bothered about which way the fleet goes; and the third category, those drivers wedded to their diesel vehicles and hostile to EVs. Companies need to engage the first group to drive change across the organisation.
Anglian Water went one step further and arranged induction days for new drivers. On receipt of their EV, employees were trained on all the basics to ensure the smooth adoption of the technology. Anglian Water specifically identified drivers who lived far away to pick up their EVs so returning home with their new vehicle would allay concerns about range anxiety.
Many firms have also created EV fora to encourage employees to share experiences and learnings about best practice when driving EVs.
As fleet managers go through this journey they will need to apply continuously the learnings and scale up decarbonisation initiatives. Businesses will need to stay close to other fleets, government and OEMs to constantly learn and evolve.
And one final thought on heavy transport. While the decarbonisation pathway for light vehicles is electrification, the outcome for heavier trucks and 4x4s is less clear. Some electrification of heavier trucks is possible if routes are predictable and short, with readily available charging infrastructure. Municipal refuse trucks are a good example.
However, the fleet managers we interviewed felt the electrification of heavier vehicles with long and unpredictable routes was harder. And while there were some interim transition fuels, such as bioemethane, fleet managers recommended focusing on the electrification of lighter vehicles first, allowing time for viable technologies to emerge later for heavy transport.
Fleet managers face significant complexity as they look to decarbonise their vehicle parc. Many operators are weighing up the right time to begin this process. Move sooner and the organisation may have to deal with challenges including a more restricted choice of vehicles and the need for a more bespoke charging solution. Move too late and the organisation will risk brand damage relative to their competitors. In our view, the date to bear in mind is 2024: the year during which, according to our estimates, electric vehicles will cost the same as their ICE equivalents. At this point, choosing an electric vehicle will become the default option for consumers. Any companies which are not operating low carbon fleets by that time risk being seen as dragging their feet. This gives a window of opportunity of two to three years for fleet operators to transition substantially their operations to low carbon. L
Download the ‘Fleets ahead!’ report at www.pwc.co.uk
The drive to zero emissions is arguably the most important endeavour of our generation. Fleet companies are in a position to make a significant contribution towards this effort, and E.ON Drive are here to provide expert guidance every step of the way.
We welcomed the Government’s Clean Air Strategy and the move by Parliament to bring the 2050 net zero target into law, and we’re leading by example when it comes to electrification of fleet to support these ambitious goals. We’ve already switched 159 of our own vehicles to electric and installed over 50 charging points across our sites. We aim to have a completely electric fleet by 2030, and are now offering our employees EV leasing contracts as a salary sacrifice benefit.
EVs are rapidly displacing traditional options in fleets across the country, and with numerous financial and reputational benefits available, businesses that make the move today will establish themselves as sustainable pioneers, and be investing in vital infrastructure that will serve them well into the future. EVs are exempt from congestion charges, Ultra Low Emission Zone/Clean Air Zone fees, road tax and BIK tax, as well as being cheaper to fuel and maintain. And with emerging technologies such as Vehicle2Grid (that allows electric vehicles to feed energy stored in their batteries back to buildings, or to the electricity grid), further opportunities to achieve even more cost savings are being created.
Ultimately, moving to an electric fleet is not only the sustainable choice, but the economic choice too. L
www.eonenergy.com
FURTHER INFORMATION David Butters, general manager, Eon DriveThere are times when certain products or services grow in popularity. But within the fleet sector it’s hard to remember an occasion when a funding solution grew at such speed. Yet, that’s precisely what’s happening with salary sacrifice which is accelerating at such rapid pace that it’s hard for those in finance, HR and fleet not to have a look at what all the fuss is about
The reason is all down to the very low benefit in kind tax (BIK) on electric cars, which has resulted in salary sacrifice becoming by far the cheapest way to source an EV.
Put simply, if an employee is paying 20 per cent tax on their salary, and decides to sacrifice a portion of that salary for an electric car, the amount of income tax and national insurance contributions they pay will reduce.
Their employer then provides them with a fully funded, maintained and insured electric car, on which they will only be paying very low benefit in kind (BIK) tax, providing an immediate saving compared to buying that vehicle or funding it through a personal lease.
The employer also gains by making Class 1a NI savings as well as offering an additional staff benefit, at no extra cost.
“We are in a very unique moment in time,” explains Steve Beadle, who heads up Grosvenor Leasing’s 0Zone solution, “and this is all down to the very appetising BIK rates on plug-in cars.
“It’s for this reason why interest and uptake of car salary sacrifice schemes has
never been higher, and it has become the number one topic of discussion with our existing and prospective customers who are interested in setting up a scheme.
“What surprises most people is how straightforward and risk free a salary sacrifice scheme is.
“Our own offering takes very minimal input or administration to put in place, which means that businesses won’t get bogged down in lots of administration or soak up vast amounts of staff time.
“Also, because our scheme comes with protection against employees leaving the company, or going on extended sick or maternity/paternity leave its very risk free indeed.”
Grosvenor Leasing is the UK’s largest privately-owned contract hire and fleet management specialist, and has won multiple awards for its work around the green agenda.
Its 0Zone solution, which supports companies with the transition to electric
vehicles, was ground-breaking when first launched in 2017. As a result of Grosvenor’s commitment to helping its customers with the move to alternative fuels, approximately 80 per cent of all new car orders now have plug-in capability.
For its corporate contract hire and fleet management customers, a key aspect of Grosvenor’s success is in developing ultralow emission car policies based on whole life costs. The 0Zone team has helped companies appreciate that, while the initial outlay on electric vehicles is higher, their whole life cost while on fleet works out cheaper in the long run compared to equivalent petrol or diesel models.
In fact its work around whole life costs was instrumental in Grosvenor being named Whistl’s ‘Supplier of the Year 2022’ as part of their supplier conference focusing on ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance).
At the time Gareth Hughes, Whistl’s procurement, property & fleet director, commented: “The team at Grosvenor Leasing has done an outstanding job for Whistl in helping us reduce our vehicle emissions.”
Grosvenor Leasing’s salary sacrifice solution has been a key part of its proposition for many years, however with conditions being so perfect for a surge in uptake it has recently further enhanced its offering to become one of the best in the market.
As a result, employees who choose to sacrifice part of their salary for a plug-in hybrid or fully electric car benefit from a fully maintained, tax and insured company car, and if they leave they can hand the car back without any penalties.
“If you are going to choose a fully electric car, then salary sacrifice is by far the best option as it will save you up to 40 per cent compared to taking out a personal lease,” continues Steve.
“If you are looking for a vehicle with a CO2 over 75gm/km then salary sacrifice is not an option, however because The Grosvenor Group offers traditional contract hire, specialist fleet management and personal leasing, we can provide a complete solution for all drivers under one roof – even if a plug-in vehicle is not yet suited to their needs or job role.
“Currently, there is no better way than salary sacrifice for encouraging drivers into electric cars, and by having a scheme in place sends out a strong message about a company’s desire to promote carbon zero motoring.”
To give a flavour of the potential savings of salary sacrifice compared to an employee funding a car through a personal lease, a 20 per cent tax payer choosing a Peugeot E-208 Electric Hatchback 100kW Active Premium 50kWh 5Dr Auto on a three year lease, covering 10,000 miles per annum would save £168.61 per month.
A 40 per cent tax payer choosing a Tesla Model 3 Saloon RWD 4Dr Auto with 15,000 miles per annum over 3 years would save £318.60 per month.
A 40 per cent tax payer choosing a Porsche Taycan Saloon 300kW 79kWh 4Dr RWD Auto [5 Seat] with 10,000 miles per annum over three years would save £491.00 per month.
“Examples such as these demonstrate why the financial benefits are so strong,” continues Steve, “and at Grosvenor Leasing we manage everything for the customer including payroll reports, contract variations and the full in-life management of the vehicle including maintenance, accidents etc. There is also a free work charger for every five orders.
“All the employer has to do is authorise orders with living wage checks, deduct the employee’s salary and carry out P11d reporting, which Grosvenor provides to them in a report. To reduce administration for the employer further, any recharges are also charged direct to the employee rather than the company.
“Quite simply, this scheme has multiple advantages to both employer and employee and is simple to set up and administer.
“It’s for all of these reasons why salary sacrifice is the main talking point at the moment, particularly because the very low
BIK rates that underpin the benefits are fixed until 2025, and then once BIK rates begin to rise for plug in cars, which they inevitably will, the benefits will begin to lessen. So this really is a very good opportunity for businesses and their employees to take advantage of the financial conditions and accelerate their shift towards zero emission motoring.”
Established over 40 years ago, The Grosvenor Group is one of the largest fleet sector companies to have resisted the temptation to adopt a process driven, call centre culture – instead offering organisations with vehicle fleets, in both public and private sectors, a level of attention and support that leads to ongoing cost savings and heightened driver mobility.
With an overall proposition that uniquely combines four distinct offerings, Grosvenor Leasing is an award-winning contract hire specialist providing all forms of vehicle funding and outstanding client and driver support. Interactive Fleet Management is a fleet management specialist dedicated purely to managing fleets. Irrespective of funding method, it’s best described as ‘your very own’ fleet department, managing all vehicles, drivers and suppliers whether you contract hire or own your vehicles.
Grosvenor Salary Sacrifice is a marketleading ultra-low emission and electric vehicle salary sacrifice solution for companies and their employees, and Grosvenor Personal Leasing is a market leading PCH solution aimed at drivers who have decided to opt out of the company car scheme.
Underpinning all of this is 0Zone, Grosvenor’s award winning, and unique, solution to help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultralow emission and electric vehicles.
0Zone has won multiple awards since its launch five years ago, and the team has been instrumental in supporting companies
such as Weetabix, Tata Steel, Whistl and Glenmorangie in reducing their emissions.
Weetabix’s group people & IT director, Stuart Branch, said: “The relationship with Grosvenor Leasing has been very beneficial to us financially and operationally. We have also been impressed with their support around our fleet policy and choice lists, and the feedback from drivers following a workshop they ran was extremely positive. By being on hand to present the thinking behind the policy, the impact on areas such as emissions and tax, why whole life costs are important, and being able to answer all of our drivers’ questions was important in launching our new policy.”
Over and above this, Grosvenor also has a panel of experts to advise and support customers on all aspects of fleet operation. For key issues such as compliance, CO2, taxation, legal, technical, policy, health and safety and many others, the panel is just a phone call, email or LinkedIn message away from answering any question a customer may have.
The most sophisticated technology
Technology also sits at the heart of all services provided by Grosvenor, and they have their own in-house software development team that has been building systems internally for over a decade.
Offering what many believe is the most sophisticated suite of fleet technology available in the fleet sector, the company’s ongoing investment and in-house development is producing industry-leading systems and Apps that are complimentary to all customers. L
For more information, please contact Steve Beadle on 01536 536 536 info@grosvenor-leasing.co.uk www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk
Steve Beadle, head of 0Zone, The Grosvenor GroupSwitch your fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) the easy way.
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The EV100 initiative, which sees carbon-conscious organisations pledge to transition to an electric vehicle fleet by 2030, has recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. We look at how the initiative has progressed from having ten founding members, to now boasting 128 signatories
The EV100 initiative brings together likeminded companies committed to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles. Through a collective pledge to go electric by 2030, the initiative sends a powerful signal that the future of transportation is electric.
The initiative, now in its fifth year, has recently taken on five new members who will collectively transition over 44,000 vehicles to electric by 2030.
New joiners include global pharmaceutical and biosciences company Bayer, British-based multinational bank Barclays, international financial services provider Allianz SE, India’s fastest-growing agri-commerce company WayCool and precision instrumentation supplier Spectris Plc.
In addition to electrifying their fleets, WayCool and Spectris Plc have also committed to installing charging infrastructure across their estate for use by their staff and customers.
With these new joiners, membership now stands at 128. In five years, EV100 has grown from ten founding members to a global network of businesses committed to the growth of electromobility across almost 100 markets worldwide.
EV100 was launched in 2017 as a global business initiative designed to accelerate acceptance of electric vehicles and its infrastructure. It was launched in New York by The Climate Group during Climate Week.
At the time, it was the only initiative of its kind to encourage global businesses to commit to electric transport, with members committing to transition their petrol and diesel fleets to electric vehicle fleets by 2030. The 10 founding founding members are LeasePlan, Unilever, Baidu, IKEA Group, HP Inc., Vattenfall, PG&E, Deutsche Post DHL, Metro AG and Heathrow Airport.
At the time, Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, said: “EV100 will use companies’ collective global buying power and influence on employees and customers to build demand and cut costs. The members see the business logic in leading a faster transition and addressing local air quality issues in their markets. They are setting a competitive challenge to the auto industry to deliver more EVs, sooner and at lower cost.”
One of the five new joiners is Barclay’s bank, who has a commitment to electrify its UK fleet by 2025, and global fleet by 2030. Myriam
Coneim, Barclays’ global sustainability and governance lead, operations, said: “In March 2020 we become one of the first banks to announce an ambition to be net zero by 2050, which includes our operational emissions. To decarbonise our operations, earlier this year we committed to transitioning all of our UK vehicle fleet to electric by 2025 with an additional target of 2030 for our global fleet, using ultra-low emissions vehicles for the latter where electric is not viable.
“Addressing this viability challenge was key to our decision to join EV100, and we look forward to working together with Climate Group and other members to speed up the transition to electric, particularly in less mature EV markets.”
Rebecca Dunn, head of sustainability at Spectris, said: “It’s an exciting time for EV100 and we are pleased to be one of the latest companies to sign up to this ambitious initiative. We’re committing to electrifying our 430-strong fleet and rolling out charging infrastructure for our staff and customers. Committing to EV100 now will help us achieve our net zero by 2040 target. We’re looking forward to working with likeminded companies and working with our supply chain and customers to develop their own EV fleets, too.”
Werner Baumann, CEO and chief sustainability officer at Bayer, said: “We are pleased to be joining EV100. As a leading Life Science company, we have implemented ambitious sustainability targets and the decision to convert our E
At the AA, we are committed to lowering carbon emissions across our business. As part of our ESG strategy, we believe that driving shouldn’t cost the earth. The buck, however, doesn’t stop with us – we’re also keen to help our customers on their journey to lower emissions too by sharing the lessons we’re learning along the way.
This is why we decided to add a hydrogen fuel cell roadside breakdown vehicle to our fleet, which we unveiled at this year’s British Motor Show. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that produces only water when consumed in a fuel cell. Decarbonised hydrogen has a major role to play globally in reaching net zero emissions targets. The UK government’s aim is to have up to 2GW of green hydrogen production capacity by 2025 and up to 10GW installed by 2030.
The AA’s Hyundai NEXO is designed for breakdown jobs in ultralow emission zones, and will carry most of the tools and equipment found across the rest of our famous yellow fleet. With an impressive range of 414 miles, the NEXO can fuel up in just five minutes.
As members of the UK Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium (AHFC), the partnership of leading UK hydrogen industry and mobility companies which works with large fleet operators to map out a workable solution for hydrogen transport in the UK, we have considered the benefits of hydrogen for some time. The NEXO’s introduction marks another step towards our net-zero future.
Hydrogen vehicles are also highly practical. They have a significantly higher range than EVs and don’t need to be regularly recharged, which is a huge benefit for us operationally as a business. We hope to inspire our business customers to consider hydrogen as a future fuel too. L
vehicle fleet to electric cars is another important step. It shows how serious we are about becoming climate neutral. As part of our EV100 commitment, we will transition 26,000 vehicles to electric wherever technically and economically feasible.”
Karthik Jayaraman, managing director of WayCool Foods, said: “We are happy to join EV100 at this time of celebration for the initiative. The food and agri sector contribute to global GHG emissions significantly. As a purpose driven organisation, and one of India’s fastest growing food and agri tech platforms, we are committed in developing and driving a climate resilient supply chain and a sustainable food economy. In the past seven years, we have demonstrated with multiple case studies how organisations can be ClimateSmart and BusinessSmart too. Electrification of the fleet is one of our prime focus areas. We have valuable insights to share with the wider EV100 community, having already transitioned 20 per cent of our last-mile delivery fleet to EVs, and we look forward to playing an active and collaborative part in the journey to fully electric road transportation.”
Barbara Karuth-Zelle, member of the board of management at Allianz SE commented: “We are excited to join EV100 at this time of celebration for the initiative. Our commitment will see Allianz transition its car fleet of over 14,000 vehicles to sustainable fuel by 2030. We look forward to playing an active and collaborative part in accelerating the journey to 100 per cent sustainable mobility.”
Commenting on the new members, Sandra Roling, director of transport at the Climate Group, said: “We warmly welcome our five new members who have made the bold commitment to electrify their fleets and deploy charging infrastructure by 2030. It’s amazing to think that in just five years EV100 has grown so rapidly. We will continue to push other businesses, vehicle manufacturers and governments across the world to work with us to ensure the future of road transportation is electric.
“I also want to say a huge congratulations to every single EV100 member as we celebrate five years, for the progress made so far on their journey with us. Over 200,000 EVs are already on the road thanks to EV100 members, and by 2030 over 5.5 million fleet vehicles will be zero emission.”
One of the early members of the EV100 is facilities management company Mitie, who are successfully progressing towards their goal of having an electric fleet by 2025.
Mitie has a range of electric cars, vans, and even a gritter, taking its total, as of the end of 2021, to more than 2,000 EVs, consisting of 15 different models. The vehicles are based throughout the UK, from the Scottish Highlands and Islands down to the Cornish coast, as well as EVs working on Mitie’s contracts supporting the UK’s Overseas Territories, including Ascension Island. In addition, Mitie has invested heavily in the UK’s electric vehicle charge point infrastructure, installing thousands of charge points for a broad range of its customers, as well as at employees’ homes.
The transition to a wholly electric fleet is a central component of Mitie’s Plan Zero commitment to eliminate carbon emissions from its power and transport. Its current fleet of EVs reduces Mitie’s annual CO2 emissions by around 10,000 tonnes and the business has a detailed timeline to switch the rest of its vehicles to zero emission by 2025. In addition to this, the Mitie Fleet Team has put a series of measures in place to reduce the emissions of its existing petrol and diesel vehicles, such as a Telematics Driver Behaviour system that has reduced diesel consumption by 75,000 litres and saved 19.5 tonnes of CO2 in just one year.
Following on from the success of the EV100 initiative, the Climate Group has recently launched a new transport leadership commitment, EV100+, which targets medium and heavy duty vehicles, which are currently harder to electrify.
Five globally recognised businesses – IKEA, Unilever, JSW Steel Limited, A.P. Moller – Maersk and GeoPost/DPDgroup –are the founding members of the initiative. Together they have committed to transition their fleet of vehicles over 7.5 tonnes to zero emission by 2040 in OECD markets, China and India.
Representing just four per cent of all vehicles on the road globally, medium to heavy duty vehicles (MHDVs) account for 40 per cent of all road transport emissions and a third of total transport fuel use. These vehicles produced over five per cent of total global CO2 emissions in 2019, predicted to increase to over 11 per cent by 2050 if steps to decarbonise are not taken.
FURTHER INFORMATION To find out more about the vehicle, visit: All-New Hyundai NEXO | Hydrogen Fuel Cell SUV Stuart Thomas, director of fleet and accident management Services at the AA Sponsored byTo achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement, heavy-duty road transport must be completely decarbonised. With advances in technology making it possible, all new trucks sold in the world’s major markets must be zero emission by 2040.
Sandra Roling, director of transport at Climate Group, comments: “We’re very excited to launch EV100+ at this year’s Climate Week NYC. It’s a great demonstration of leadership from the founding members. MHDVs represent the final frontier of zero emission road transportation, and EV100+ will tackle the heaviest, most polluting vehicles on our roads around the world.”
Sandra added: “We’ve seen over the last five years how EV100 has acted as a powerful catalyst for change across light-duty vehicle fleets. Now it’s time for EV100+ to drive this change across global MHDV fleets as well – businesses are willing to lead this change.”
EV100+’s founding members are helping to drive demand for zero emission MHDVs from manufacturers and supporting governments in implementing policies that encourage their adoption at the speed and scale needed.
Elisabeth Munck af Rosenschöld, IKEA supply chain operations manager, said: “Key to accelerating the deployment of zero-emission trucks is to collaborate across the transport industry with confidence and clarity on the direction. The electrification of transport plays a big role in phasing out fossil fuels in the IKEA supply chain. We are joining EV100+ to magnify the movement toward sustainable transportation. It is urgent and doable.”
Morten Bo Christiansen, SVP, head of decarbonisation at A.P. Moller – Maersk, adds: “We are thrilled to be one of the founding members of Climate Group’s new EV100+ initiative alongside other leading businesses. In A.P. Moller – Maersk, we are committed to transition our entire business to net zero emissions by 2040 – including our landside business. This initiative sends a powerful message to customers, partners, and manufacturers that we believe the future of our global medium- and heavy-duty fleet is net zero emissions.”
Sanjay Rath, executive vice president for commercial and purchase at JSW Steel Limited, commented=: “By joining EV100+ initiative as a founding member, we at JSW Steel advance our commitment to support India’s net zero goal. JSW Steel has an ambitious target of reducing its carbon emission by 42 per cent (versus base year 2005) by FY30.
“We are currently on the journey towards achieving the target through a strategic climate action agenda and various steps in our operations. Through this commitment we would want to decarbonise our freight operations by transitioning the fleet (in heavier segments > 7.5t) to electric vehicles or alternatives, thus allowing our unrelenting desire to become better everyday.”
Michelle Grose, VP, global logistics and fulfilment at Unilever, adds: “Unilever has set the goal of achieving net zero emissions across our value chain by 2039, and logistics is a key area of focus since it accounts for 15 per cent of our total footprint. In recent years we’ve made big strides on CO2 savings by improving efficiency and reducing the number of trucks on the road. Now, alongside our EV100+ partners we’ll be sending a powerful signal to governments, manufacturers and the wider industry that the future of global medium- and heavy-duty road transport is electric, and we hope to inspire other companies to join us.”
Jean-Claude Sonet, executive vice president in charge of marketing, communication and sustainability at GeoPost/DPDgroup, says: “We are committed to sustainable delivery and have set ourselves a bold ambition to reach net zero by 2040. Yet success will depend on our ability to transition our medium- and heavy-goods vehicles to zero tailpipe emissions by 2040. All sectors must work together if society is to be meet global climate goals. We are therefore excited to work alongside other likeminded businesses to send a powerful message to both governments and manufacturers that we believe the future of trucking is zero emission.” L
www.theclimategroup.org/ev100
At LeasePlan, we’re committed to a fully electric future for everybody. We’ve been offering EVs to individuals and business fleets for more than a decade now through our range of marketleading products and services. Our flexible leasing solutions, for example, are designed to deliver for businesses who need cars or vans for several weeks or months, without a long-term contract. We have a number of EV models to choose from, allowing businesses to introduce them to their fleets in a fully scalable way.
As an EV100 Founder Member, we’re also walking the walk ourselves: we’ve already transitioned our own employee fleet to EVs. The response from our colleagues across the UK and abroad has been fantastic, and we hope that our own actions will encourage other fleet-operating businesses to make their own pledges.
Recently, we joined forces with other leading experts in the automotive sector to produce a research report into the future of electric motoring and how we, as an industry, can best mobilise the next generation of EV drivers. The study of over 2,000 drivers, conducted by IPSOS, uncovered a number of important issues, including a significant divide between older and younger drivers in their views around EV driving. Younger drivers were found to be the most likely to consider an EV as their next vehicle, but a large percentage are still being held back by the perceived costs and lack of charging infrastructure.
The findings of our report emphasise just how far we’ve come in our journey towards electric, but also reminds us of the long road ahead. Together with our partners, we’ve made a number of recommendations for both the government and the wider automotive industry on what needs to happen to get more people to make the switch. L
In five years, EV100 has grown from ten founding members to a global network of businesses committed to the growth of electromobility across almost 100 marketsFURTHER Neill Emmett, head of marketing at LeasePlan UK Supported by
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There’s no doubt we are at a landmark point in automotive history as we move to a future of alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs). With the government’s announcement that the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned by 2030 – 10 years earlier than planned – that future isn’t far away. Today, the adoption of AFVs is increasing at pace as we are on our journey to 2030 and it’s vital businesses have the right support they need to embrace an electric future
There’s a huge amount of noise in the media, from government and by drivers themselves, on the topic of electric vehicles (EVs). For some this is exciting, others daunting and for many, understandably, an area of confusion. From charging through to cost and maintenance, there’s a myriad of considerations and a wealth of information out there which will inevitably evolve as the technology does. One area which shouldn’t be overlooked within this is driver training.
It’s vital that businesses and drivers adapt to ensure they remain safe on the road in EVs, are legally compliant and can achieve cost efficiencies where possible. There isn’t necessarily going to be a onesize-fits-all answer to this, as businesses of different shapes and sizes will have varying requirements for EVs and their drivers. Businesses will therefore move at different speeds towards full EV adoption. What is certain is that safety needs to remain a number one priority for all businesses, and it will remain ours at Drivetech, whatever the power source of the vehicle.
In a more global sense, world leaders and environmentalists are racing to protect our planet from harmful CO2 emissions and global warming. We’ve already seen some of the devastating effects of climate change this summer with world-record temperatures and this will only continue to worsen without co-ordinated international
efforts to reduce emissions. Traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles negatively impact the environment due to CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, which leads to air pollution and global warming. The introduction of electric vehicles encourages a potential 40% cut in co2 emissions, shining a light on just how much of an impact owning an EV can have in a more environmentally conscious world.
So ultimately it makes sense to be supportive of political and commercial efforts to transition to electric fleets. But whatever the powertrain of the vehicle, Drivetech offer one of the most comprehensive ranges of driver risk management and driver coaching services to businesses and we do this in the UK, and internationally too. For sure, we have seen an uplift in interest for our specific EV driver familiarisation courses and we are grateful and pleased to work with a fantastic and broad range of fleet operators as they begin their transitions to the new world of electrification.
But whether it is helping educate drivers on EV regenerative braking or the cars lighting acceleration, the core Drivetech commitment to ingraining safety behaviour remains – to reduce costs, protect reputations, and to save lives. We do this for drivers in cars, vans, trucks, buses and coaches. And across our
portfolio, from fleet risk health checks to licence checking to driver risk assessments and driver coaching and learning, we are evolving to address our customer’s needs both on road and increasingly online too.
So Drivetech’s message and vision here is fundamentally underpinned by two twin pillars. We want to keep drivers safe on the roads whilst also helping businesses make a safe transition to electric to help our environment. The fast-paced fleet environment can sometimes make it difficult for businesses and decision-makers to prioritise their duty of care to their employees. We’re here to actually help businesses to make this a manageable part of their fleet strategy and to help empower drivers and managers by providing tools, resources and products that save lives.
You can find out more about Drivetech’s suite of products dedicated to electric mobility here, and use the free EV Guide to Charging Infrastructure module, here: https://www.drivetech.co.uk/driving-electric
Our website has a range of whitepapers and other free downloads which I’d encourage you to explore. As things change, we will change and adapt too. But we remain driven to keep people safe. L
drivetech.co.uk
One electric vehicle, two drivers, seven days, 19 recharges, and over 2,400 miles. This has resulted in a gazillion learnings to share from team char.gy’s experience of the Great British EV Rally – an all-electric road trip of 50 cars and vans testing the public charging network from John o’Groats to Land’s End
on more expensive options. The current state of flux in the energy market feeding through to p/kWh prices at different public networks at different times makes a price comparison difficult. We noticed a wide price variance between networks and charging types. But a rule of thumb is low power charging in public is typically around 20 per cent cheaper than rapid charging.
An important issue for fleet managers!
What’s the biggest learning for fleet operators and councils? It’s how low power charging will underpin how easily (and therefore quickly) fleets can electrify.
Because low-power public chargers play a key role in reducing pinch points on the national rapid charging network. And as the number of electric cars and vans grows, low power chargers will need to be everywhere in large numbers to enable fleet drivers to easily recharge when their vehicle is idle vs recharging being a task in itself. Here are a few of our experiences that highlight the issue.
Driving lots of miles in unfamiliar places makes you a lot more conscious of public chargers. The good news is the public rapid charging network in the UK is widespread. Yes it has issues and will need to keep growing to meet future demand, but when you’re on the road from A to B and need to top up, you won’t be totally stranded. Especially with the aid of charging and route planning apps like Zap Map and fleet-specific ones like Paua. But at points A and B, there is a severe lack of public chargers that enable drivers to start their day fully charged, or top up while they’re busy on the job for a few hours. And that can create problems.
Team Char.gy’s longest day was extended by three hours due to waiting for a charge point. Waiting in the middle of the highlands for a single charge point shared
between the four cars that pulled up whilst we were there. The wait was made worse by the 50kW charger performing at just over half its advertised speed.
We stopped because we had to. We made the drive up from London the day before. Our last charge had been the night before in Inverness and we didn’t have enough juice to make the return drive to Inverness without another charge.
Later in the rally, we saw drivers having to wait for rapid chargers even at hubs with as many as 15 charge points. Why? Because other drivers felt they needed to recharge close to a full battery as they weren’t sure there would be chargers available at their point B.
Day one of the EV Rally and we were feeling the lack of overnight charging already. For us it was the hotel that lacked chargers. That was our “charge when idle” opportunity. For fleet drivers, enabling “charge when idle” will need more public chargers in other locations like residential streets where the driver sleeps and car parks close to their place of work for the day.
For a fleet driver, the AFP (Association of Fleet Professionals) estimates that 40 per cent of the whole fleet does not have access to off-street parking at home, and that number jumps to 70 per cent if you look at light commercial vehicles.
The lack of convenient “charge when idle” opportunities also leaves drivers reliant
As fleet drivers tend to be higher mileage drivers and account for a large proportion of the overall driving in the UK, it is a priority to enable fleets to move to EVs faster. Chargers for private EV users are important too but the incredible gains possible through electrifying fleets make fleets a potentially massive contributor to air quality goals.
It is also often more environmentally friendly to charge overnight as that’s when national electricity demand is at its lowest. As we did nearly all our EV Rally charging during the day, we added to the daytime energy demand, often in the evening peak when the grid is at its dirtiest. The variance is typically between 80 and 300 gCO2/kWh. Nearly four times the carbon based on when you recharge.
With exciting new developments in flexible charging, using EVs to balance energy production and consumption will further allow EVs to green our transport and energy systems. When EVs are plugged in and available to charge over many hours each day, their energy demand can be matched to changeable renewable energy production and support a more renewable-capable electricity system.
No one can solve this on their own. If fleet operators and charging companies keep working collaboratively with councils and other landowners to offer chargers to all parkers, we can make moving to green fleets the best option for everyone. L
FURTHER INFORMATION char.gyCompanies are facing challenges and uncertainty unseen in generations. But that should not hinder them from making the switch to electric vehicles. James Court, CEO of EVA England, explains why
For fleets looking at the future, it is a less clear picture than even that of last year.
Politically and economically, there has rarely been a more complex and uncertain future, at least in the short to medium term.
Confidence is a much-used word when businesses talk to government.
Consumer confidence, investor confidence, policy confidence, all things over the years I have heard CEOs often tell ministers.
There were times I thought this was a lazy request; businesses should be geared up to be relatively nimble, as well as see opportunities in shifting markets and policy landscapes.
There are two obvious categories where this is not applicable, one is government reversing long term targets that business had been forced to shift to, the other is a very sudden pulling of the rug from under them.
Changes of government are therefore to be slightly feared, all too often the devil you
know is better than the one you don’t.
The UK has now seen four different PMs in the past six years. It is then not surprising that investment has slowed since 2016, yet in that time investment in renewables and electric vehicles has soared. This is the value of long-term goals and continuity of direction even with changes of government.
We are at a familiar stage of a having a new government again. With Theresa May, we very early on saw a renewal of the commitment to the Climate Change Act, followed by a world leading announcement on the banning of internal combustion engines (ICE). This set the long-term direction of government policy, and a clear signal for both car manufacturers and fleets.
With Boris Johnson, again we got a clear early signal, with the UK being chosen to host COP26. This was backed up with the bringing forward of the ICE phase-out, a
strengthening of the UK position which underlined the policy direction for industry.
Politically, we have yet to see an early commitment from Truss, although there are many, many other challenges she is facing, EVs may not have been at the top of her to-do pile. Some might argue that during a fuel crisis perhaps it should have been, and the calls for action in this area will grow louder with every week that goes by.
The most obvious area where we should see a clear recommitment is the upcoming decision on the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, something that has been widely consulted on and the final decision was due to take place at roughly this point, if it was not for the change in leadership.
The ZEV Mandate is the key policy mechanism that will help deliver the ICE phase-out by 2035. A strong signal for this policy would include ambitious yearly increases in the percentage of ZEVs sold, and a high cash-out price for underperformance by OEMS. This would demonstrate continuity and a government commitment that industry, including fleets, could take reassurance from.
If the policy come out with nothing more than ‘business as usual’ targets, if the E
cash-out price is weak and serves as no disincentive, or if, something that seemed inconceivable a few months ago, there is a rolling back in the dates for the phase-out, this would represent a move away from recent policy and would be a huge shock to those who have made the switch following government urging.
This would be a classic, and well merited, complaint to ministers about business confidence and one that strikes to the long-term planning of a company.
Economically, the picture is borderline terrifying, with electric vehicles not being exempt. Raising interest rates adding costs to leasing, petrol prices fluctuating, and electricity costs rocketing are all going to have an impact.
In the short-term, businesses have some solace with a temporary fix on energy wholesale prices; this is a source of relief with those with existing fleets, but issues remain.
For those drivers who rely on public charging, we are yet to see or hear any concrete support. A reduction in VAT is ever more important, and a serious issue that strikes to the heart of any fairness agenda and the much-maligned levelling-up ambitions. But further to that, we must legislate to separate out business energy costs with those of charging costs.
Charge Point Operators (CPOs) are providing a front-line service akin to fuel stations. The political heat felt by politicians from the forecourts is well acknowledged, going forward CPOs are going to be increasingly in the same position and the government needs to have that firmly in mind.
For fleets, the temporary blip in energy prices must be offset by lower costs comparatively with ICE vehicles that still exist.
Even in normal times, the total cost of ownership is a difficult thing, and a foreign concept to many used to traditional finance models with ICE vehicles. With inflated electricity costs this may scare away many people making the decision. However, there are ways to control this, and to give longer price certainty. On-site renewables, or PPAs with external renewable schemes can give a stable price for electricity going forward.
If you are looking forward, it seems likely that instability in both oil and electricity may be the new norm. Away from geopolitics, petrol prices are entering into an endgame scenario, with most of the leading economies pledging to end sales of ICE vehicles in the next two decades. The investment decisions by extractors and upstream providers will already be impacted by this and will lead to unpredictable prices going forward.
Technologically, the price points for EVs are coming down, and although covid may have slowed down the expected ‘tipping point’ for price parity for new EVs vs ICE, we are still going to see the price of EV models drop below ICE this decade, and that is after you factor in the lower running costs and other incentives that are currently available.
In the short term, it is looking like fleets are likely to hold on to what they have a bit longer. This is going to have impacts on second hand markets, for both ICE and EVs. Yet the long-term direction is clear, no matter what a UK government may do in the 18 months until the next general election, the global direction is clear. Companies that make the shift will be further along in their progress and business models than those who cling on to past technologies. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.evaengland.org.uk
The Algorithm People harnesses the power of advanced mathematics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify the right placement for electric vehicles within fleets, and to optimise every commercial vehicle so that costs and fuel usage are minimised.
Decarbonisation is unknown territory for most fleets. Decades of conventional fleet management experience cannot help professionals know which applications, contracts or journeys can use EVs and maximise return on investment.
Luckily our algorithms do exactly that. We work within all road transport sectors, including multi-stop, logistics and service fleets. We analyse journey patterns to show exactly where electric vehicles can effectively be swapped for diesel vehicles.
Our unique EV toolkit revealed that Yorkshire Water could electrify 88% of its vehicles, and that 95% would not require top-up charging. This ground-breaking analysis will help the company achieve its ambitious goal of NetZero by 2030.
Asset optimisation is another crucial step, reducing the number of assets required, mileage, air pollution and greenhouse emissions.
Our optimisation tools require no lengthy consultations or financial risk. Your fleet can start today. Log into My Transport Planner and save up to 30% of your fleet costs for as little as 49p per vehicle.
And, as you start to add electric vehicles to your fleet, My Transport Planner will optimise those too, taking into account charging, range, payload and all the other relevant factors.
Our machine learning means your fleet will continue to improve efficiency as real-world data pours in.
And our artificial intelligence is enabling revolutionary logistics solutions, to reduce the need for back-to-base reloading, and to reduce the number of HGVs in city centres.
Greening our fleets is no longer optional. The Algorithm People can help ensure your green choices are informed, cost-effective and operationally advantageous.o
FURTHER INFORMATION
Colin Ferguson, The Algorithm People
Electric Vehicles
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Sponsored by
Tusker has been committed to providing environmentally conscientious car schemes for the benefit of all with carbon neutral car schemes since 2010, going one step further in 2021 and becoming a net positive contributor to the environment. Whether with its employee salary sacrifice car scheme, or more traditional company fleet offering, Tusker has been helping to get more employees into new, affordable, and more environmentally friendly vehicles for more than 14 years
Tusker does realise that while many of its drivers are now switching to EVs, there are still some for whom the switch away from internal combustion remains a step too far. For the drivers unable to change to EVs, for reasons of charging or daily mileage, Tusker is proud to offset 100 per cent of the vehicle emissions across the life of the vehicles contract.
Based on CO2 emissions, annual mileage, and contract length, Tusker calculates the exact emissions of these internal combustion vehicles, and offsets them via Verified Carbon Standards programs.
As a tireless advocate for electrified motoring, Tusker was a founding member of the EV 100 Group in 2020, adding its name to a growing list of companies committed to switching their owned and contracted fleets to electric vehicles and installing charging infrastructure for employees and customers by 2030. Tusker is on track to achieve these milestones ahead of time.
Through advocacy of EVs and ULEVs, the switch to EV is well underway for Tusker customers, and momentum is increasing. In 2019, just 13 per cent of its salary sacrifice vehicles were EV. Two years on and this figure has climbed to 73 per cent, and looks set to rise further in 2022, with more than 90 per cent of Tusker’s order book for this year being electrified.
Thanks to the government’s low Benefit in Kind tax rates for EV and Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles, 20 per cent and 40 per cent taxpayers can take advantage of huge monthly savings via Salary Sacrifice as well. This has helped many thousands of lower-paid employees into new, safer, and greener vehicles than they would have otherwise been able to afford.
Offering employees the opportunity to drive a new, cleaner, greener car, is simple thanks to the way Tusker’s scheme is set up.
Working with businesses across both public and private sectors, Tusker’s teams provide a seamless integration of their scheme with existing business processes to enable companies to offer this sought-after benefit to employees, at a time when added-value benefits are critical for employee attraction and retention. With over a thousand UK organisations as Tusker customers, it’s fair to say, Tusker are an experienced bunch!
A secondary, but equally important component to Tusker’s success at converting drivers to EVs, is its team of in-house experts, in place to provide fully independent advice to drivers.
Knowledgeable and impartial, the team ensures that all Tusker drivers are in the right vehicle for their needs. Especially important for anyone new to EVs, the team also provides expert advice on understanding battery technology, charging and vehicle ranges. The positive benefits of this fundamental switch amongst Tusker drivers – away from petrol and diesel and into electric – is also delivering remarkable benefits to the environment. In just three years, Tusker has lowered its average fleet emissions from 108g/Km, to just 37g/Km, and this average looks set to fall even further in 2022. However,
To ensure that its environmental efforts are more than just mere tokens and offer real value for organisations looking to reduce their carbon emissions, Tusker works closely with Carbon Footprint Ltd, a leading carbon consultancy business since 2010, supporting verified carbon offsetting programs to ensure that its actions are making a verified difference to the environment. In one instance, in 2020, the company offset 132 tonnes of CO2 via a solar farm project in the Philippines as it celebrated its 11th year as a carbon neutral business. At the same time, it became a founding partner of World EV Day. In 2022, Tusker celebrated Energy Saving Week 2022 with the announcement that it had surpassed another environmental milestone, having offset more than 250,000 tonnes of carbon emissions which now include tree planting in the UK and protecting vital trees in the Amazon rainforest. Furthermore, Tusker now offsets all of the emissions from drivers charging their electric cars, assuming a worst-case scenario for the emissions generated.
With sustainability as a core Tusker value and the results speaking for themselves, Tusker really is leading the charge when it comes to introducing EV motoring to the masses. L
Flex is ideal for businesses that require flexible vehicle rental solutions with fixed monthly rates, no long term commitments, and immediate availability.
When you need to transition to electric, let us help you trial the right cars and vans for your fleet. Whether it’s a Tesla Model 3, or a Mercedes eVito, you can create your bespoke, fit for purpose fleet with Flex, with a minimum commitment of just 3 months.
Decarbonisation is now on the agenda of most organisations – public and private sector – with fleet users facing pressure to lead the charge into cleaner, greener mobility. But this is a mammoth task when vehicle supply is limited, overall fleet operating costs are spiralling, and the true effect of electric motoring – on drivers and their organisations – is an unknown
publicly accessible charge points across the UK. It also includes access to Tesla Superchargers for Tesla rentals and the option for CO2 reporting for valuable insight into emissions reduction.
Plus, through its partnership with Shell Recharge Solutions, Europcar is offering a range of home, roadside and workplace charging solutions.
Of course, as more Clean Air Zones start operating in towns and cities across the country, access to compliant vehicles will also be important to ensure that organisations do not have to pay fees and incur fines for entering these areas – as well as doing their part in improving air quality. Again, rental is helping manage this without an organisation having to make a long-term commitment to fleet right now.
There’s another big challenge employers face in making the transition to zero. That’s winning over the hearts and minds of their drivers.
There’s no question that employees want to feel that they are working for an organisation with good sustainability credentials. A recent survey1 conducted by Europcar amongst company car drivers found that 35 per cent would consider changing jobs if they felt their employer wasn’t doing enough to be sustainable and tackle climate change. And only 32 per cent believe their employer is currently taking the right actions.
But right now the spectre of range anxiety still weighs heavy on most drivers – whether private motorists in their own vehicle or employees driving for work. And that is a major factor for employers when aiming to introduce electric to their fleets.
The government’s latest commitment to electric vehicle charge points, with a new pilot backed by £20 million of government and industry funding2, should start to make in-roads into addressing those fears. However, having charging easily accessible – street-side, at petrol and service stations and at business locations – is only half the battle. The other challenge is to give drivers confidence in the ‘how, where and when’ of electric motoring. And that requires a change in mindset for all affected.
The big question is how to do this in a way that provides useful learnings, while avoiding any detrimental impact on current productivity – especially when there is so much external pressure on operating costs. Renting electric vehicles is a particularly effective way to do this. After all, a short test-drive, even if it’s for a week or more, doesn’t really deliver the insight employers and their drivers need to understand the true impact of adding electric to their fleet. What’s needed is real-world experience before making the big move.
Long-Term Solutions from Europcar are enabling employers and their drivers to do this, putting electric motoring in real-world conditions. Organisations can even switch between different vehicle types to understand what’s the right fit for their operations. Plus Europcar is providing the facility for CO2 reporting to see the impact of electric motoring on an organisation’s sustainability targets.
Available for a minimum of three months with no upfront deposit and commitment free, Flex from Europcar for EV includes comprehensive vehicle handover and charging instructions support, charging cables, and a Shell Recharge card and app – providing access to over 10,000
One size doesn’t fit all Europcar is adding vehicles that span the majority of business motoring use cases to give fleet managers the chance to genuinely put low and zero emission motoring to the test, all available as part of Europcar LongTerm rental solutions. The latest additions include several hundred Tesla Model 3 for long-term business rental. The LEVC van and Mercedes-Benz e-Vito have also been added to the commercial fleet with existing customers being supported in their transition to zero with access to the Mercedes-Benz eVito van for short demo test-drives.
The Europcar branch network is also rapidly being charged up for the future, with the number of charge points doubled this year. L
1 Vyper research conducted July 2022 – 500 company car drivers 2 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ drivers-to-benefit-from-20-million-evchargepoint-boost
To find out more about how Europcar can help your organisation transition to zero, visit www. europcar.co.uk/business/electric or call 0371 384 0140.
Electric bikes are the perfect choice for short journeys and commuting and offer far more benefits than simply transitioning to an electric vehicle. Increased e-bike use benefits you, the planet and the community around you.
E-bikes make cycling feel easier, you still need to pedal but with assistance from the motor, the ride never feels too far or too challenging. On a flat road the rider may be providing most of the power but as the road goes up the e-bike takes the strain, you can control how much or how little assistance you require by switching modes. An e-bike can make you feel more confident as the motor will assist you when you are setting off, helping you to clear a junction or if you want to accelerate around a hazard.
E-bike motors in the UK are limited to 15.9mph, this doesn’t mean you can’t go faster but at that point the motor will provide no more assistance and any increase in speed comes from your own legs turning the pedals.
E-bikes remove some of the barriers to cycling, firstly by taking the physical strain but secondly by making cycling more convenient. E-bikes put less physical strain on your joints, heart and breathing making cycling possible for everyone, even people who might find a conventional bike too challenging to use regularly.
As an e-bike requires less physical effort you can comfortably ride in your work clothes and not worry about getting sweaty. You can ride an e-bike even when you feel tired, just increase the support from the motor on those sleepy Monday mornings. On an e-bike, unlike driving an EV car, you don’t get stuck in traffic jams or help to create them, removing congestion from the roads for everyone. With an e-bike there are no time tables, no waiting for your bus or train and no staring impotently at the bumper in front.
There are very well documented health benefits to e-cycling and contrary to popular myths that an e-bike is somehow ‘cheating’ e-bike users actually experience a greater boost to their health. The ease of e-cycling encourages more frequent cycling over greater distances than a conventional bike, one study reveals, and another shows even greater benefit when inactive people are given an e-bike as an alternative form of transport. Several studies have shown that cycle commuters are happier than those who arrive at work by other forms of transport. That alone sounds like a good reason to switch to an e-bike!
Raleigh have always been at the forefront of cycling and e-bikes are no exception, “ e-bikes are as revolutionary to the way we
travel as the invention of the original bicycle” says Edward Pegram, head of marketing at Raleigh UK. “They make such a positive difference to individuals and communities that we see them as one of the most important bikes in our current range,” Edward adds.
As with conventional bikes, e-bikes come in a wide range of designs to suit every rider’s needs. The comfortable, upright position of the Motus with a low step through-frame makes it an easy bike for everyone to ride as there is no need to swing your leg up and over to mount or dismount. The lightweight, traditionally styled city-bike Trace makes every commute enjoyable, as well as being a convenient way to get to work. For those with a little bit more to shift, or families with young children the Stride cargo-bike has enough power to help move heavy loads with ease. It makes an excellent alternative to a family car for the school run, trips out and shopping.
The Centros is designed to make your active lifestyle even more action packed. With a battery that can take you up to 130 miles on a single charge you can ride further and discover more. With easy to click-in accessories you can set your bike up for multi-day bikepacking adventures, transporting your kit to the beach or getting off the beaten track on cross-country trails. In a style to suit everyone it is available as a hub-gear low-step model and a cross-bar version with derailleur gears. With greener transport and e-bike use especially, it is not what we do some of the time but what we do most of the time that will make the biggest difference to the environment. In the UK in 2020, statistics from the Department of Transport revealed that 25 per cent of trips were under one mile, and 71 per cent under fuve miles. An e-bike makes a viable alternative to other forms of transport for short journeys. Just swapping to an e-bike for some of our short journeys can make a big difference to our health, well-being and road congestion as well as the environment. L
Switching to an electric bike is less difficult than you think, and more rewarding than you might expect. Swapping a car or public transport for e-cycling on short journeys is a positive choice for you and the planet. The British bike brand talks about the joys of electric travel
New petrol and diesel cars will no longer be sold in the UK from 2035, so, before long, more of us will be behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. But there are a number of concerns and misconceptions about EVs that are still making people think twice. Here the National Grid addresses some of the most common EV myths
Myth 1: The electricity grid won’t be able to handle the increase in EVs
There are two aspects to whether the electricity grid can manage lots of EVs being plugged in at once: whether enough electricity is available; and whether the wires that carry that electricity have enough capacity to do so.
It’s important to remember that the shift to EVs is happening gradually – not overnight. Renewable energy sources are constantly being developed to supply us with more clean and green electricity, and we’re constantly ‘evolving’ the electricity grid to be better equipped to handle it.
A main source of concern here is the scenario of all EV owners charging their EVs at the same time. So is it possible to spread out the demand, while still making sure we all get our EVs charged when we need it?
With this in mind, the UK Government has introduced Electric Vehicle Smart Charge Points Regulations, which ensure that EV charge points will have smart functionality; allowing the charging to happen when there is less demand on the grid, or when more renewable (and therefore often cheaper) electricity is available. This means that no matter what time you plug in your car, it will charge when you need it but can automatically pause during those peaks when demand on the grid is highest and energy is most expensive.
The most demand for electricity in recent years in the UK was for 62GW in 2002. Since then, the nation’s peak demand has fallen by roughly 16 per cent due to improvements in energy efficiency.
Even if we all switched to EVs overnight, we believe demand would only increase
by around 10 per cent. So we’d still be using less power as a nation than we did in 2002 and this is well within the range of manageable load fluctuation.
A significant amount of electricity is used to refine oil for petrol and diesel. Fully
Charged’s video Volts for Oil estimates that refining 1 gallon of petrol would use around 4.5kWh of electricity – so, as we start to use less petrol or diesel cars, some of that electricity capacity could become available.
Myth 2: The electricity used to charge EVs is created by burning fossil fuels, so there are still emissions involved More and more of our electricity now comes from renewable, green or clean energy sources, and zero-carbon power in Britain’s electricity mix has grown from less than 20 per cent in 2010 to nearly 50 per cent in 2021. With the growth in onshore and offshore wind farms and the closure of a number of coal plants, transport is in fact now the most polluting thing the UK does as a nation.
Our energy system is also becoming more flexible to maximise on this cleaner energy whenever it’s available. Apps like the WhenToPlugIn app, as well as new legislation and smart energy tariffs, are all helping us manage our electricity use – for example, Smart Chargers that can start or pause our EV charging to ensure it’s using the cleanest and cheapest power.
Myth 3: EVs are slower than petrol and diesel cars Formula E racing is a great example of just how fast EVs can go. A Formula E car can accelerate
from 0-62mph in just 2.8 seconds – faster than most Ferraris. They can have a top speed of 174mph (280km/h), equivalent to travelling from London to Edinburgh in just over two hours. Definitely no issues with slowness there.
For normal EVs outside the racing world, top speeds aren’t really any different to other cars, but they accelerate more quickly so can ‘feel’ faster. This is because you get the maximum torque (leading to acceleration) from the minute you start rolling, whereas you need to ‘rev up’ an internal combustion engine car to get maximum power and torque.
Myth 4: EVs are much more expensive than petrol and diesel equivalents
It’s true that products based on new technology do tend to be more expensive for early adopters. But, as they become more mainstream and volumes increase, prices typically come down – look at mobile phones for example.
EV battery prices are already falling, which helps with this. So we absolutely expect the upfront cost of new EVs to reduce over the next few years.
For those looking to buy used rather than new, the current uptick of supply in new EVs will hit the second hand EVs market fairly soon.
It’s also important to look not just at the initial outlay for your car but the ‘whole life cost’, which means considering its running costs and how well it retains its value. It seems that EVs are depreciating less than petrol and diesel cars, so you might well get more payback when the time comes for you to trade in or sell on.
Even though EVs currently have higher purchase prices, they’re cheaper to run –costing much less than petrol or diesel, at as little as 2p per mile if you charge at E
Sponsored by
Busting
the right time of day or night. EVs have fewer moving parts too, meaning they should also have lower servicing costs. Incentives may also be available to lower the price of an EV, such as the government’s plug-in grants, which are now available for vans, taxis and trucks.
Myth 5: We’ll end up with lots of EV batteries going into landfill
The lithium ion technology in our mobile phones is not dissimilar to those in an electric vehicle, but what’s different is that EVs have effective power management systems that guard the long-term health of their batteries. Most manufacturers are offering battery warranties of seven or eight years, or around 100,000 miles, but there’s a reasonable expectation that they will actually last longer than that and indeed outlive the car itself.
Even if a battery became no longer fit for use in the car it won’t end up in that landfill site, as it can either be recycled or given a second life as an energy storage unit for homes or businesses.
Myth 6: Electric vehicles don’t go far enough on a single charge and take a long time to charge
The sweet-spot for the range of an EV is between 200 and 300 miles. This gives the optimal balance between cost and range. Most people don’t need a range of more than this; after the time it takes to drive this distance most of us need a pit stop anyway.
Statistically in the UK, the first car in a family does around 37 miles a day on average and any second car covers around 11 miles daily.
Understandably people don’t, however, buy for their average journeys – they buy for the longest ones they do. In reality, when we take longer trips, most of us already do stop for 15-20 minutes at a service station, to grab a drink, use the toilet or fill up on petrol or diesel. That would be all the time it takes to power up your EV with the new range of ultrarapid chargers that are already available.
Charging an EV can take as little as 30 minutes or up to 12 hours – it all depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point.
A Nissan LEAF with a 40kW battery, for example, would take around five hours to charge from empty with a 7kW home charging point, whereas a Polestar with a 78kW battery would take around 10 hours. A rapid charger at a motorway service station, however, could charge your car to full in about 30 minutes.
The charging rate can also differ depending on the ambient temperature, the state of the battery (e.g. empty or half full) and the maximum charging rate of the vehicle.
Similar to your mobile phone though, up to 80% of your charging will likely be at home, including while you’re sleeping.
Myth 7: The infrastructure isn’t able to support a lot of people driving electric vehicles –especially in rural areas
In the UK, National Grid has proposed the optimum locations for adequate grid capacity to enable others to provide ultra-fast chargers, ensuring that nobody on the strategic road network (motorways and principle dual carriageways) is further than 50 driven miles from ultra-rapid charging. This will give drivers consistency, continuity and therefore confidence that their main – or only – car can be electric.
Myth 8: Electric cars break down more than normal cars
Electric cars are actually shown to break down less than combustion vehicles, as they have fewer moving parts. They also require less maintenance, fewer fluids and their brake systems generally last longer due to regenerative braking.
Edmund King, president of the UK’s biggest breakdown organisation, the AA, told The Clean Energy Revolution podcast: “There is a massive misconception; 99 per cent of people in a survey of 15,000 exaggerated by quite a lot the number of EVs that would break down from running out of charge - it’s less than four per cent, and 50 per cent of them aren’t actually out of charge, they’re low on charge and maybe a little bit worried.”
He continued: “The biggest reason we’re being called out for EVs [breaking down] is exactly the same as for conventional cars.”
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.nationalgrid.com
How can we prepare for the coming unprecedented electricity demand? Upgrading society’s electrical infrastructure is pivotal, says Vattenfall’s Zandra Salomonsson.
This year, Europe has been struck with multiple blows to its energy security: eyewatering fuel costs instigated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the deepening climate emergency; and pandemic-driven demand shock to name a few. These critical events have highlighted the fragility of our energy markets, accelerating national efforts to transition towards clean electricity and away from fossil-fuel dependency.
In other words – our race to an electric future has officially begun.
While the UK government are making efforts to produce and procure the additional power for our electric future, getting it to where it’s needed is an additional challenge.
Charging electric vehicles and powering operations which were previously driven by fossil fuels requires upgrading the UK’s electricity networks, to support our transition towards a more resilient economic future.
As interest in electric energy powers up, networks are set to undergo the biggest transition since the super grid was established
in the 1950s. Currently, most businesses’ on-site private wire networks and electrical infrastructure cannot sufficiently cope with the unprecedented power demands, meaning significant upgrades are required to efficiently (and safely) transition.
Upgrading today to cope with a switch from a gas-powered boiler to electric or powering an EV fleet tomorrow is a prudent plan; leaving it until the last moment could have significant consequences.
A shortage of equipment, expertise, and increased wait times for business’ upgraded or new grid connections could cause bottlenecks, downtime and become a competitive disadvantage.
Fortunately, there is a means to futureproof a company’s high voltage electrical infrastructure for zero up-front cost: outsourcing. Instead of tying up capital in expensive electrical infrastructure, companies can outsource the risks and responsibilities for EV charging and other electrical upgrades through Power-as-a-Service.
Vattenfall’s IDNO business provides ‘cash-back’ via Asset Adoption Value payments for new or upgraded grid connections, while Power-as-a-Service
covers the cost of new high voltage electrical infrastructure (like transformers) or upgrades to existing networks (like EV charge points). The CAPEX for solar PV panels and batteries can also be included, improving a business’ energy resilience. Ultimately, planning ahead is essential for the UK to go fossil free. And with consumer demand predicted to rise dramatically in the next 10, 20, 30 years, hitting the mark for essential upgrades has never been more advantageous. Why wait? L
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AssetWorks provides a fleet ecosystem with sustainability at the core of its software. From fleet management to telematics, AssetWorks has spent over 40 years perfecting its cloud-based technology to provide an outstanding commitment to safety, compliance, sustainability, and integration
organisation. In the next five years, we may improve on EVs, but other alternative fuel types have their place with heavy fleets. Without a doubt, battery technology is going to improve - the length and time of batteries’ capabilities and the marketplace is going to improve. It may not be the only powertrain for the future brings but it is certainly the first step on the journey.”
EV can go the distance (well, around 200 miles)
The job of your fleet is to drive, so you may be worried about your drivers not being able to travel a distance without having to stop for a recharge. Eighty-eight per cent of EVs can go over 200 miles without having to be charged. The average daily drive is under 30 miles, so in the rare case a driver does a long drive, there are close to 29 thousand public chargers in the UK. The number of public chargers will continue to increase alongside the production of EVs.
Our ecosystems help organisations control every asset interaction within the fleet management journey, from acquisition to disposal.
Managing more than 14 million assets, AssetWorks is a leader in understanding and developing solutions for transition challenges. We know that transitioning to EV can be overwhelming but here are four fleet advantages to embracing EV sooner:
Oil changes are a lot of labour for technicians, but if fleets do not have fleet management software, it can be harder to keep up with preventive maintenance. Not only does fleet management software help, but EVs are a solution as well. Even though you continuously hear more about EVs as production continues to increase, 61 per cent of fleet managers are not confident about their knowledge of electric vehicles.
If cutting out oil changes is not enough of a benefit to owning an EV, many other benefits can help save you money. The average annual cost of running an EV is 49 per cent, or £1,306, cheaper than petrol or diesel cars. EV batteries also last longer than engines and are good for over 100,000 miles. Not only is the running cost less in EVs, but seven out of nine electric cars hold a better value over a four-year lease compared to Internal
Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. Even if the initial cost of an EV is outside of your budget, there are ways around it.
Despite the price of EVs being higher than ICE vehicles, they do have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) because they require less maintenance and no fuel. If a new EV is too costly, there is the option to purchase a used EV instead. Either way, within the next four to five years it is predicted EVs will be cheaper than other ICE vehicles once they meet their price parity. The UK also offers grants to assist with the cost and installation of EVs. Grants have been offered by the UK Government to help people purchase and install charging points at home.
There are also workplace ChargePoint schemes which benefit both employee and employer. There are lots of incentives to transition to EV in the UK.
Mike Gadd, AssetWorks managing director believes the first step of any carbon reduction activity has got to be the exploitation of what’s available in the market today. He said: “A blended strategy of EV, as well as other alternative fuel types, must be the first step into managing carbon reduction within your
By the end of 2022 the majority of cars on the road will be electric, so that means more fleets will be transitioning to electric as well. Despite all the benefits of having an electric fleet, the transition may still be worrisome. Those at AssetWorks understand those worries and have created the solution to help, FuelFocusEV. Not only does FuelFocusEV help manage EVs, but it helps fleets get the most out of EV charging.
Whether an employee charges at a private or public charging station, the software automatically imports the charging transaction. The software will make sure to import the time of the charge session and the kilowatt per hour cost.
By switching to EVs you are already set to save money, but FuelFocusEV helps you save and improve the accuracy in capital planning. You will save money and time by accurately accounting for both private and electric charging sessions. Ready to transform your operations? Schedule a custom demo of AssetWorks FuelFocusEV to learn how you can benefit your fleet through modern software technology.
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You can contact us on our website at assetworks.co.uk, via email at communications@assetworks.com or call us on 0161 927 3680.
As one of the UK’s largest integrated salvage, dismantling and vehicle recycling companies, Sarah Hirst, Client and Green Parts Director sheds a light on how SYNETIQ is preparing for an EV future.
With the recent announcement of the government’s multimillion pound Local EV Infrastructure scheme for the installation of more than 1,000 EV chargers across the country, it’s clear that as a country, the UK is stepping up its preparation efforts ahead of the 2030 ban of petrol and diesel vehicle sales.
This will ultimately have a domino effect on the vehicle recycling industry and we’re already seeing more and more EVs come through our doors.
Over the past three years, we’ve seen a fivefold increase of EV vehicles being recovered and a tenfold in EVs being dismantled (based on 2020 and 2021). This year alone, we’ve already surpassed this increase and we’ve still got a few months to go until the end of 2022.
So, as one of the largest vehicle recycling companies in the UK – what are we doing to make sure we’re ready to safely handle this increase in EVs?
The most important word in that sentence is ‘safely’. As a recycler we have the responsibility to make sure we dispose of EV batteries in the safest, most cost effective, and sustainable way possible for our clients. The good news is we’re already well underway on our journey.
Last year, we opened the doors to our new EV Dismantling and Recycling Centre along with three bespoke, specialist, battery storage units to safely home both EV battery packs as well as smaller PHEV units. Each unit is equipped with a fire suppression system as well as being installed on its own concrete pad to ensure total separation from other operations.
We recognise the safety implications that come hand-in-hand when physically working with EVs. From the point of collection through to dismantling, colleagues
at every stage of the process have been trained to correctly and safely handle EVs.
The safe disposal of EV batteries is new to us all, that’s why we’re collaborating with several different organisations to make sure we’re doing everything we can to solve the industry-wide challenge and exploring all potential avenues for the end-of-life recycling process for EV batteries. L
We will soon be in a position to share our findings with you but in the meantime, if you would like any more information, please feel free to get in contact with me sarah.hirst@synetiq.co.uk.
Omnia Smart Technologies has created an intuitive blueprint that provides guidance and actions to complete when transitioning to net zero from start to finish. What follows is a brief overview outlining some of the logic behind the blueprint
optimisation background combined with our understanding of electric vehicles and infrastructure gives us the ability to look at problems from an operational view and remove barriers. We show organisations that if they implement our blueprint, we can illustrate what parts of the operation are achievable to transition to net zero, as well as when is optimal.
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote may be overused, but that doesn’t make its message any less powerful: plan well, and you diminish the chance of failure. However, planning alone is far from enough. Execution is of course vital, and to successfully transition to net zero, processes are key. What processes though? What exactly does holistically transitioning to net zero entail?
The good news is that Omnia Smart Technologies has created - and successfully implemented – an intuitive blueprint that provides guidance and actionables to complete what is potentially the very complex undertaking of transitioning to net zero from start to finish. What follows is a brief overview outlining some of the logic behind our blueprint.
Many local authorities and businesses are uncertain where to start when it comes to transitioning to net zero. Most often the hurdle is not budget itself, but rather how to get the wheels turning and begin the process. While budget certainly plays a decisive role in the larger scheme of things, the fact is that simply purchasing electric vehicles is not enough. There are a host of additional factors that are potentially not considered – many that are in fact unknowns.
Without a proper plan in place (or indeed, sufficient experience), it may seem adequate to simply purchase a certain number of electric vehicles (and chargers) to replace the same amount in an existing fleet. Experience has shown that this is almost never the case and doing so may be catastrophic in the sense that whole budgets can be spent without considering the steps that need to be followed post-purchase. A thorough understanding of the separate parts that make up the whole is crucial when rolling out a successful transition to net zero.
When transitioning to net zero there are three key aspects that need to be taken into account: operations, infrastructure, and vehicles. The more complex aspects of the transition process are the operational elements such as effects on service delivery,
and this is often where uncertainty sets in. This is mainly due to the fact that by and large there is little guidance when it comes to successfully navigating these waters. Omnia, itself and through its partners, has helped organisations analyse fleets, charging capacity and operations. Vehicle replacement plans are also a key component in assisting with meeting Net Zero targets. In our experience, a holistic approach to the transformation process is of utmost importance.
It has become an absolute necessity for professionals to provide services that isolate potential (and inevitable) stumbling blocks that are bound to arise operationally, and then guide organisations through the processes that need to be followed to ensure a smooth and holistic transformation to net zero. Embarking on this endeavour without first consulting those with experience is bound to result in delays, or worse.
For example, consider a company such as Omnia Smart Technologies – our transport
The Omnia blueprint is intuitive enough to be superimposed upon organisations of varying types and sizes. This step-bystep blueprint can be followed to assist local authorities and other organisations in confidently transitioning to a sustainable greener fleet. Blueprints such as the one we have developed provide insights on which vehicles to convert, infrastructure configuration, technology requirements, vehicle funding options, service transformation options, cashable savings and more. These are the peripherals that are so often overlooked – elements that, if ignored, can lead to serious gaps and delays in the transition process.
The ability to show customers – through using their own data – that they can maintain service delivery levels using zero emission vehicles is paramount to the transition process. Regardless of where an organisation may be on their journey, it is crucial that a holistic approach is taken.L
www.omniasmarttechnologies.com
Feature
Written by Jean-Philippe Taylor, managing director, Omnia
Our expert panelists examine the issues slowing the adoption of electric vehicles within fleets; from supply issues and charging concerns, to the specific challenges faced by van drivers. Together, they share their expert advice to help organisations smoothly transition to an electric fleet
Simon Tate is sales director for the Fleet Services division of Mer, one of the UK’s leading providers of fleet, workplace and home charging infrastructure. Simon has worked in the fleet sector since 2005, holding roles with Mercedes-Benz, Lombard, Leaseplan and Northgate. He has specialised exclusively in the EV charging sector since 2018.
Steve Beadle 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. Steve joined the Grosvenor Group in 2012, and is well-known for his clear and inciteful advice for companies with car and light commercial vehicle fleets looking towards their zero emission futures.
Neill Emmett is the head of marketing at LeasePlan UK, a multi-award-winning organisation at the forefront of helping fleets transition to electric vehicles. Neill has over 23 years of marketing experience within the automotive, financial services and recruitment sectors. He has been at LeasePlan UK for the last seven years.
Simon West-Oliver is the sales director for AssetWorks. He has over 30 years of experience in the fleet industry. Simon’s wealth of experience supports fleets in managing their assets by providing sustainable change with decarbonisation planning, digitalisation in workshops, environmental and social compliance management, mobility as a service, and embracing an emerging circular economy.
Dean has a deep knowledge of commercial vehicles and the public sector marketplace. Working within the automotive industry since the early 1990s has given Dean a strong understanding of the marketplace, vehicle funding methods, the fleet world, EU procurement regulations, framework complexities and a network of contacts. He’s also an electric vehicle expert and a spokesperson for the future of electrification at the AA.
Mike Strahlman is the Director of EV for JustPark. Passionate about the energy transition, Mike has spent the last 13 years across the energy industry including nine at Shell and three with Deloitte. Mike holds a MEng from Oxford University and serves as a non-exec Director of Giki Social Enterprise.
Dave leads E.ON’s operational activities in the UK, managing sales, delivery, customer operations and commercial teams. He plays a key role in setting and delivering the UK strategy, identifying risks and opportunities. He’s been with E.ON for over 10 years and built up extensive experience in the energy industry, especially in the development and implementation of commercial strategies.
Ongoing global supply chain issues are continuing to delay the fulfilment of vehicle orders.
According to the SMMT, the lack of semiconductors, made worse by Covid lockdowns in manufacturing, plus disruption caused from the war in Ukraine, has all affected supply into the UK new car market, leading to long waiting times for fleet operators.
The problem is causing some fleets to run their existing vehicles for longer. But what problems does that raise and how can it be resolved?
Steve Beadle head of 0Zone at the Grosvenor Group, comments: “Running existing vehicles for longer is, of course, challenging because the older the vehicles are, the less reliable they become. And after three years, vehicles require an MOT and often their warranties are due to expire, which adds to their downtime and running costs.
“However, if you can hold onto your existing vehicles then at least you can keep your business mobile and at Grosvenor Leasing we have extended the leases on over 500 vehicles to help our customers remain mobile during the semi-conductor crisis.
“The biggest headache regarding vehicle supply is not having a vehicle at all, and this is not just because of the lack of supply of new vehicles; fleets are also struggling with vehicles being off road for extended periods of time waiting for parts.
“That’s where we are finding the frustration is the greatest, where fleet operators are having to return a vehicle even when they don’t have another one arriving to replace it. Or they were given an estimated delivery date which fitted into their plans, to then be told by the manufacturer that it has been delayed.”
Neill Emmett, head of marketing at LeasePlan UK says that despite the supply chain issues, which he believes are slowly improving, now isn’t the time to sit back and do nothing. He says: “The good news is that the supply chain issues are already resolving, albeit slowly. The situation is much improved when compared to that in, say, the middle of 2020. And most manufacturers expect that things will be back to normal in early-to-mid 2023.
“Here at LeasePlan, we are, of course, in constant dialogue with manufacturers; seeking updates that we then pass on to our customers. We will maintain these lines of communication until our customers are comfortable with the situation again – or, actually, beyond.”
In the meantime, there’s plenty that fleet professionals can do until the supply issues come to an end. Neill says: “Our general rule is that this isn’t a time to sit back. Quite the opposite. The government’s 2030 ban on new sales of fossil-fuelled vehicles is fast approaching, and organisations need to work out how electric vehicles can meet their daily business requirements. Even when those vehicles aren’t available, this means a lot of planning. What EVs could work for you? What about charging solutions? And driver training?
“What’s more, fleets that are actually waiting for vehicles to arrive have a range
of alternative solutions to choose from. For example, flexible leasing products –such as LeasePlan Flexible – can deliver for businesses who need cars or vans for several weeks or months. There’s no long-term commitment, so you can simply extend, or off-hire, vehicles as needed.”
Simon Tate, sales director for the Fleet Services division of Mer, comments on the financial and environmental implications of running an older fleet. He said: “Typically, once fleet vehicles are over three years old, the running costs really start to stack up, as in most cases those vehicles are out of warranty by then. This is only going to exacerbate total ownership costs. Older vehicles also tend to have higher emissions, which can hamper fleets that are working towards CO2 reduction targets.
“What’s more, from an employee morale perspective, drivers are not happy having to stick with older vehicles for another 12 months. They are going to be impacted by Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax, so it hits them in the back pocket.”
Simon points out that this may be a good time to entice drivers into an electric vehicle. He explains: “One solution is to persuade them to switch to an electric vehicle (EV). Of course, EVs have been impacted by global supply chain issues, but often not to the same extent as diesel and petrol vehicles. Some automotive manufacturers have prioritised production of EVs in order to hit their own CO2 reduction targets, meaning certain models have higher availability.”
The trend of organisations holding on to vans for longer is backed up by industry research. Dean Hedger, new business development manager at the AA, explains: “In 2021, we launched our fifth annual Operational Fleet Insight Report in partnership with Rivus Fleet Solutions, involving more than 500 operational fleet managers in our collection of industry insight. The report revealed that 16 per cent of commercial users increased the lifespans of their older vehicles as a result of COVID-19. Commercial fleets are as affected by the semiconductor shortage as consumers. The average van is now a record 8.7 years old (SMMT).”
While operating an ageing fleet can be challenging, taking a focused approach to preventative maintenance could result in savings in the short term. Dean explains: “Prestige Fleet Servicing, part of the AA, recommends that managers pull together a maintenance schedule for every vehicle in their fleet to map out trigger points for maintenance. Managers should have a record of the maintenance history for each vehicle and parts replaced, as well as an inspection and service record and details of current mileage and fluid levels. Decide on a trigger point to schedule maintenance activity, for example, every 5,000 miles, and make software service reminders for each vehicle. Taking a proactive approach towards servicing will reduce vehicle off-road time (VOR), allowing managers to reduce the business funds as a result of fleet downtime.”
Commenting on the issue of keeping vehicles on fleet for longer, David Butters, general manager of E.ON Drive, said: “Having to manage older vehicles and the reliability and efficiency of those vehicles raises a host of practical challenges, as we know that older internal combustion engine vehicles have a higher probability of breaking down.
“There are also in some cases key decisions that must be made that could have a financial impact, for example where companies have lease agreements in place. Do they choose to extend those agreements and risk penalties if they back out when the market improves, or do they bite the bullet and wait longer than necessary to make the transition?
“In terms of how this issue is resolved, it comes down to that manufacturing element, we need more, and we need them faster. The slower newer vehicles are produced, the slower we’ll see vehicles entering the second hand market, which many companies might be waiting for, as opposed to buying brand new EVs outright.”
Fleet managers must keep an eye on life-cycle costs to prevent fleets getting too expensive to run, believes Simon West-Oliver, AssetWorks’ sales director. He says: “There comes a point when it costs more to maintain a E
fleet vehicle than it does to replace it. While a traditional replacement model may recommend something along the lines of 10 years/100,000 miles, your actual operational and maintenance costs may be sky-high well before you reach that point. To understand the best time to replace a vehicle, fleets must calculate life-cycle costs based off of fleet data like planned and unplanned maintenance costs, utilisation, and fuel usage.”
Mike Strahlman, director of EV at JustPark, points out some of the reasons why fleets are holding onto their vehicles for longer, and possibly delaying the switch to electric. He says: “The main problems that arise from the long waiting times are primarily the risk of not meeting electrification targets, both UK wide and for fleets.
“Secondly, there’s a heavier ‘burden’ on the existing charging infrastructure to support fleets that have already gone electric when it’s currently insufficient – for example in 2017, relying on the public charging network was easier, with only a 5:1 ratio of cars to each charger. In 2022 that is now 15:1.
“And finally, rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis adds weight to the existing inertia for fleets to electrify, making them stay in diesel for longer. We know fleets who are ‘postponing’ electrification decisions based on infrastructure, let alone because of availability and costs increasing.
“How do we see the issue resolving? Infrastructure solutions will need to get smarter, and not just ‘more prolific’ by adding more public chargers. Our FleetCharge product, for example, solves electrification charging issues for fleet drivers who cannot charge at home.”
With many electric vehicles capable of driving over 300 miles, range anxiety is not as much as a barrier than before. The issue now being raised is the ease and convenience of charging when a top up is needed on
route. So what do our panelists view as the main problems with the public charging network and how can these be addressed?
Mer’s Simon Tate shares his observations: “Within the last 12 months we have seen some major improvements to the availability and quality of public charging infrastructure. The industry has made some massive leaps forward, but one of the biggest issues that remains is maintaining the infrastructure. Far too many of those charge points are broken or indeed are obsolete and need replacing. It’s no good having a pin in the map, only for a driver to navigate there and discover they can’t charge after all.”
Another big issue is the complexity of charging, believes Simon. He explains: “Firstly, fleets should make training on charging part of the handover process when a driver gets an EV. I’ve seen a van driver trying to use a Tesla charger before and getting frustrated that it wouldn’t work – his company clearly had not explained to him which chargers he could use.
“Secondly, the amount of charging apps and cards that an EV driver needs to access all the different networks is frankly ridiculous. We have got to make it simple and straightforward.
The new ISO 15118 Plug and Charge Protocol will address this when it comes into play in 2025, but it would be great to see more cooperation between public charging providers before then.”
Simon adds: “Overall, public network coverage is improving and there are EV charging companies doing a great job such as Instavolt, Ionity and Fastned. They are investing in the 350kW chargers that are wanted and needed by EV drivers like me – and their sites are well lit, well signed and well maintained.”
David Butters from E.ON Drive points out that where you live or work has an impact on how
good the charging infrastructure is. He says: “Growth of the infrastructure is still burdened by geographical constraints, and you’ll find a significantly lower number of chargers in the more rural areas of the country. We’ve called on the government for a nationally co-ordinated programme to resolve this issue to some degree.
“In addition to the public infrastructure though, we need to make it easier for everyone to charge at home. Recent regulations introduced by the government that ensures all new build properties have an EV charger is a positive step towards this. There’s still more we can do though, particular from an innovation perspective and helping those with no off-street parking get access to chargers in their neighbourhood, as well as making it more affordable for the working class through grants and schemes.
“Reliability is the next problem - we need further regulations to combat anxiety around charger reliability, companies operating chargers need to be held accountable for their performance. We maintain an average of 99 per cent availability across our network, but that can’t be said of all providers. Stricter rules set by government will protect drivers and build confidence.”
Adding to the point that drivers needs some form of training when it comes to charge points, Dean Hedger says that it is also crucial that drivers feel they have support when charge points don’t work. He says: “Undoubtedly, driver confidence needs a boost when it comes to charging, and it is critical to increase take-up. Drivers need to know that help is available when it comes using the public charge point network, and available fast. A focus on customer services needs to become more standardised across the board to ease the process of switching for fleets.
“This was a key finding from our research report, New Horizons 2021:Technology, customer service and the evolving automotive landscape, which looked at the views of OEMs, MPs and SME managers. Almost 60 per cent of MPs said that good customer service for EV charging points is just as important as increasing the number of charge points.
“Earlier this year, we confirmed that the AA’s business services division had secured its 10th EV charge point support contract. This makes the AA the UK’s leading provider of services to the nation’s fast growing EV infrastructure network. Our dedicated phone line support provides advice and guidance on the correct use of the charge points. It can also start or stop the charge and perform a reset on the post remotely, if that is required, enabling stranded EV drivers to continue their journey as quickly as possible.
“The charge point support service is part of the AA’s ongoing drive to help UK businesses switch to EVs with confidence. Since March 2020, we’ve created a dedicated team of 30 call handlers that deals with more than 11,000 calls per month to help drivers with any issues they have at the charge point. The service operates on a 24/7 basis and can also call on the skills of the AA patrol force should issues turn out to be vehicle related.” E
With capableelectricmanyvehicles of drivingover 300 miles, rangeanxiety is not asmuch as a barrierthan before
understanding the range information that’s attached to electric vehicles. And, worryingly, this proportion actually rose to 59 per cent when we focused on just those drivers who currently own an EV – meaning that familiarity doesn’t actually seem to help.
“This confusion afflicts charge points, too. Around half – 52 per cent – of our respondents said that they understand the cost of charging at home, which isn’t an overwhelmingly huge proportion. But that proportion falls even lower for other types of charging; to 41 per cent for on-street charge points. And then to just 39 per cent for both workplaces and motorway service stations.
Dean also points out that more vulnerable road users must be considered when rolling out charging infrastructure. He says: “Around one in ten new cars in the UK are purchased on behalf of disabled drivers. An AA 2021 survey found 73 per cent of respondents felt charge post spaces should be wheelchair friendly. Nearly 80% felt charge post design should consider users with limited mobility and/or disabilities.
“Earlier this year, the AA called for greater accessibility of EV charge points. The Department for Transport (DfT) has now commissioned the British Standards Institute (BSI) to develop accessibility standards for EV charge points across the UK, providing industry and drivers with clear definitions of ‘fully accessible’, ‘partially accessible’ and ‘not accessible’ public EV charge points.
Meanwhile, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), motability and BSI are
Recent research from LeasePlan shows that there are gaps in people’s knowledge when it comes to electric vehicles, especially around charging and cost. LeasePlan UK’s Neill Emmett explains: “As it happens, LeasePlan UK, along with various partners in the automotive sector, recently commissioned IPSOS to produce a research report on electric motoring and its future. As part of that process, we held numerous focus groups and surveyed over 2,000 drivers. The report itself was published on World EV Day.
“One of the main issues that came up – and that’s reflected in the report – is charging.
“It’s true: range anxiety itself is certainly less of a concern than it was in the past. Almost two thirds of our respondents agreed that the driving range of new vehicles is
“What’s the solution? Of course, continued investment in the national charging infrastructure is both necessary and desirable. But, in the report, we also suggest some other ideas – including clearer, more consistent information about charging speeds, and campaigns to promote smarter, off-peak charging.”
Steve Beadle shares how Grosvenor Leasing is seeing a very high uptake of EVs in the company car sector, despite an imperfect public charging infrastructure. He says: “We’re seeing in the region of 80 per cent of new cars orders being either plug-in hybrid or battery electric.
“It means the pace of growth of electric vehicles is out pacing the speed at which the public charging network is growing, resulting in many of the EVs we are delivering are going to drivers who have home charging installed, can charge at their place of work or live in an urban area where access to public chargers is strong.”
Transport is one of the highest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
Which is why it’s so important for companies with vehicle fleets to play their part in moving to alternative fuels.
As the UK’s largest privately-owned contract hire and fleet management specialist, Grosvenor has helped companies such as Weetabix, Whistl, Tata Steel, Agrii and Glenmorangie Whisky drive down their vehicle emissions.
In fact, our 0Zone team has won awards for its expertise in helping companies
make the transition to ultra-low emission and electric vehicles.
Thinking of adding another petrol or diesel vehicle to your fleet? Talk to us first.
Whole life costs could show that an electric vehicle will be more cost-effective in the long run, and a better choice for our future generations.
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But acknowledging the reality of the situation, Steve says: “The cynical view is that this was a very late response to questions being asked as to how companies and private motorists would be able to function if they could not buy new petrol or diesel models after 2030.
“The reality is, we only have circa 40,000 charges across the UK currently, and with most EVs having limited range drivers are completely reliant on being able to fast charge their vehicles on longer journeys.
“The upshot is that any drivers repeatedly travelling long distances are not yet committing to EVs, nor are those in more remote areas.
“At Grosvenor, our 0Zone team appreciates that we are not in a perfect situation yet, but we work with customers to see how to best overcome any barriers so that they can drive forward with the electrification of their fleet.
“As a result, we look at the different options for each driver, in terms of home charging, workplace charging and public charging, and with drivers who are going to find charging most challenging, the pragmatic approach is to accept the current situation and allow these drivers to remain in a low emission petrol/diesel car while converting all other drivers to plug-in capability.”
Agreeing that the public charging network comes with challenges, Mike from JustPark comments: “Range anxiety is less of an issue, but an issue all the same, as 50 per cent of the population have to solely rely on the public charging network – which by the numbers is not as ‘easy’ or ‘convenient’ as charging at home. Public network issues are around waiting, queueing, location proximity, as well as growth rate.
“We have previously found that fleet drivers who rely on the public charging network lose an average of 16 hours per month for this same reason – which is obviously amplified by the amount of drivers a fleet has. We address this through our FleetCharge platform by helping open up the already existing infrastructure, people’s home chargers, to the fleets to increase their utilisation while providing a dedicated offstreet charger for that driver to use as their own.”
When it comes to depot charging, there are certain considerations that fleets should be aware of. AssetWorks’ Simon West-Oliver says: “The cost to charge an EV at a fleet depot is based on the time-of-day and the total demand a facility is placing on a grid. Although some utilities have static EV charging rates, electricity costs generally change during the day and if a building’s electricity demand exceeds thresholds set by the utility, extra fees and charges are placed on the utility bill.
“We recommend load management as a practice to reduce costs. Load management is the practice of minimising charging during the most expensive times of day and at times when a facility is most likely to incur demand charges.
Fleet managers can manage EV charging loads through written policies, physical timers on circuits and more; but generally, the easiest and
most effective solution is to use software. Similar to just-in-time inventory or manufacturing, load management software gives vehicles fast enough charging to be ready for the next shift.”
With the ban on new diesel and petrol vehicles approaching, many organisations have a net zero plan in place, with timelines for the transition to zero emission vehicles. However, there are many that have not, for a variety of reasons.
Looking specifically at the public sector, almost half of local authorities have yet to set a date for completing the transition of their fleets to electric vehicles, with 74 per cent still operating fleets comprising more than 90 per cent petrol and diesel-powered Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles.
This is according to a survey by Geotab in partnership with Political Intelligence, which also found that the average electrification rate reported amongst all local authorities is only 4.2 per cent.
So what advice would our panelists give to those organisations, both in the public and private sector, to begin the transition?
Steve Beadle, head of 0Zone at the Grosvenor Group says: “The first advice I would offer to any business that has not yet started the transition is to not sit back and expect their employees to drive the change to electric vehicles themselves.
“There has to be proactivity by the company to make the shift to zero emission vehicles, and it’s important to create a car policy that offers drivers the best choice possible of battery (BEV) and plug in hybrid (PHEV) cars, while clearly presenting the facts to them. This is relatively straightforward in the higher management grades, but the car policy should also make BEVs and PHEVs appealing in the lowest grades possible to increase uptake.
“It’s also important to be open and honest in the advice and support given to drivers. For example, the BIK position is presently very attractive for cars under 50gm/CO2 and the operating costs of running electric vehicles is low – all at a time when news headlines are about soaring fuel costs and how expensive it’s become to drive a petrol or diesel car.
“However, we are also likely to see a rise in operating costs for electric vehicles because
energy tariffs will increase, and I suspect that the Chancellor’s unwillingness to publish BIK Tax rates beyond 2025 in the last Budget is likely to be down to a degree of uncertainty, but also that he doesn’t want to show a future rise in BIK rates at this sensitive time of transitioning to EVs.
“All of this needs to be presented to drivers, however with the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel engine vehicles coming into play in 2030 it remains important to drive through the changes now.
“The charging infrastructure is also key – ensuring the correct hardware and back office management is available to efficiently allow drivers to utilise a combination of charging options with a fair policy.”
“Finally, it’s worth looking at different funding options as part of the transition to electric vehicles, particularly with Salary Sacrifice schemes currently being so cost effective for electric vehicles. At Grosvenor Leasing we offer contract hire, salary sacrifice, personal contract hire and specialist fleet management – and they can all combine to offer a strong funding and management mix for moving to zero emission motoring.”
To help organisations on their net zero journey, Simon West-Oliver from AssetWorks believes there’s a lot to learn from trialling electric vehicles. He said: “While many fleet organisations across the globe are setting their sights on electrification, longterm success requires thorough planning. One way fleets can prepare for an electric future is through the deployment of an EV pilot programme. When the right steps are taken, an EV pilot programme can help fleet organisations ready their operations to include more EVs in the future.
“To ensure a successful pilot programme, fleets should consider applying the following framework: assembling stakeholders, choosing EV chargers, assessing power needs, upgrading electrical infrastructure, installing charging hardware, and learning from the initial pilot programme.”
For any organisation wanting to add EVs to its fleet, Mer’s Simon Tate stresses that E
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businesses access and understand the amount of power available at each of their sites. He explains: “This will limit the total number of vehicles you can charge at each site, unless you are prepared to invest in an expensive infrastructure upgrade.
“At Mer one of the first things we do for a fleet is undertake surveys at each of their sites, to discover how much power is available for EV charging. What are the existing maximum energy demands at those sites when all plant and equipment and infrastructure is running at once – and what spare capacity is there after that? Once you have this number, you can calculate how many EV chargers you can install and therefore how many EVs you can deploy on your fleet.
“There are ways around power limitations, such as Mer’s load-balancing system, which can enable you to charge more vehicles, but at a lower rate. However, identifying the available power first means that fleets build a robust and viable EV transition strategy. Conversely, starting with the vehicles first and then finding out you don’t have enough power on site means having to rework plans – better to get it right first time.”
Simon adds: “The other advice I would give to any fleet manager embarking on a net zero plan is get out of the office and go and visit other sites that have already started the process. See the infrastructure at work for yourself. Talk to other managers about how they did it, how to avoid making their mistakes, and what worked for them.”
Taking small steps David Butters from E.ON Drive believes that electrification can be broken down into smaller
the EV transition up into four distinct areas. The first is company cars; depending on the contracts you might have in place, this can be a quick win. Work with a provider that offers EVs and help your employees make the switch and become advocates.
“The next is employee charging. Arrange for the installation of chargers in your car park. This will not only will this encourage the switch in your company car pool, but also help other employees to make the switch with their own personal vehicles. It also potentially unlocks EV for those with no off-street parking at home, if they know they can charge their vehicle every day whilst they work.”
“Then consider customer charging; if you welcome customers to your site, install chargers for them to utilise. Not only does it enhance
Offer it at a subsidised price, or even free (as some sites currently do) and it becomes a hook to attract more visitors to your site.
“And finally,” Dave concludes, “think about your own fleet. This can be a big one, but identify the quick wins first. If you have fleet drivers with off-road parking at their house, arrange for them to have a charger installed so they can charge their fleet vehicle overnight. Focus on drivers that work within smaller areas to combat current reliability or range issues. As the external network grows and reliability improves, open this up to those who travel further.”
Drivers are key Dean Hedger points out some positive findings regarding electric vehicles from its
Electric moments with
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that van drivers face when switching to electric, and can they be overcome?
LeasePlan UK’s Neill Emmett gives some extra context: “That five per cent market share for electric vans is roughly double that from a year earlier. So, although it might not immediately look like it, there is demand for electric vans – and it’s growing quite fast.”
Neill continues: “But the point stands: electric vans aren’t yet as common on our roads as electric cars. Historically, the reason for this has been choice. Manufacturers have been held back by the battery tech and haven’t been able to offer electric vans in the range of shapes and sizes that businesses require.
“The research revealed that positivity towards EVs is at an all-time high among fleets, with over two thirds (67 per cent) likely to adopt EVs within five years. This marks a sharp rise from 2017, when only 23 per cent of fleet decision makers were considering EV adoption, indicating that the technology is migrating from the early adopter phase to one of more widespread acceptance.”
To get started on the EV journey, Dean urges businesses to consider their drivers first. He explains: “We recommend businesses begin the transition by thinking first and foremost about how the process will affect their drivers, who will need to be educated in road safety, best driving practice, and getting the most out of their vehicles. Our own research shows that the top five EV faults relate to tyres, 12v battery failure, HV battery being out of charge, HV battery fault and HV charging equipment. For the last three, the faults are frequently attributable to operation rather than failure –so investing time to educate drivers on how the different technology should be used is vital. Taking the time to analyse how vehicles are used and driven and getting expert advice will help ensure the right choices are made when it comes to integrating AFVs into a fleet.
“Driver training can help drivers get the most out of their EVs too, and help them stay safe behind the wheel. Drivetech, part of the AA, launched EV Co-Driver in late 2021, a nudge-theory initiative based around a series of short but sweet animations to promote EV driver confidence,” adds Dean.
With the ban on new sales of fossil-fuelled cars and vans coming into force in 2030, zero-emission vehicles are going to become central to all fleets. This, in turn, means acting now – not waiting, believes Neill Emmett from LeasePlan UK. He says: “Even if a business isn’t ready to order new EVs at the moment, there’s still a lot they can be doing to prepare for an electric future.”
The first step is research, says Neill: “I don’t mean researching different models of EVs or different types of charge point, though that will be important further down the line. No, you need to start by achieving a deeper understanding of your existing fleet operations.
“What journeys are currently made by what types of vehicle? Which drivers are best prepared to go electric? Can efficiencies be made that would benefit your organisation now and once the transition to EVs has taken place? These are the sorts of questions that need to be asked – and, to some extent, answered – now. Find short-term goals that help with your long-term strategies.
“As for fleets that have already decided to embark on electrification, we think that it’s best to start with the easy – or at least easier – wins. For instance, if your fleet is 60% per cent cars and 40 per cent vans, then look at the cars first. Not only are they the bigger portion of the fleet, but the market for electric cars is also more mature than the one for electric vans.
“All of these questions and decisions might sound daunting, but I’m not suggesting that fleets do it by themselves. Your fleet provider, whether that’s LeasePlan or someone else, is there to help. In fact, the very first step might be as simple as picking up the phone.”
Mike Strahlman from JustPark agrees that its important to know the demographics of your fleet when beginning the transition to electric vehicles, and working around any challenges. He says: “Our numbers show that around 75 per cent of fleet drivers won’t have the option to charge at home compared to 50 per cent of the general population. We see that fleet’s ‘instincts’ are to solve for the 25 per cent because it is ‘easy’; but given points above, public charging won’t be the best solution for the 75 per cent – nor will all the ‘foibles’ be resolved by the time the fleet electrifies the 75 per cent. Our main point of advice would be to plan for the 75 per cent now – start small, engage in a trial with FleetCharge. Divert as little as a ‘handful’ of your incoming EVs to a solution like this to get ahead of the curve.”
Data by New AutoMotive has revealed that electric vans accounted for just five per cent of all new vans sold in July, whilst diesel still accounted for 93 per cent of new van registrations. So what are the particular challenges
“But I use the word “historically” for a reason. As batteries become smaller and more powerful, the situation is now changing rapidly. Alongside smaller electric vans, there are now medium- and even large-sized options to choose from. The introduction, this year, of Ford’s new e-Transit van feels like a landmark moment in this regard.”
But despite the increased choice, van fleets still face particular challenges. Neill says: “We know that heavier loads can reduce battery efficiency by as much as half – particularly in colder weather – so more care needs to be taken with routes and charging.
“Are these challenges surmountable? Of course they are, particularly with careful planning. Tools like telematics systems are available to help van operators work out the most efficient routes for their EVs. Fleet providers can advise on any part of the process.
“In the end, the challenges will be overcome because they have to be overcome. I know I keep mentioning 2030, but I mention it for a reason: after that date, businesses will not be able to purchase new, fossil-fuelled vans at all. Electric is set to become the dominant part of any commercial fleet’s mix.”
Simon Tate from Mer comments that the reluctance from van drivers is often overcome once they get into an electric van. He says: “Car drivers are easier to swap over to EV as van drivers tend to be more conservative. Once you get a driver in an electric van, they absolutely love them, but there is often some resistance to change before that point.
“From an operational point of view, range and payload remain challenges for some van applications, but both are improving all the time. As with cars, most vans do relatively low mileage, well within the capacity of an EV. Similarly, many applications such as last-mile delivery typically do not get anywhere near the payload limits on an e-van, so there is a good slice of the market that can already be addressed.
“The other main challenge is how you provide charging for drivers who take the vans home at night. One solution is creating local charging hubs that are specifically designed to accommodate commercial vehicles – vans and trucks, as electric HGVs are coming down the line.
“Some fleet operators have the misconception that vans need rapid E
charging – this isn’t always the case. A great example would be our client, Milk & More, as their 500 electric vans are static for up to 10 hours at a time, so standard fast chargers are fine to refill the batteries ready for the next shift. However, some van operators will need rapid chargers in order to continue to operate effectively.”
Simon adds: “We’re also not yet at the levels of the car market in terms of choice of models and specifications for electric vans. Maxus is probably the only OEM producing different variants at volume. Maxus has the full range in terms of long and short wheelbase as well as different bodies like tippers and dropside. We need to see more manufacturers following their lead.
“Another major frustration for van drivers is that a lot of public charging points are only suitable for cars. Sometimes the bays are too small for vans, or the cables are not long enough to enable a van to plug in.”
The slow EV van transition can be backed up with further data. Dean Hedger explains: “SMMT data shows just 0.6 per cent of vans full stop are electric, which indicates that the van sector is about two years behind cars despite the 2030 deadline, which affects both consumer and commercial vehicles. To put this into perspective, that’s one in 180 vans, and one in 2,000 trucks (SMMT).
“Infrastructure anxiety is likely to be a contributing factor influencing these low levels of take-up. The SMMT is calling for the introduction of a national ‘van plan’ to deliver the infrastructure necessary to deliver a zero-emission commercial vehicle market.”
Discussing funding support for electric vans, Dean says: “The government has switched its EV grant funding focus to commercial vehicles after closing the plug-in car grant consumer scheme. Now, £300 million is available for plug-in grants to boost take-up of plug-in taxis, motorcycles, vans, trucks and wheelchairaccessible vehicles. Van drivers should certainly look to take advantage of this, and we expect the scheme to kick start EV van sales. After all, consumer grants helped to increase EV car sales from fewer than 1,000 in 2011 to almost 100,000 in just the first five months of 2022.”
Mike Strahlman from JustPark highlights that van drivers without a driveway at home may be reluctant to make the switch because they will not be able to charge at home. He says: “Many van drivers might be worried about how they will be able to keep their work vehicles charged, especially if they don’t have the ability to charge at home easily. FleetCharge can support them by finding and sourcing a nearby driveway space, then installing a ‘fast’ charger for the driver’s exclusive use. This means that the driver can finish each day, plug their vehicle in at this location and simply walk home, knowing that the next morning they will have a fully charged van ready to go.”
Van operators are under so much pressure to meet customer demand and fulfil their obligations that many cannot imagine how electric vans could support their needs, points out Steve Beadle from Grosvenor Group’s 0Zone team. And this is something that is made worse by the lack of available electric vans.
Steve says: “Vehicle uptime is naturally a priority with concerns about the speed at which a commercial vehicle can charge on the public network and the level of potential downtime caused by poor range and a lack of charging infrastructure.
“However at Grosvenor Leasing, we are working with our commercial vehicle customers to map out where electric LCVs could be used within a tight radius and which routes could offer the best support in terms of charging during periods of natural downtime.
“We also look carefully at how each company is using their LCVs, including what the function of the vehicle is, what it carries and its daily mileage.
“Using whole life costs, and a wide range of technical and specification data, we can pinpoint which electric vehicles will be most suitable and cost-effective, and work closely with transport managers to make the transition as stress free as possible.”
The Grosvenor Group also supports its customers with workplace charging and their
options for future proofing their groundwork and cabling. Steve says: “The speed at which a commercial vehicle can charge will improve significantly in the next five years, and having a ‘dig once’ cabling policy could save thousands of pounds in the future when an upgrade to the hardware may be required.
“Where possible, also consider commercial charge points to support overnight charging, or any other rest periods for that matter. If the work place cannot accommodate charge points or vehicles are taken home by employees, look at providing home charge points for employees, which for Grosvenor’s contract hire customers we wrap up within a vehicle lease.”
Training is also important, Steve believes. “As the Government has have extended the LCV maximum gross vehicle weight limit for electric vans from 3.5t to 4.25t on a Cat B driving licence, largely to compensate for the additional weight of carrying the batteries. Whilst no specialist licence requirements are needed for the additional weight, there is a five hour training exercise that needs to be undertaken with one of the Government’s recognised members,” said Steve.
Dave Butters from E.ON Drive acknowledges the concerns felt by van operators and is working to lobby government to improve the situation. He explains: “Availability and range is limited when it comes to vans, even more so than the car market. There are still many user cases which can’t be met with current capabilities. I think there are opportunities for companies to think differently about how they do things in order to enable at least part of their fleet to make the switch. But really, we need to see Government mandating production volumes, and we’re lobbying relentlessly for vans to form part of that proposed mandate and be comparable to cars.”
Of course, for a while, many organisations will be running a mixed fuel fleet, until all can make the transition. But this leads to the issue of fuel management. Simon West-Oliver from AssetWorks said: “The biggest hurdle a fleet manager may face when integrating EVs into their traditional fuel fleet is through fuel management. For years, fleets have managed petrol and diesel very well, but they may not have a plan in place to management electricity with the same care and consideration. An integrated fleet, fuel, and charge management solution takes all of that data and houses it in one system, so fleets can manage all fuels in the same way.” L
INFORMATION
www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk
The i3 and the iX may feature most in BMW electric car headlines, but with more conventional looks and an undeniably driver-focused powertrain, Richard Gooding finds that the i4 could be one of the best and understated electric cars on the market
On its unveiling in the summer of 2013, the BMW i3 showcased the ambitions of the German manufacturer’s electric ambitions. Its first all-electric production car, the i3’s unconventional appearance and lightweight carbonfibre reinforced polymer and aluminium construction was a serious sign of intention that BMW meant business when it came to its zero-emission future.
Just out of production, the i3 has passed the baton to a variety of both electrified and electric models since then. The iX1, IX3, and boldly styled iX flagship take crossovers and SUVs into all-electric terrority, while the i4 and i7 fly the zero-emissions flag for more traditional saloons. The i4 is the closest thing at the moment to an all-electric 3 Series, and strikes at the heart of BMW’s fleet model range.
Effectively an all-electric version of the 4 Series Gran Coupé liftback hatch, the i4 comes with a choice of two powertrains – the singlemotor and rear-wheel drive eDrive40, or the BMW M Division’s first i model, the all-wheel drive i4 M50.
Officially, the i4 eDrive40 has an 83.9kWh lithium-ion battery, but in reality, its usable capacity is 80.7kWh. However, that’s still more than enough for a range of up to 365 miles in Sport configuration, dropping slightly to 352 miles for our test car’s M Sport spec. The i4 eDrive40 is rear-wheel drive, with a single motor on the back axle. The performanceorientated i4 M50 has twin motors on both
axles and is all-wheel drive. Using the same 80.7kWh battery but with a significant performance upgrade to 536bhp over the 335bhp of the i4 eDrive40, i4 M50 models can travel up to 317 miles on a single charge according to official WLTP values.
How long does it take to charge?
Using BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive technology, the i4 can charge at speeds of up to 200kW. At a high power/350kW charging station, 102 miles of range can be put back into the car in 10 minutes, with 62 miles of range added in just four minutes. Connect the i4 to a rapid charger, and the same 62-mile top-up takes 18 minutes.
A 7.4kW home wallbox will add the same distance to the battery in just over two hours, while a 2.3kW domestic socket will take a little over seven hours. 11kW of AC power from single or three-phase mains connections will recharge the i4’s battery from 0-100 per cent in just under 8.5 hours.
All i4 models have a standard heat pump for optimal charging performance.
As anyone who has driven an i3 will know, BMW’s standard brake regeneration systems offer powerful deceleration but the i4 also has an even more vigourous mode that can be activated by shifting the gear lever into ‘B’. This really does allow for a one-pedal experience.
In contrast to the i3, externally, the i4 looks little different to any combustion-engined BMW, and very little different to the 4 Series
Gran Coupé. In our book, that’s a good thing. Those who don’t want to make a statement need look no further, and the car’s largely conventional lines – the i4 was one of the first new BMWs to wear the company’s new enlarged grille, but it’s toned down here – are relatively understated. The optional £695 Sanremo Green paint finish of our test car suited the i4’s clean proportions.
Inside, the first thing that grabs your attention is the new BMW Curved Display. A frameless curved display that can be interacted with via intuitive touch and voice control, it is made up of two screens – a 12.3-inch driver’s display and a 14.9-inch screen used to control the car and the infotainment settings. Seamlessly joined together, it looks very high-tech, with clear, sharp graphics and uses BMW’s latest iDrive and Operating System 8 software. The 14.9-inch unit can also be controlled by the iDrive click wheel in the centre console, and while the aesthetics are of a high quality, the menus and in particular the driver’s display, can be a little confusing.
Settle into the seat and the i4’s cockpit feels every inch the sports saloon. The cabin is very cocooning and you sit low, further accentuating the ‘sports car’ feeling. As you’d expect, build quality is very good, and one advantage over the i4’s similarly-sized 3 Series sister is its rear tailgate. This opens up to reveal 470 litres of luggage space, increasing to 1,290 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
Set off, and the i4 immediately impresses with its pace given by the 318lb ft/430Nm of torque, and performance is brisk. Three driving modes
– Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport – allow tailoring of the driving experience and even in Eco Pro mode, the car is plenty fast enough and performance doesn’t seem notably affected. However, more impressive than the performance is the way the i4 eDrive40 drives. BMWs are largely famed for their driver involvement and it’s the same story here. The steering is very crisp and highly precise, with keen turn-in, and feels nicely weighted which makes placing the i4 on the road extremely easy. It feels like the driver’s car it purportedly is, but at the same time it’s very comfortable.
The firm suspension actually gives a cushioning capability to the ride, and the damping is very impressive on a motorway cruise. All i4s are fitted with air rear suspension with an automatic self-levelling feature to keep the car at a constant ride height, even when carrying more heavy loads. A 53mm lower centre of gravity than the 3 Series saloon also helps imbue the car with a more dynamic feel than almost all other electric cars of any price and size.
What does it cost?
The i4 range is easy to navigate as BMW has limited the range to just three trims. The i4 eDrive40 Sport kicks things off, priced from £53,480. As you’d expect, standard equipment levels are high, with 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels, ambient lighting, automatic air conditioning, automatic tailgate operation, black alcantara trim, BMW’s Live Cockpit Plus – audio system with DAB+, six speakers and an output of 100 watts – LED headlamps and tail lights, a parking assistant system and a reversing camera.
As tested here, the i4 eDrive40 M Sport costs from £54,980 and adds 18-inch alloy wheels and styling cues from the flagship i4 M50 performance
model, including an M Sport spoiler and ‘Aluminium Rhombicle Anthracite’ trim.
The i4 M50 sits at the top of the i4 family and uses a completely different twin-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain to give it 536bhp. Priced from £65,795, it adds more bodywork flourishes and a unique body kit, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels, electric memory front seats, Live Cockpit Professional – including a head-up display – M adaptive suspension, M seatbelts as well as Vernasca leather upholstery and wireless phone charging.
How much does it cost to tax? Similarly to all electric and zero-emission vehicles, the BMW i4 is exempt from VED charges, both in its first and following years of registration. The electric BMW also attracts a low two per cent Benefit In Kind (BIK) company car taxation value for 20222023, which is identical to the following 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 periods.
Why does my fleet need one? It may not be a totally bespoke and clean-sheet design like the i3, but the i4 marries the ability and driving involvement of a combustionengined BMW with an all-electric powertrain. Not an easy thing to do, BMW’s engineers have pulled it off with aplomb and the i4 offers fleet drivers who enjoy their driving to have their metaphorical cake and eat it. However, it can also be a comfortable cruiser when you’re not in the mood, and along with the benefits of fast charging capability combined with a very useful long distance range, the improved practicality over a more traditional saloon should help the i4 seal the fleet deal. L
www.bmw.co.uk
The i4 is the fourth model in BMW’s i all-electric sub-brand, and the first non-crossover i-branded car following the i3 city car which debuted in 2013. Clearly committed to a zeroemissions future, the German maker is pushing ahead with its electrified agenda.
BMW’s i brand SUV family starts with the iX1 SUV with 270 miles of range, building through the 285-mile range iX3, and topping off with the iX, capable of driving up to 380 miles on a single charge in M50 specification. The powerful iX M60 boasts 610bhp and a range of up to 348 miles, while sitting above the i4 is the i7 luxury all-electric saloon, featuring an electric range of up to 387 miles.
Alongside the i-branded electric models are the plug-in hybrid versions of popular BMW cars, including the 2 Series Active Tourer, the 3 Series, and the X2, X3 and X5 SUVs. A hydrogen fuel cell BMW X5 is also set to enter limited production, and continuing with its electrified SUV push, the new XM PHEV promises to redefine BMW’s M performance division with its 653bhp plug-in powertrain. power ability. Production of the car is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2022, with on-sale dates to be announced later. UK market availability and specifications will also then be confirmed.
lithium-ion
(Combined, WLTP):
3.7 miles/
3.2 miles/kWh
0g/km
£0 first-year, £0 thereafter
2%
(OTR): £54,980 (including VAT, £64,775 as tested)
The Ioniq range of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric models introduced the world to Hyundai’s electrified technologies in 2016, setting out the South Korean manufacturer’s stall to be a serious contender in the new age of electric cars. Fast forward six years and the new Ioniq 5 embodies the latest ideas in Hyundai’s thinking, but what a vastly different machine it is, from both those cars and what we have to come to expect from the company in terms of design and technology.
Sitting on the new Hyundai Motor Group Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) chassis – also shared with the Kia EV6, see GreenFleet 140 – and employing high power 400V/800V technology to slash charging times and increase range, the Ioniq 5 also debuts Hyundai’s new design language. Mixing simple surfaces with cleaner lines, along with a smidge of retro cues, the Ioniq 5 has striking looks to match its high-tech underpinnings.
What range does it have?
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 comes with a choice of two batteries. Originally introduced with 58kWh and 73kWh lithium-ion units, the latter has been replaced with a 77kWh
battery. Combined with a choice of single motor, rear-wheel drive (RWD) or dual-motor, all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations, the Ioniq 5 has a WLTP potential driving range of between 238 and 315 miles. The Premium AWD car tested here – our test model was an earlier version with the 73kWh battery – has an official WLTP range of up to 298 miles on a single charge.
The larger battery can be mated to both RWD or AWD powertrains with 224bhp and 321bhp respectively, however, the smaller 58kWh battery can only be specified with a 168bhp RWD powertrain.
How long does it take to charge?
Underpinned by the higher voltage technology pays dividends when it comes to charging the Ioniq 5. Able to take charging speeds of up to 220kW means that a 0-80 per cent fill-up takes as little as 18 minutes.
Up to 62 miles can be added in five minutes, and with a battery heater fitted as standard, the Ioniq 5 can adapt its battery temperature on the move for an improved charging performance when it reaches a chargepoint.
Plug into a 50kW chargepoint and a 10-80 per cent refill takes an hour with the 77kWh
Long Range battery, dropping to 47 minutes with the 58kWh Standard Range unit. A full charge at a 10.5kW point takes just over six hours for the bigger battery model. To aid efficiency, an ‘Eco’ driving mode is standard and four levels of regenerative braking include an ‘i-Pedal’ one-pedal function. There is also a ‘smart recuperation’ system which controls the regenerative braking levels automatically when speeds are above 6mph and certain conditions are met, such as changes in road gradient, distance, or an increase or decrease of the speed of the vehicle ahead. All Ioniq 5s also feature Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging which enables them to power other small electrical devices and it can even charge another EV with its 3.6kW output.
How does it drive?
Before you even step inside, there’s no mistaking the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for anything else. Mixing styling cues from the Pony model of the 1970s but with an updated style, the pixelated front and rear lights are particularly neat touches. The £685 matte paint on our test car makes the appearance even more striking, and don’t be lulled into thinking the
Written by Richard Gooding Showcasing an all-new platform and high power technologies, Richard Gooding discovers the Ioniq 5 redefines Hyundai as a very serious maker of electric cars that combine bold style and impressive substanceIoniq 5 may be a rival to the Volkswagen Golf – its 4,635mm length and 2,152mm width point to a larger car. Hyundai sells the car as a mid-sized CUV.
The cabin takes a simple and clean approach. Twin 12.3-inch digital screens blend into one, spanning out from behind the steering wheel. Underneath these is a ‘shortcut’ bar consisting of physical buttons as well as a haptic panel. It might be more conventional than the Kia EV6, but the Hyundai’s cabin is no worse for that, and the screens have sharp and clear graphics. Space is another plus, the 3,000mm wheelbase accommodating lots of rear legroom and the commodious 527-litre boot has a false floor, under which the charging cables can be stored.
On the right-hand side of the steering wheel is the gear selector, freeing up interior space. The electric handbrake switch is also away from the floor, mounted on the dashboard behind the gear selector. The regenerative braking is controlled by a pair of steering wheel paddles – a familiar Hyundai approach, they are very intuitive to use. To activate the one-pedal mode, pull and hold the ‘+’ paddle for more than 0.5 seconds – it’s very effective, allowing the car to roll to a stop at junctions. The standard three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – are changed via a ‘magneto’ steering wheel button, which also works very well.
Out on the road, the Ioniq 5’s pace is more than adequate. In 77kWh, 321bhp, AWD form, the big Hyundai surges along on its 446lb ft/605Nm of torque. The car shrinks around you when you’re driving, too, feeling more nimble than it should given its size and weight, and it can be driven on more twisty roads with assured confidence. There’s not a huge amount of body roll either, and the Hyundai corners flatly with lots of grip on the AWD models.
Very little road noise enters the cabin –even though the wheels are 19 inches in size – and although there is more wind noise, it’s not disruptive. Further playing the refinement card, the ride is very comfortable and the Ioniq 5 keeps its passengers insulated from the worst of road imperfections. The steering also has a nice weight, if not much feel, but
it is at least precise, allowing the car to be placed well.
Keeping things simple, the Ioniq 5 is available in just three trims, with combinations of battery and powertrains encompassed in those. The entry level Premium is the only model on which the 58kWh battery can be specified. Priced from £41,650, standard kit includes 19-inch alloy wheels, dualzone climate control, electric driver’s seat adjustment, an electric tailgate, heated front seats, LED projector headlamps, partleather upholstery, a sliding centre console, and smart cruise control. As tested here, the 77kWh AWD Ioniq 5 costs £48,650.
The Ioniq 5 Ultimate starts at £48,150. It gains 20-inch alloy wheels, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, heated outer rear seats, a head-up display, rear privacy glass, and ventilated front seats. A heat pump is optional on both Premium and Ultimate models.
The range-topping Ioniq 5 Namsan Edition features auto-flush electric door handles, digital side mirrors – a video-based digital interior and exterior mirror system similar to that of the Honda e – a driver memory function seat, and a remote parking system. The Ioniq 5 Namsan Edition starts at £52,650. Both the Ultimate and the Namsan Edition are only available in AWD configurations with the larger 77kWh battery.
How much does it cost to tax?
As with all electric vehicles, Hyundai’s first full EV is exempt from VED charges, in its first and following years of registration. Under current 2022-2023 company car taxation rates, the Ioniq 5 is charged a two per cent Benefit In Kind (BIK) value, which is the same as the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 periods.
Why does my fleet need one?
The original Ioniq family of cars may have got fleets ready for Hyundai’s allelectric future, but with an appearance like nothing else on the road, a comfortable and spacious interior, and incorporating the latest high-power and speed charging
Only a short time after the Ioniq 5’s introduction, Hyundai is going all-in electric, and launching its second E-GMP-based EV, the Ioniq 6.
Almost the antithesis to the squareedged Ioniq 5, Hyundai calls the Ioniq 6 a ‘streamliner’, pointing to its aerodynamic flowing styling and drag coefficient of 0.21. Said to be good for up to almost 380 miles on a single charge from the same 77kWh battery as the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 has an estimated WLTP official efficiency figure of 4.4m/kWh (16kWh/100km), making it potentially one of the most efficiency EVs on the market.
The E-GMP platform brings the same 400V/800V multi-charging capability shared by the Ioniq 5, as well as similar RWD and AWD configurations, and V2L power ability. Production of the car is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2022, with on-sale dates to be announced later. UK market availability and specifications will also then be confirmed.
technologies, the Ioniq 5 sets the bar high for family-sized electric vehicles. Add in a selection of very usable long distance ranges, a high specification and Hyundai’s usual five-year unlimited mileage warranty (with the battery guaranteed for a further three years), and the Ioniq 5 cements its numerous talents as a hugely capable and boldly stylish addition to the ever-growing EV market. L
FURTHER INFORMATION www.hyundai.co.uk
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Premium AWD 77kWh
ENGINE: 224kW/321bhp electric motors and 77kWh lithium-ion battery
RANGE (Combined, WLTP): 298 miles
OFFICIAL EFFICIENCY: 3.5 miles/ kWh
GF EFFICIENCY: 3.1 miles/kWh
CO2: 0g/km
VED: £0 first-year, £0 thereafter
BIK: 2%
PRICE (OTR): £48,650 (including VAT, £49,335 as tested)
AA Drivetech 30, 31
Assetworks 19, 43, 50
Char.gy Ltd 32
DareDevil PR 42
E.On UK 23, 26
Europcar 18, 36, 37
Fuuse 38, 39
Grosvenor Contracts Leasing 24, 25, 52
Juice Technology AG 15
JustPark Parking Ltd 54, 55
LeasePlan UK Ltd 29, 56
Mer Fleet Services Ltd 48
Nissan 12
Omnia Smart Technologies 45
Quartix 20,21
Rad Power Bikes IBC
Raleigh UK Ltd 40
SYNETIQ 44
The AA 6, 28, 58
The Algorithm People 10, 34
Tusker Direct Ltd OBC, IFC, 3, 16, 35
Webfleet Solutions Sales B.V. 8
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