A mobility partner with the future firmly in its focus

With transport accounting for a significant proportion of global CO2 emissions, Europcar Mobility Group UK is committed to helping businesses be part of the solution to the climate crisis by offering a range of solutions that improve mobility efficiency. From low and zero emissions cars and vans to flexible vehicle usage, Europcar is helping organisations develop robust environmental policies for present and future operations

Despite recent supply challenges, Europcar’s main priority has been – and will continue to be – to maintain a comprehensive fleet through strong manufacturer partnerships. Throughout 2022, electric and sustainable vehicles were added to the fleet including 100 LEVC VN5 electric vans, more than 200 Tesla Model 3s and the Mercedes EQB. Over 3,000 MG ZS and HS range are also being added to the fleet including EV models.

Supporting the sustainability journey

Crucially, Europcar is focused on supporting businesses on their own sustainability journeys. For many organisations they are now in a transition period, learning how EV works for their operations and Europcar is an ideal partner for this stage, helping understand the potential impact of low and zero emissions mobility. And this is vital, as recent research commissioned by Europcar found that over a third of company car drivers would quit their job if their employer fails to address climate change issues. Worryingly, 31 per cent of the drivers surveyed believe their employer is not currently taking the right actions. Although fleet users want to lead the charge into cleaner, sustainable mobility, this is a huge task when vehicle supply is limited, and overall fleet operating costs are spiralling. Addressing this challenge, Europcar is offering a long-term rental solution for electric to give businesses the chance to assess the operational and commercial impact of electric vehicle use and to satisfy driver concerns.

Available with no upfront deposit and commitment free, the Europcar long-term solutions for electric vehicles include comprehensive vehicle handover and charging instructions support, as well as charging cables and a Shell Recharge card and app – providing access to over 10,000 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.

Europcar’s partnership with Shell Recharge also gives drivers the ability to charge easily at home, work or at the roadside. This increases convenience and therefore drivers’ inclination to select an electric vehicle over a petrol or diesel equivalent.

A sensible alternative to ownership for ICE vehicles

The Europcar vision for the future is also to offer attractive alternatives to vehicle ownership for those organisations not yet ready to move to zero. Renting vehicles when needed, rather than owning, naturally reduces mileage and the resulting environmental impact. And if the vehicle is chosen to match the needs of a specific journey this increases efficiency and reduces unnecessary emissions from driving too big a vehicle.

CO2 reduction begins ‘at home’ Europcar Mobility Group is fully committed to reducing the CO2 emissions of its own operations as well as that of its clients. Taking a holistic view and making changes across the entire business has led to a significant reduction in emissions and has inspired confidence to make further green changes in future.

Driving Europcar’s focus on maximising carbon reduction is its ‘One Sustainable Fleet’ programme. With a key target to have 20 per cent of its global fleet ‘green vehicles’ by the end of 2024, the company’s carbon reduction objectives have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative and upgraded to AAA by MSCI Inc. Plus, 90 per cent of Europcar’s company car vehicle orders for its own employees are EV or hybrid. The average CO2 for this fleet is 17g, compared to 114g 12 months ago.

Significant investment is also being made in its own infrastructure. There are already more than 80 EV charge points across Europcar’s UK network, with a further 120 to be added in 2023. The company is also reducing emissions in its own operations, for example by providing electric bikes across its UK network to enhance efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in its delivery and collection service. Folding e-bikes are placed in the boot of a customer’s rental vehicle to be used by the Europcar delivery driver to travel back to the branch after delivery, as well as to the customer’s address ready for collection. This initiative not only reduces CO2 emissions by at least 28,000Kg by the end of 2022, but also cuts journeys and frees up staff for other customer-facing activities. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

To find out how Europcar can help you transition to zero, visit www.europcar. co.uk/business or call 0371 384 0140.

Written by Kate Armitage