GF GreeNFLeeT AWArDS 2023

ENTRIES OPEN

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FLEET SUCCESSES

British Motor Museum, Gaydon

Thursday 7th December

RECOGNISING CLEAN FLEET INNOVATION ENTER

 To remedy this, Steve believes better communication and collaboration is needed. He explains: “There should certainly be greater collaboration between the local authorities with both public and private sector bodies in their area, in terms of understanding their future requirements, as there appears to be little dialogue (if any) at the moment.

“For example, Grosvenor Leasing is the UK’s largest privately-owned contract hire and fleet management provider in the UK, and we have expertise on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. We are surprised to have had no contact or dialogue with our local authority and I would assume that this is the same for other local businesses in our area running large volumes of vehicles.

“I also feel the Government needs to pull together a far more cohesive approach to building an EV infrastructure. For example, as of June 15th, 2022, building developers were required to ensure that electric vehicle charging points are now installed within new-build homes, newbuild workplaces, supermarkets, and buildings undergoing major renovations.

“Initiatives such as this are key to supporting local authorities in developing local charging infrastructures, particularly now that an increasing number of commercial vehicle fleets are converting to electric.

“For car drivers, the ability to home charge has underpinned a lot of company car and private motorists’ ability to have an EV, but in the commercial vehicle sector workplace and public charging are going to be key – and the government and local authorities will need to step up and help, for both the public and private sectors.”

Joined up working

Laura Lancaster from Fleetcor / Allstar raises the issue of fragmentation in the public sector, and a lack of a cohesive approach to EVs is one of the biggest challenge they see at Allstar. She says: “Decarbonisation and sustainability is generally spread over several roles and departments. Budgets fall into different areas of where the need might be, for example with a fleet manager vs facilities and estate who would look after their EV infrastructure.

“This spread creates a couple of issues. The people responsible for one area are not seeing the full picture or have a vested interest elsewhere, for example, deploying different hardware in different sites can mean the end-to-end solutions doesn’t work.

“Expertise in relations to decarbonisation or EV transition is often lacking as they are not accountable for the whole picture and it is not their full time role.

“The creation of sustainability managers across the public sectors would certainly help improve what is happening now and accelerate the transition over the coming years. This role has increased in the corporate private sector, but not from our experience in the public sector.

“The Greener NHS team has assigned Regional Senior Responsible Officers in each of the seven NHS England and NHS Improvement regions to deliver the net zero commitments. These roles cover a variety of areas such as estate and facilities, supply, food, and travel and transport.”

Laura adds that the public sector can use the expertise of companies externally, when planning and commissioning EV infrastructure. And funding support is available through the government, such as the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund and £50m funding to support and upskill local authorities on public chargepoint planning and tackling local challenges.

Invest in EV infrastructure staff

Taking on this point about training, Simon Oliver-West from AssetWorks believes it’s important local authorities have funding for training and dedicated staff. Simon says: “Local authorities require financial support to train and employ dedicated EV infrastructure staff. This funding can be used to provide training programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of existing staff or recruit new professionals with expertise in EV infrastructure planning, commissioning, and implementation. Having dedicated staff will ensure efficient management and effective deployment of EV infrastructure projects.

“Likewise Local authorities need financial resources to invest in the installation of EV charging infrastructure. Funding programs or grants specifically aimed at supporting local authorities can help cover the costs associated with infrastructure planning, procurement, installation, and maintenance. This financial assistance will enable local authorities to expand charging networks, establish a robust infrastructure backbone, and accelerate the adoption of EVs within their jurisdictions.”

Collaboration with suppliers and industry partners is also key to EV infrastructure success. Simon explains: “Local authorities should receive support and guidance from EV infrastructure suppliers and industry partners. These stakeholders can offer expertise, technical knowledge, and best practices in designing and deploying charging infrastructure. Collaboration can help local authorities make informed decisions, select suitable technologies and suppliers, and ensure the successful implementation of infrastructure projects.

“What’s more, establishing platforms for sharing best practices and facilitating knowledge exchange among local authorities can be immensely valuable. Regular conferences, and networking events can provide opportunities for authorities to learn from one another’s experiences, discuss challenges, and share strategies. This approach can expedite progress and promote standardisation across different regions.

“Having policy guidance and access to data and research will also help local authorities be better equipped to roll out EV infrastructure effectively. These support mechanisms will help accelerate the transition to electric mobility, foster sustainable transportation systems, and contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector,” added Simon. L

Further Information

www.fleetcor.com / allstarcard.co.uk www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk www.assetworks.com