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EV & Sustainability

Charging remains biggest barrier to electrification for fleets – Arval

John Peters said: "On the face of it, these results are disappointing and I suspect, across the fleet sector, we would all like to see more progress being made."

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Issues around charging remains the biggest barrier to electric car adoption by fleets, accounting for three of the top five responses in research from Arval.

The 2026 Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer found that 41% said there are insufficient chargers – the same percentage as last year – while 41% also reported that not enough employees had access to charging solutions at home, a slight increase on 39% in 2025.

Furthermore, 27% had no charging at their company premises, a little higher than last year’s report, which showed 25%.

John Peters, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “On the face of it, these results are disappointing and I suspect, across the fleet sector, we would all like to see more progress being made.

“However, they must be viewed in context of the rapid rise in electric car numbers on fleets.

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“Clearly, charging capacity on the road, at offices and at homes is increasing quickly all the time and perceived shortfalls are largely a result of increasing demand.

“It might be more accurate to say that charging remains an issue of proportions.”

For those living in terraced housing or apartments, the availability of charging facilities is poor, Peters added.

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While solutions such as pavement gullies are starting to be adopted in a few places, he said, they are not without drawbacks, and the main alternative of public charging often suffers from patchy provision and high prices.

Peters said: “In our view, these weaknesses in infrastructure probably remain the leading impediment to electrification for most businesses.”

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Other perceived issues with electric car adoption also persisted, with 33% citing that the purchase price remains higher than an ICE equivalent, compared to 30% in 2025, while 30% reported that available model ranges are too limited, up from 23%.

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Peters said: “These findings are surprising. The prices of electric cars continue to fall while the availability of the government’s electric car grant has further improved affordability.

“In many areas of the market, there is close to price parity with petrol equivalents.

“Also, while some gaps persist, electric options now exist in almost all sectors of the market and at most price points.”

There was some recognition car range is becoming less of an issue, at 16% today compared to 18% in 2025 while employee resistance against electric car adoption is also falling, at 11% versus 16%.

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Peters added: “It’s certainly good news that fewer company car drivers are now against the idea of going electric, something no doubt aided by the fact that with two million EVs now on UK roads, they are becoming an everyday sight.

“Also, with ranges of 300 miles and higher becoming common, there are few restraints on mileage.”

Results from the UK across almost all the factors covered in the research are within a few points of both European and global averages for the 2026 Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer.

Peters said: “This suggests the issues we are seeing here are symptomatic of electric car adoption everywhere. Everyone is taking a similar journey.”

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