Electrifying – Business Motoring’s new EV guide

Reading Time: 3 minutes

THINKING of electrifying your fleet? We can help with the launch of the Business Motoring Electric Vehicle Guide.

Fleets and private buyers are increasingly interested in electric vehicles with sales rising every month, despite a slow new car market.

The SMMT now estimates that BEVs will account for 9.5% of registrations by year end as fleets look towards battery electric vehicles with almost half planning to add EVs in the near future, according to research in the Arval Mobility Observatory 2021 Barometer.

When asked what percentage of their car or van fleet will be 100% BEV in the next three years, car operators estimated 42% while their van counterparts said 37%.

The level of expected EV uptake within three years was relatively similar across responses from fleets of all sizes. Among car fleets with more than 500 employees it is expected that over half (54%) of the fleet would be electric, compared to 38% of those with fewer than 10 employees.

For van fleets responses were also similar with almost half (48%) expected by larger employers and almost a third (32%) by smaller – a positive signal for their adoption on fleets.

So if you’re looking to buy or lease an EV, we are launching today our Business Motoring and Business Van Electric Vehicle Guide.

It’s a simple snapshot of every fully electric car currently available including price, potential BiK tax implications and indicative leasing costs. We also provide a guide to charging companies and industry suppliers.

Over the coming months we will be developing this service further.

New models coming onto the market over the next 12 months are set to increase consumer choice, with EVs from BMW, Nissan, Kia, and Mercedes, amongst other brands, set to launch in the UK. Volkswagen’s ID.4 was awarded “World Car of the Year 2021” in April, but in the UK.

Katie Hickford, Analyst at Cornwall Insight, said that the current choice of tariffs available to new EV owners is small, with a total of 11 suppliers offering a tariff. In addition, being an existing customer with a smart meter is required for many of the EV tariffs on the market, with the large supplier group still dominating the current EV offerings.

She said; “EV tariffs can provide households with savings compared to a standard tariff offering, but there is reduced choice currently, with comparisons between the different offerings challenging, although improvements are being made for consumers.

“As EV sales continue to rise, we would expect more innovative tariff offerings to cater for this section of customers, especially as the uptake of EVs moves to mass adoption.”

Fleet and business vehicle operators could also save more than £17 million a year in London Congestion Charge Zone payments by switching to electric or plug-in hybrid cars and vans, according to research by Citroën UK.

Analysis of Transport for London data obtained via a Freedom of Information request revealed that, despite a freeze in payments last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic – businesses still spent more than £1.4 million per month to enter and operate in central London.

To lower your business tax, avoid paying congestion or ULEZ charges and to improve your green credentials, the Business Motoring Guide to Electric Vehicles can help you find what’s best for your fleet.