EV cost concern growing among businesses, Europcar finds

Concerns around the cost of purchasing and running and electric vehicle (EV) fleet grew among businesses in Q2 2026, according to the Europcar EV Barometer.

44.2% of respondents to Europcar’s June survey said that cost was the biggest barrier to fleet electrification, up from 36.7% in Q4 2025.

The proportion that saw cost as the biggest barrier to EV adoption grew each month throughout the quarter, averaging 40%.

Europcar said that this was due to the Government confirming its eVED plans in June.

Concerns around charging infrastructure grew too, reaching 31.6% in Q2, up from 29.5% in Q1, marking a steady increase since reaching a low of 26.2% in Q3 2025.

Resistance from employers or employees was cited as a barrier to electrification by 10.2% of respondents in Q2 2026, down from 10.2% in Q1.

Tom Middleditch, head of B2B marketing and sustainability spokesperson at Europcar, said: “While average cost concerns were marginally lower than in Q1, they rose sharply towards the end of Q2, with June seeing the highest level recorded so far in 2026.

“The announcement that EVs will incur pay-per-mile eVED, from 2028, could have influenced the increased concern of cost.