Fleet managers running electric vehicles (EVs) are seeing cheaper costs and less downtime compared to combustion-engined (ICE) vehicles, according to new research.

According to data produced by the 2024 Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer, which questioned 8,605 businesses in 30 countries about their vehicle operations, 25% of fleet managers believe that service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs for EVs are cheaper and bring reduced downtime compared to 14% for ICE.

Also, 57% see advantages when needing to carry out mechanical repairs to EVs compared to 14% for ICE vehicles, and 28% favour EVs for body repairs compared to 20% for ICE.

Only on parts availability do traditional ICE cases score higher, with 43% of managers concluding that it is easier to get components compared to 17% for EVs.

According to the head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, Shaun Sadlier, the results show that fleets are starting to build up a knowledge base about the SMR of EVs. “This question, asked for the first time in our 2024 research, reflects their experiences compared to ICE cars and vans – it is important to underline that their responses are based on their impressions rather than actual SMR data,” he said.

Sadler added that the areas where fleets believe EVs and ICE vehicles are each scoring highly are interesting. “EVs are clearly winning out in the mechanical repairs category, almost certainly a result of simply having fewer parts in their powertrains to wear or go wrong, and advantages are also perceived when it comes to general servicing, probably for similar reasons.

“However, ICE is felt to have a clear advantage when it comes to parts availability, the latter probably a result of the relative newness of EVs being operated at scale. Certainly, we are aware that parts availability for some newer cars and vans has been difficult over the last few years for all fuel types, due to market conditions.”

The remaining categories show a much more balanced picture, with no real clear advantage for either EV or ICE when it comes to tyres or body repairs.

“It should be remembered that few fleets have yet operated EVs through one complete replacement cycle yet,” Sadler added. “It will be interesting to see the responses to this question develop in future versions of the Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer, with fleets gaining more experience of their operation over time and as more data becomes available.”