Speaking at the BVRLA Fleets in Charge Conference today, Minister for the Future of Roads Lilian Greenwood MP (pictured) confirmed that “transport is the engine of the economy,” and that the fleet sector is central to the Government’s plans for recovery.
She said: “The Government is on a mission to fix the economy [and] the fleet sector plays a crucial role in getting us there – transport is the engine of the economy.”
Key to this is the decarbonisation and electrification of fleets across both cars and vans.
Greenwood said: “Decarbonisation not only meets our climate commitments […] it secures the long term sustainable growth this country needs.”
To this end, she said Government plans to work with, not against the industry, and pointed to recent commitments, such as those in the Spending Review, and the flexibility offered in the van sector to address the additional barriers there.
Nevertheless, she pointed to concerns such as the impact of geopolitical shifts, uncertainty in the automotive sector, volatility in the zero emission market, and a lack of clarity on the direction of travel.
In addition, she acknowledged one of the biggest barriers to EV uptake: the ability of fleets to count on having access to reliable charging points.
Greenwood said: “We’ve heard you, and we’re wasting no time in responding.”
The Government has committed to phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and 2035 for the van market.
However, Greenwood confirmed that transitioning a fleet is “not as simple as ordering a brand new set of vehicles,” but instead requires “a rethink of the very fundamentals” of how fleets operate, from where to stop during the day to where to rest at night.
She said fleet managers must “draw on real world data to understand how to operate efficiently,” and must also work to “win the hearts and minds of drivers,” in order to access the “countless benefits” of an electrified fleet.
Greenwood also acknowledged the need for broader investment in infrastructure, such as maintaining roads.
She said: “The transition to cleaner transport begins with better infrastructure that meets the needs of all users, [and] an extensive and accessible charging network benefits all road users.”
Greenwood promised further legislation, as well as planning changes, to make the transition to EV cheaper and faster.
She said: “This Government is on a mission to change road transport for good.”
