SOME of Britain’s largest fleet operators are calling on British Government to commit to 100% electric vehicle sales by 2030.

The website Electrive.com reported that BT and Openreach, Centrica, DPD UK and Royal Mail, have made the demand through the UK Electric Fleets Coalition, run by The Climate Group.

Collectively, the Coalition operates more than 500,000 vehicles and as the big companies turn to EVs, the market will lead smaller businesses to follow.

As fleets electrify, are businesses equipped to deal with them?

Autotech Training estimates that by 2025, the UK fleet vehicle industry will account for 75% of all electric cars on the road. However, a major knowledge gap surrounding EV’s and a lack of basic training could slow employee usage.

As a direct result, , the dedicated training division of Autotech Recruit, is now delivering Institute of the Motor Industry, Electric Vehicle training, from Levels 1 to 3, to all employees within any organisation which is electrifying its fleet.

Currently there is very little provision for EV training with many employees receiving very basic guidance through a PowerPoint presentation.

The high voltage nature of EVs introduces safety considerations and hazards and all employees that come into contact with them during their day to day duties require training, enabling them to safely operate, and work alongside, electric and hybrid fleet cars.

In accordance with the Electricity at Work regulations, enforced by the Health and  Safety Executive (HSE) all employers have a responsibility to ensure that employees are adequately trained – otherwise they may find themselves liable.

To minimise any time away from business, Autotech Training is delivering all levels of its Electric Vehicle Training within an organisation’s own premises, with training delivered by experienced, fully qualified, trainers.

Mandla Ndhlovu, Head of Training and Apprentice, Autotech Recruit, said: “It is vital that employees, whether they will drive an electric fleet vehicle or not, receive training to ensure they can safely work alongside EVs.

“We offer on-site training, with an actual electric vehicle for level 2 and 3 courses, to not only provide awareness, but the hands on approach helps to de-mystify electric vehicles which is a major bottleneck in uptake.”

 Autotech Training can deliver Level 1 EV training to up to 14 employees at any one time, or via the IMI’s eLearning platform. Levels 2 and 3 EV training is delivered to up to six employees over a two day period.