Report says running an electric fleet is commercially viable
Tue 21 February 2012
View all news
A new report focusing on the use of electric vehicles in fleets says that their operation can be commercially viable. The report also provides practical guidance for fleet managers looking to introduce them.
According to the EV20 Plugged-In Fleets report - from the Climate Group, Energy Saving Trust, and Cenex with support from, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Transport for London and TNT - says that electric vehicles are a commercially viable proposition for business fleets.
The report highlights in particular:
•The range of financial and operational incentives for fleet EV uptake
•The ‘sweet spots’ that help EVs bring commercial advantage and future-proofing
•The steps needed to assess the EV business case
In the UK, cars with 'zero' tailpipe emissions (i.e. 100% electric) are exempt from paying company car tax until 2015, whilst plug-in hybrids are taxed at 5%. The Government has also recently expanded its plug-in car grant to light-duty vans, which the report says "clearly strengthens the business case for EV deployment into fleets" due to their lower running costs.
Nigel Underdown, Head of Transport Advice at the Energy Saving Trust said: “In today’s tough economy fleets need to have confidence that operationally and financially EVs add up. Our work shows that for certain operations the business case for EVs is very strong indeed.”
The report says that refuelling an EV costs around a quarter of the cost of refuelling a conventional diesel vehicle, with total running cost savings of up to £700 per vehicle per year, when used in the right application.
Related Links
< Back to news list