Positivity towards electric vehicles (EVs) is at an all-time high among operational fleets, according to the latest Operational Fleet Insight Report from the AA and Rivus Fleet Solutions.

The research found that 82% of the 500 fleet managers asked feel the quality of EVs on offer has improved since last year and 84% believe the range from manufacturers has improved.
 
Almost two thirds (65%) believe that EVs have better whole life costs than diesel or petrol, 66% of fleet managers recognise that EVs require less servicing, and 59% have identified that EVs hold their resale value and have less downtime.

Sixty-seven per cent of fleet operators expect to be using EVs within the next five years, compared to over a quarter (26%) using currently. EVs appear to be increasingly on fleet managers’ day-to-day radars, with 78% believing that the number of electric vans on the road have increased in the last year, up significantly from 65% last year.
 
Although fleet managers are starting to look more positively at the broader range of benefits, there are still barriers when it comes to the practical elements of EV adoption. A third (32%) have identified the lack of charging points across the country and the workplace as the top barriers.
 
The Operational Fleet Insight report also reviewed the impact of COVID-19 over the past 18 months. While the pandemic has had a mixed effect on businesses, 41% of fleet managers have reported a positive impact on their environmental and sustainability strategies. As well as this, 16% of commercial van users increased the lifespan of their older vehicles as a response to COVID-19, and 41% revealed that the pandemic had a positive impact on their mileage.
 
Gavin Franks, director of business services at the AA, commented: “The aim throughout our research has been to analyse the views of operational fleets, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing them and create a roadmap from which we can deliver sustainable industry growth and product evolution. This report, our fifth in the series, gives us an important snapshot of the impact of the pandemic on the industry, as well as tracking the evolution of the transition to EVs and other impacts on the sector.
 
“Interestingly, it’s positive to see that there is a much greater awareness among fleets about the benefits of EVs, despite the concern over lack of charging points across the country and at work being the main barriers to take-up. With charging infrastructure improving on an almost daily basis, as investment in charging points is paying off, we expect fleets will see a change quicker than they anticipate and the pace of adoption will pick up further.”
 
David Myers, CEO at Rivus Fleet Solutions, commented: “We are delighted to announce the release of our joint Operational Fleet Insight report with the AA. We have worked alongside one another since 1990 and we are committed to shaping policy and making a difference in the fleet industry with our in-depth research.
 
“It is clear that we are in an evolving landscape as the fleet industry navigates the post-Covid world and starts to prepare for the 2030 Government ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles. Our research shows that achieving long-term efficiencies and the need to comply with new legislation is driving a shift in fleet operators needing to consider the benefits of incorporating electric into the fleet operations.”

Source: https://greenfleet.net/