Fleet managers expect their fleets to be fully electric in an average of four years, according to a new survey.
Lex Autolease surveyed 100 business fleet decision makers, each of whom operates a fleet of more than 100 vehicles, for its bi-annual Future of Transport report and found the target for going electric had moved considerably from seven years last year to four years today.
This latest survey was done after the government announcement to delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035.
The majority (86%) of fleet managers surveyed said they had maintained or increased the number of EVs in their fleet over the previous 12 months, up from 66% in the last survey. And almost two thirds (64%) said they were now more likely to consider EVs or increase the number in their fleets following the delayed ban on ICE cars, compared to 23% who are now less likely.
More than half (57%) of fleet managers said adopting EVs was an important move for hitting their sustainability targets, while almost as many (50%) feel it helps their business’s sustainability credentials when responding to tenders.
The same proportion (50%) also said it was important for employee engagement and recruitment.
However, the respondents complained that barriers to adoption endure, and include the availability of second-hand vehicles (21%), charging times (21%), charging point availability (20%), the logistics of installing charging points at home (20%) and poor engagement from staff (20%).
Meanwhile, Lex Autolease surveyed 1,200 private drivers and found that although they are largely convinced of the environmental benefits of EVs, owning one is still an unachievable aspiration for many as financial and practical considerations outweigh environmental concern.
Just over two thirds (69%) think the government could be doing more, primarily through measures to reduce vehicle cost (46%), boost charging point availability (45%) and improve the availability of on-road charging infrastructure at home.
