AA research reveals bright future ahead for EV fleets
Gavin Franks, Business Services Director at the AA
“The launch of our latest Operational Fleet Insight Report in collaboration with Rivus Fleet Solutions revealed that positivity towards electric vehicles (EVs) is at an all-time high among fleets, with over two thirds (67%) likely to adopt EVs within five years. This marks a sharp rise from 2017, when only 23% of fleet decision makers were considering EV adoption, indicating that the technology is migrating from the early adopter phase to one of widespread acceptance.
“There are numerous reasons for this change in sentiment, some financial, some practical. For example, 82% of decision makers state that the quality of EVs has improved since 2020, while 84% feel that manufacturers’ range of available EV products is superior. Meanwhile, 66% of fleet managers believe EVs require less servicing, while 65% note that EVs have better whole life costs than diesel or petrol.
“Although fleet managers are starting to look more positively at the broader range of benefits, there are still barriers where 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 an issue.
“We’re delighted to see greater awareness evolving among fleets about the benefits of EVs, despite a third of respondents flagging a nationwide lack of charging points as an issue. However, we know first-hand that charging infrastructure is improving daily, with charge points increasing across the UK. While there is still a way to go with suitable HGV EV models, we believe fleets will see a change quicker than they anticipate with LCVs and the pace of adoption will accelerate.”
“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.
“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.”
To download your copy of the Operational Fleet Insight Report, visit: https://bit.ly/3BvfotP. Or for more information on the AA Business Services, visit: www.theaa.com/business.