EVs attracting drivers back to company car schemes - Fleet Summit
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  • EVs attracting drivers back to company car schemes

    960 640 Stuart O'Brien

    Employees who have previously taken cash options are returning to company car schemes in “noticeable” numbers thanks to electric vehicles (EVs), reports Arval UK.
     
    Shaun Sadlier, head of consulting at Arval UK, said this was something that was predicted when the latest zero and low benefit-in-kind rates for EVs were unveiled in 2019, but is now becoming increasingly more apparent:
     
    “Many cash takers liked their company car but didn’t like paying what they perceived as high benefit-in-kind and that was why they opted-out. Now, with low benefit-in-kind in place for EVs for at least five years, many more are now returning to company car schemes.
     
    “We predicted that this would start to happen some time ago, but it’s now becoming noticeable In several of the major fleets with which we work. It’s a welcome development that will feed demand for zero-emission vehicles and lead to wider, faster adoption.”
     
    Sadlier added that, while benefit-in-kind was the key attractor in choosing a zero emission vehicle, there were also a range of other factors in play.
     
    “If you talk to fleet managers and their drivers, there’s a lot of enthusiasm around the vehicles themselves. It’s as simple as many people really liking EVs as their day-to-day mode of transport. We are beyond the early adopter phase and heading into mass-acceptance.
     
    “All it takes is a couple of EVs on a fleet to disprove the reservations some people hold about these vehicles. They can see that misgivings such as range anxiety are actually of limited importance for the vast number of journeys that are made.
     
    Arval UK recently updated its own company car scheme to increase adoption of EVs and the move paid off with almost two thirds of its company car drivers making the switch so far. 
     
    “All of our consultants and many of our sales team have switched to EVs. They act as ambassadors for the technology, developing personal experience to share with customers, friends and family – as more people drive EVs, consumer confidence will increase. Coupled with the growing number of different models that are available, plus the recent 2030 announcement, it’s not an exaggeration to say that we can all play our part in a zero-emission future and choosing an EV is a step in that direction.”

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    Stuart O'Brien

    All stories by: Stuart O'Brien