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Two-thirds of fleet vehicles ‘ready to go electric’

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New research has found that two-thirds of vehicles (cars and vans) operated by private and public sector organisations in the UK are ready to go electric — contrary to increasing industry and media pessimism around electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

Geotab’s  ‘Taking Charge: On the Road to an EV Future’ report analysed driver data from 1.3 million vehicles across seven countries over 12 months. It found that fleets switching to EVs could reduce 2.2 billion gallons of fuel from conventional vehicles while avoiding approximately 19 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over the next seven years.

From the analysis, the UK was also singled out as by far the most ‘EV suitable’ market in Europe. That is despite having some of the poorest national EV incentives on offer compared to the other European countries in the report. France, Germany, Italy and Spain all currently offer EV buyers up-front purchase incentives*, whereas the UK government withdrew the Plug-in Car Grant in 2022.

Geotab found that 66% of light-duty vehicles (cars and vans) in the UK are ready to go electric and, crucially, save money for the organisations running them. The UK’s EV suitability compares favourably to other markets covered in the report, which includes Canada (with an EV suitability of 50%), Spain (43%), the United States (38%), Germany (35%), Italy (28%), France (20%).

The 66% figure for the UK is based on a typical seven-year replacement cycle for a fleet vehicle. Expanding this period to 10 years would increase the percentage of fleet cars and vans in the UK ready to go electric to 73%, based on the fact that EVs have a longer usable lifespan than their petrol and diesel counterparts thanks to service, maintenance and repair (SMR) savings.

“The idea that the UK is not ready for mass EV adoption is a fallacy,” said David Savage, Vice President for the UK and Ireland at Geotab. “On the contrary, it’s time for British businesses to ‘double down’ on fleet electrification – not just for the good of the environment and our collective climate goals but for their bottom line. A visionary CEO of a business operating a vehicle fleet could effectively pay their own salary by going electric, thanks to EVs’ financial savings.”

The Taking Charge study delves into real-world telematics data to understand the feasibility of transitioning from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs within light-duty fleets, and the potential financial and CO2 savings available.

The report reveals that by going electric, British private and public sector organisations could reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) per vehicle by £13,279 over a seven-year period, equating to a saving of £876,414 on a large fleet of 100 vehicles.

These numbers were calculated using Geotab’s proven EV Suitability Assessment (EVSA) tool, which helps fleets transition to electric vehicles. EVSA uses telematics data to understand a fleet’s specific needs to make a tailored EV adoption recommendation. It maps the fleet’s driving patterns against real-world EV performance metrics to pinpoint which fleet vehicles can be replaced with an EV available in that market. The tool also provides a forecast of the financial savings and environmental benefits of making the switch, taking into consideration the purchase price along with fuel and maintenance costs.

When evaluating the suitability of replacing an ICE vehicle with an EV, Geotab looks at two essential factors: Is there a range-capable electric model that can meet the existing daily driving requirements and does it make economic sense to make the switch?  Driving patterns can have a major impact on fleet electrification potential as they determine whether a suitable replacement vehicle is available that satisfies the vehicle’s range needs while saving money.

For a replacement to be considered range-capable, it needs to be able to drive 98% of the days that year on a single charge. This 2% margin allows outlier days to exclude abnormal driving distance days outside of standard usage. For it to be considered suitable, the EV would have to be both range-capable and economical, i.e. have a TCO that is lesser or equal to a new replacement ICE model.

Photo by Red Dot on Unsplash

THE WHICHEV VIEW: One million battery EVs are now registered for the UK’s roads – Where next?

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By WhichEV

January 2024, the UK automotive sector marked a significant milestone with the registration of the country’s millionth battery electric vehicle (BEV), highlighting a growing trend towards greener transportation. This achievement coincided with an 8.2% increase in new car registrations, totalling 142,876 units, marking the strongest start to a year since 2020 and continuing an 18-month streak of growth.

However, this rise was predominantly seen in the fleet market, which surged by 29.9%, in contrast to a 15.8% decline in private retail sales.

BEVs accounted for 20,935 of the new registrations in January, up 21% from the previous year, bringing the total BEV registrations to 1,001,677 since records began. Despite this growth, the BEV market share of 14.7% for January was slightly lower than the overall performance in 2023. The industry also saw an increase in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations by 31.1%, while hybrid vehicle (HEV) registrations experienced a minor decrease.

For a deeper dive on this story, head over to WhichEV.

LEVC’s TX hits 50% of all licensed London taxis milestone

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More than half of London’s entire black cab fleet is now zero-emission capable thanks to LEVC’s class-leading electric taxi, as the TX continues to play a vital role in clean green, and accessible urban mobility.

Supporting the UK’s capital to achieve its net zero target, LEVC’s electric TX is accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels. More than 50 percent of London’s 14,700 black taxis are now actively contributing to cleaning up London’s air and the overall environmental impact of London’s iconic taxi fleet is also rapidly reducing.

As the UK’s electric TX fleet increases, so does the positive contribution this purpose-built vehicle is making to cities. Powered by its revolutionary eCity technology, LEVC’s electric TX taxi has travelled more than 700 million miles globally and prevented more than 200,000 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions from entering the world’s atmosphere since its introduction in 2018.

Alex Nan, CEO of LEVC, commented: “With more than half the black cabs on London’s streets now electric, thanks to the iconic TX, today represents another momentous milestone for LEVC. We would like to thank London’s famous black cab drivers, who have been instrumental in this achievement.

Since its launch, the TX has delivered an unrivalled sustainable mobility solution. Globally the TX has saved an incredible 200,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, with London leading the way in helping us to achieve that. But there is always more that we can do. Other cities can learn from London’s world-leading approach, improving air quality throughout urban settings, to the benefit of the public and the environment.

“LEVC is committed to working alongside policymakers to demonstrate the positive impact that the TX is having in our cities, as we seek to continue building a greener and more accessible transport network better suited for all.”

Helen Chapman, Transport for London’s Director of Licensing and Regulation, said: “London’s black taxis are recognised worldwide and we are proud to see that so many drivers are helping clean up our air and assist us in tackling the city’s health emergency by driving zero emission capable vehicles (ZEC). Reaching this milestone is a great reflection of how London is working hard to be a greener, more sustainable, environmentally friendly city. We know that by bringing more electric and ZEC vehicles to London we can continue to bring down the level of harmful chemicals in the air and reduce the impact of road transport on our environment.

“Making the taxi fleet cleaner and bringing more electric vehicle charging points to the capital are significant parts of the wider efforts we’re making to help continue being London’s strong, green heartbeat, cleaning London’s air, and helping get Londoners around the city in the greenest ways possible.”

The TX taxi is an accessible and inclusive vehicle for all, regardless of age or disability. Featuring flexible space for up to six passengers, the vehicle includes an integrated wheelchair ramp enabling the TX to accommodate a forward-facing wheelchair – the only taxi of its kind to do so.

The TX’s eCity technology provides a pure EV range of 78 miles and a total range-extended capacity of 333 miles, making it ideally suited to London’s busy black cab drivers. LEVC manufactures the electric TX at its state-of-the-art facility in Ansty, Coventry. With an investment of over £1 billion from the Geely Holding Group since 2014, LEVC has built the UK’s first dedicated manufacturing plant for electric vehicles. LEVC recently announced its new strategy that will see it grow beyond manufacturing the TX, to become a leading zero-carbon mobility technology company.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Mahle seeks to establish global standard for wireless EV charging

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By WhichEV

In a pivotal move for the electric vehicle (EV) charging landscape, SAE International, a revered non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing mobility technologies, has endorsed Mahle’s positioning system as the worldwide standard solution for wireless EV charging. The selection of Mahle’s technology marks a significant leap in achieving standardisation in inductive charging, effectively putting in place the last piece of the wireless charging puzzle – that has kept this option from moving forward for almost a decade.

The key technology, a brainchild of Mahle, addresses a critical hurdle in standardisation. If successful, this could allow for a fast, comprehensive launch for commercial wireless charging – revolutionising battery charging for electric and hybrid vehicles. This recognition by a body like SAE International, underscores Mahle’s prowess in electrification and sets a compelling momentum for the future of e-mobility, as highlighted by Arnd Franz, Chairman of the Mahle Management Board and CEO.

Read this fascinating story in full over at WhichEV…

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Petrol Vs Public Charging Vs Home Charging – Compared

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By WhichEV

As part of its EV Answers series of articles, the expert team at WhichEV take a look at a small commercial vehicles and the fuel cost differences from fossil fuel to public charging to ‘at base’ charging…

Petrol

First, let’s consider range. If you recently decided to fill a 50 litre tank with petrol at £1.55 per litre, then it will have cost you £77.50. That is around 11 gallons and the average petrol vehicle will do around 36 miles per gallon – so that tank will get you just shy of 400 miles. Older, less efficient vehicle that spend most of their time at 20 mph in traffic will get closer to 30 miles per gallon, or even less – so a range of 330 miles for £77.50. Doing the calculation, we have a cost per mile with petrol of 19p to 23p.

Public Charging

You will find some chargers close to 50p per kWh, but maybe the price will be higher. We’ll use 60p for this cost calculation and imagine that you’re using a charger capable of delivering a steady 100kW. Filling a 61.7kWh battery like this, will probably get you to 80% in around 30 minutes, but the last 20% could take another 20-30 minutes as charger technology slows the process as the battery gets full.

Either way, you can pick up 61.7kWh of charge for £37.02. Most drivers do their miles in town and on smaller A roads, where you’re more likely to get close to 270 miles on a charge. To match the range of the petrol vehicle, you’d need to add up to 25% more charge – which would be another £9.23 for a total of £46.28.

Charging at Base

There are various ‘overnight saver tariffs’ to choose from. We will use 9.5p/kWh for 7 hours, but there are other deals available at the time of going to press. Local production from wind/solar as well as battery storage on site can also make a difference to the calculation.

Starting from empty at mid-night, you would pick up 49kWh at £4.65 and then you’ll need to finish with the last 12.1kWh at around 30p each once your overnight rate expires. That’s a total to fill up in one sitting of £8.28. You will need to pick up an additional 15kWh on the second evening – if you want to balance the ranges. That can be done overnight for £1.43.

Cost per mile

Another way to look at the same data, is to calculate the fuel cost per mile for driving 330 miles:-

23p        Petrol

14p        Public Charging

2.9p       Home Charging (E-On)

Before committing to an EV, do some calculations yourself and shop around for a good tariff that makes sense for your lifestyle. Prices are volatile, so our comparison is for guidance only.

Head over to WhichEV to read the full story!

Wates accelerates decarbonisation plans with electric fleet investment

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Wates is speeding ahead with plans to decarbonise its commercial van fleet with a major investment to replace 45 small diesel, supervisor vans with new electric cars.

The new electric cars will be used across the Group’s UK-wide fit-out, refurbishment and maintenance services for social housing properties and non-domestic buildings.

Forming part of a long-term plan to electrify its full fleet of commercial vehicles, the investment will be followed by a further 45 electric vehicles in 2024 with a target to electrify 100% of Wates’ supervisor vehicles by the end of 2025.

Decarbonising its service vans forms part of Wates’ Environmental Sustainability Plan and moves the Group closer to its target of becoming carbon neutral in its Group-wide operations by 2025 for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

David Morgan, Executive Managing Director of Wates Property Services, said: “In 2021 we introduced the first electric vehicles to our service van fleet, which was an important step in reducing our carbon footprint. We are now making great strides across the group, both in terms of our own operations and the work we are doing on behalf of our customers to decarbonise their buildings.”

Bekir Andrews, Environmental Sustainability Director of Wates Group, added: “Replacing the vans is an important milestone and one of many more to come in reducing our direct carbon emissions as well as helping do our bit to improve local air quality. We have been trialling different electrically powered vans for our operatives and have already started replacing diesel vans where vehicle range and charging infrastructure allow. For our wider company car fleet, we have already introduced measures to phase out combustion engines. We are collaborating with our supply chain partners, customers and industry to meet our near-term science-based targets and progress towards net-zero by 2045.”

It’s time to combat deliberate EV misinformation

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By WhichEV

WhichEV has been on a mission to electrify over the last 5 years. In that time, we have met with a lot of half-truths and ill-informed opinions about electric vehicles in general, but more specifically the manufacturing processes, raw materials, pollution and a host of other issues.

We welcome the initiative kicked off by Robert Llewelyn from Fully Charged and Quentin Willson from ChargeFair – to combat deliberate misinformation in the market.

Time and again, EV drivers have been surveyed and only a tiny fraction ever consider going back to slow, smelly, expensive to run petrol/diesel vehicles. The vast majority are working on strategies to maximise performance and range, while minimising inconvenience and cost.

You can read more about the Llewelyn-Willson initiate here.

EV charging infrastructure for fleets – Where to start

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The simple fact is that electric vehicles (EVs) are the future of transport. A recent report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that one battery electric car is registered every 60 seconds and that exponential growth in EVs is being accelerated by fleet sales.

It’s clear that those in the fleet industry are well-versed when it comes to the procurement of EVs. However, this is only one part – albeit vital – in any EV transition plans for fleet operations of all sizes and across all sectors.

The challenge often lies in understanding exactly how, and where to start, when it comes to the implementation of effective EV charging solutions that will resonate with both employers and employees.

For those involved, it may seem as though the transition to EV is a huge task. It doesn’t need to be such a daunting journey. Concerns surrounding EV charging simply shouldn’t stall the rollout of cost-effective, efficient and, most importantly, accessible EV charging infrastructure plans.

There may not be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to EV chargepoint infrastructure – but it is simply about keeping the three ‘Rs’ front of mind – right time, right location, and right speed.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that help from EV and electrical infrastructure specialists – such as SMS – is available.  Working with a trusted partner can make the whole EV transition process simple – helping to deploy and optimise successful small and large-scale EV infrastructure projects from start to finish. From supporting a workable plan and advising on the appropriate EV software and hardware to meet individual fleet needs, to advising on energy trade and supply needs.

If you want to learn more about how SMS can help with your fleet’s transition to EV, please connect with the team at Fleet Summit.

The WhichEV View: 2023 UK EV sales pass landmark half-year figure

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So far in 2023, almost 600,000 cars have been sold with some kind of electric drive motor inside – compared to only 455,000 with just a petrol engine.

Pure battery electric vehicles have accounted for over 175,000 sales so far – which means the year could end with well over 300,000 new EV sales in the UK.

More EVs were sold in 2021 than in the first 10 years of modern EV sales (from 2010 to 2019).

Now we’re almost seeing that level of sales in one half of a year.

For a full analysis of the data, hop on over to WhichEV.

VRA: Tipping point edges closer for EVs on price and buyer interest

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A tipping point is close to being reached where there will be widespread dealer and buyer acceptance of electric vehicles (EVs), with price parity within sight.

That’s what members of the Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) were told at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week, with Dale Wyatt, Director of Automobile at Suzuki GB – who presented on issues currently facing motor manufacturers – saying that getting to that place would require a concerted effort on the part of the remarketing sector as well as a range of customer incentives.

“It looks as though used ICE and EV cars will start to reach some kind of price parity over the next year and I expect that trend to equally apply to new cars as we edge towards 2024, Wyatt said. “Price parity will be a key moment as there is still going to be customer resistance to EVs and there will need to be incentives to overcome that.

“Those incentives could take several forms which will depend on where cash is available and what motivates buyers, but it does feel now as though a tipping point is not far away where EVs will just become an everyday part of the car market.”

Peter Smyth, Director at Swansway Motor Group, provided a dealer perspective on current issues. He backed the idea of incentives but said that simply getting better at selling EVs would be crucial.

“It’s not something that is much discussed but what the retail motor industry is really good at, is selling. We have great sales skills and using them will be crucial to making EVs a success, with salespeople in dealerships making the right deal, matching the right customer to the right electric car and the right finance product.

“Of course, there will probably need to be incentives and ‘cash on the bonnet’ in the form of manufacturers’ subsidies will also form part of this story.”

A panel discussion on mental health and wellbeing in the remarketing sector featured Rachel Clift, health and wellbeing director at motor industry benevolent charity BEN; Stephen Whitton, founder of [M]enable, which is the VRA’s mental health partner organisation; and Danielle Grant, training officer at Compass, which provides wellbeing consultancy and training solutions.

The AGM, hosted by British Car Auctions in Perry Barr, Birmingham was attended by 50 delegates in person and more online, making it the organisation’s largest ever event of its kind.

Philip Nothard, chair at the VRA, said: “As every year, we work to make the AGM something of a showcase for the quality of insight that exists within the VRA and we were pleased to see such an excellent turnout and such vibrant discussion.

“Our membership has risen by around 25% in the last year and there is a real sense of momentum around the organisation. We’re now planning our annual VRA Seminar in November, which promises to be a fascinating day.”

Image by Qubes Pictures from Pixabay