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Brits want electric cars to sound like… cars

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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A new survey has revealed that British road users want electric cars to sound like cars to ensure safety for pedestrians and other road users.

The survey, conducted by Venson Automotive Solutions, found that 43 percent of drivers would prefer a noise that mimics the sound of a conventional petrol or diesel engine on an electric vehicle, particularly when driven at low speed, while 23 percent would prefer a continuous low decibel sound. 

The findings come as manufacturers work to meet new legal requirements for all new hybrid and EVs to incorporate an acoustic vehicle alert system (AVAS) – From July 1, 2019, all new electric cars sold in the EU have to be fitted with AVAS and all existing models by July 2021.

70 percent of those polled also preferred a horn sound similar to that made by a conventional petrol or diesel engine, along with 72 percent admitting they felt that all electric vehicle sounds should be standardised.

Under EU law, from 2021, EV drivers will be able to manually trigger a warning sound, as in a horn but less urgent, to alert pedestrians and road users of their presence. 70 percent surveyed said they would like to hear a horn sound similar to that made by a petrol or diesel engine vehicle. 

Just 13 percent wanted to hear a phrase such as ‘EV approaching’, however, 6 percent would prefer an animal sound like a roar, bark or quack instead of a traditional vehicle horn.

Alison Bell, Marketing Director for Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “The integration of AVAS into hybrid and electric vehicles is a very positive move.  Almost silent electric and hybrid cars put vulnerable road users at risk, especially children, the partially sighted and blind. As more fleet drivers opt for emission-free electric models, with the introduction of zero BIK tax from April 2020, they will be relieved to know that with the introduction of AVAS their choice will no longer put road users at risk.

“With over 100 years of petrol and diesel engine sounding vehicles on our roads, people naturally react to the sound of an approaching vehicle or a horn being sounded. Keeping sounds we are used to hearing on UK roads makes the most sense when it comes to road safety and saving lives.”

UK university fleets leading the way for EV uptake

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By Will Craig, Managing Director, LeaseFetcher

On 15th February 2013, nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah died in hospital after suffering an asthma-induced seizure. She lived just off the South Circular in Lewisham, a notoriously polluted stretch of road. 

Five years after her death, a report from Professor Stephen Holgate, an expert on air quality, highlighted a “striking association” between Ella’s many emergency hospitalisations and recorded instances of illegally high levels of air pollution. Professor Holgate’s report concluded with a chilling prediction: there was a “real prospect that without unlawful levels of air pollution, Ella would not have died.”

While Ella’s death is tragic, it is sadly not unique. Earlier this year, a new study from German researchers suggested 64,000 people a year die prematurely as a result of air pollution in the UK.

Despite strict regulations and testing, internal combustion engines (ICE) are still the main cause of air pollution. Even the newest ICE vehicles still pump out huge amounts of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter into the air.

Battery-powered electric vehicles, which produce no tailpipe emissions, are often hailed as the solution to our air pollution crisis. However, electric vehicle uptake is slow. Last year, just 2.53 percent of the cars on our roads were electric.

As hotbeds of innovation, many people expect universities to be early adopters of electric vehicle technology and drive progress from the front. And around the world, universities are taking great strides to clean up their fleets.

In April, the University of Georgia invested in 20 electric buses, eliminating 4.5 million pounds of carbon emissions annually. Florida State University is following suit, transitioning to a purely electric bus fleet. And late last year, Duke University announced its updated Climate Action Plan, which includes electrifying its buses and vehicles.

But how are UK institutions performing? Are our universities driving an all-electric revolution or persisting with ICE vehicles?

Over the past six months, we have compiled data on the fuel composition of the fleets of 110 UK universities obtained through Freedom of Information requests. 

In this report, we have highlighted five interesting findings from our research. While some points seem disheartening, others have sparked hope for positive change.

Diesel still reigns supreme.

The UK government has banned the sale of petrol and diesel cars after 2040 and there is substantial pressure to pull the date forward to 2035 or even 2030. Time is ticking to make the switch to an alternative fuel vehicle.

Most industry experts are agreed that electricity is the fuel of the future. Consequently, car manufacturers are investing heavily in electric and hybrid technology.

Volkswagen is determined to have 30 new EVs by 2025. Volvo announced it won’t sell pure-ICE cars after 2019. Ford recently invested $500M in Rivian, an electric truck-maker, who will help them develop future models. And by 2020, all new smart cars in Europe will be fully electric.

While EV adoption in the UK is increasing, diesel remains the dominant fuel type in most fleets. Across all universities investigates, diesel cars made up 69.9 percent of the fleets in 2018/19, down 1.6 percent from 2017/18.

For both 2017/18 and 2018/19, we discovered that nine percent of universities only had diesel cars in their fleets.

Our data shows that diesel is still the clear favourite fuel choice for university fleets but there are signs of a slow decrease.

Key Statistics:

  • Diesel powers 69.9% of UK university fleet vehicles.
  • 9% of the universities have an entirely diesel fleet.
  • The number of universities with no diesel cars increased by 1% since 2017.

Confidence in diesel is falling.

Our data shows that diesel is slowly falling out of favour with UK universities and the same can be said for the UK public as a whole. In fact, sales of diesel cars plummeted by 37 percent between March 2017 and March 2018, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

We carried out a supplementary survey on UK motorists to investigate public opinion on electric and diesel cars. Over 60 percent agreed that diesel cars are harmful to the environment and 60 percent feel that diesel cars also have a negative impact to the public’s health in terms of air pollution. Over half of our respondents said they are now less likely to purchase a diesel car than they were five years ago.

A similar pattern follows when we turn our attention to the university data. We can see that the number of new diesel cars bought by universities is falling.

Between 2017/18 and 2018/19, the number of diesel cars as a percentage of all fleet cars decreased by 1.4 percent.

Key Statistics:

  • Since 2017, the number of diesel cars in university fleets decreased by 1.4%.
  • 63% of people believe diesel cars are harming the environment.
  • 56% of people said they’re less likely to buy a diesel car now than they were five years ago.

Electric car uptake is growing — and fast!

While electric vehicles still make up a very small part of the UK market, uptake is accelerating.

Of our surveyed motorists, 60% said they were either likely or highly likely to purchase an electric vehicle as their next car. Over 60 said they believe electric vehicles are necessary to combat air pollution and 78 percent said that electric vehicles are better for our health.

Since 2017, there was a 6.5 percent increase in the number of electric cars in university fleets. Moreover, the number of electric cars as a percentage of the whole fleet increased from 14 percent to 14.9 percent.

While electric vehicle adoption is rising, some universities are dragging their heels. More than one-quarter of universities possessed no electric cars in any of the years examined.

The progress towards electrified fleets is slow and steady but it is progress nevertheless.

Key Statistics:

  • Since 2017, the number of electric cars in university fleets increased by 6.5%.
  • 26.3% of universities possessed no electric cars.
  • 60% of respondents are likely to purchase an electric vehicle as their next car.
  • 65% of people believe electric cars are needed to combat air pollution.
  • 78% of respondents feel that electric vehicles are better for our health.

Universities are more willing to buy electric than individuals

Our data shows that universities are far more willing to adopt electric cars than the UK public as a whole.

In 2018, the electric cars made up just 2.53 percent of the UK automotive market. For universities, however, 14.9 percent of the entire fleet was electric. Universities are speeding ahead of general UK EV adoption by a staggering 12.37 percent.

But why the divergent figures?

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee examined the roadblocks in the way of consumers transitioning to electric vehicles.

Vehicle cost is the primary stumbling block. Unlike nations like Norway, where the government invests heavily in subsidies, the UK’s plug-in car grant was slashed in November 2018. It formerly covered 35 percent of the cost of the car.

In our opinion poll, over 70 percent of respondents said electric vehicles were only accessible to wealthy individuals. Nearly 80 percent said they would be more likely to purchase an electric vehicle if subsidies lowered ownership costs. In comparison, universities have dedicated fleet budgets and can justify higher up-front costs with long-term savings.

Battery capacity and an underdeveloped charging infrastructure are also key concerns for individuals. This investigation into charging infrastructure maps out the distance needed to travel to charging points. In rural regions in particular, consumers are generally not within a comfortable distance from charging points. 

Universities, on the other hand, are predominantly based in urban areas, which have access to public charging points. Additionally, most universities also own land or buildings, which allows them to install their own charging stations.

Key Statistics:

  • Electric cars comprised 2.53% of the UK automotive market in 2018.
  • 14.9% of university fleet vehicles were electric in 2018.
  • University electric vehicle adoption exceeds general UK consumer adoption by 12.37 percent.
  • 73% of people believe electric vehicles are only accessible by wealthier individuals.
  • 77% of respondents would purchase an electric vehicle if subsidies lowered the costs.
  • 73% of respondents believe that electric cars are best suited to urban areas.

Leading the way to electrification

In our survey, 78 percent of respondents said they think that universities should lead the way in the adoption of electric cars. But which institutions are making the greatest progress?

Based on a minimum of a 10-car fleet, we have identified the top five universities for electric vehicle adoption.

  • Kingston University: 64.3% of 14 cars.
  • Bournemouth University: 53.3% of 15 cars.
  • Manchester Metropolitan University: 51.9% of 27 cars.
  • University of Sunderland: 47.1% of 17 cars.
  • University of Kent: 44.1% of 68 cars.

These leaders demonstrate that with the right approach, UK universities can keep up the pace with their international counterparts when electrifying their fleets.

We also examined EV adoption by country. Based on having a minimum of a 20% electric fleet, we found that:

  • 49% of English universities were above the cut off.
  • 45% of Scottish universities were above the cut off.
  • No Welsh universities were above the cut off.
  • No Northern Irish universities were above the cut off.

English and Scottish Universities are clearly leading the way, with English Universities pulling slightly further ahead. These findings make sense when compared with the chargepoint distance data mentioned earlier as it highlights a significant lack of charging points in Wales.

Key Statistics:

  • Kingston University, Bournemouth University, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Sunderland, and the University of Kent have the top 5 electric vehicle adoption rates out of all 110 Universities examined.
  • English Universities have the highest EV adoption rates, with 49% of institutions with rates above 20% cut off.

Final Thoughts

Whilst the proportion of electric cars in university fleets is growing faster than diesel—and at a faster rate than the UK average—these fleets have a long way before they are fully green.

As other international institutions press forward with electrification, UK universities need to commit more firmly to switching if they are to keep up the pace.

Survey Methods and Data

Results for this poll are based on online survey responses collected on 30th April 2019 with a random sample of 100 adults, aged 18 and older, living in the UK, who drive a vehicle 3 or more times per week. The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Pollfish’s network of 570M consumers.

The data on UK university fleets was gathered by use of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. All data was gathered by our in- house team of marketers and can be obtained upon request. 

Access to Data

To request a copy of our full report or a copy of the survey data, please email contact@leasefetcher.co.uk.

Government wants all new rapid chargepoints to offer card payment by 2020

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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The government wants to see all newly-installed rapid and higher powered chargepoints to provide debit or credit card payment by spring 2020.

One year since the launch of its Road to Zero Strategy, the government has signalled it expects industry to develop a roaming solution across the charging network, allowing electric vehicle drivers to use any public chargepoint through a single payment method without needing multiple smartphone apps or membership cards.

To date, government and industry have supported the installation of over 20,000 publicly accessible chargepoints in the UK, including more than 2,000 rapid devices, making it one of the largest charging networks in Europe. There are now more locations where you can charge your car than there are petrol stations, with almost every motorway service area having at least one rapid chargepoint.

To increase confidence in the charging network and reduce range anxiety the government says it’s working with industry to make chargepoint data freely available, helping drivers easily locate and access available chargepoints.

Future of Mobility Minister, Michael Ellis, said: “The government’s vision is for the UK to have one of the best electric vehicle charging networks in the world, but we know the variety of payment methods at the moment is a source of frustration for drivers.

“It is crucial there are easy payment methods available to improve electric vehicle drivers’ experiences and give drivers choice. This will help even more people enjoy the benefits electric vehicles bring and speed up our journey to a zero-emission future.”

Business and Industry Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “Initiatives like this are essential as we move towards a net zero economy, making it easier than ever for people to own and use electric vehicles.

“Investing in batteries, technology and infrastructure through our modern Industrial Strategy and Faraday battery challenge will ensure the UK leads the world in the global transition away from fossil fuels while supporting the future of our automotive industry.”

The announcement comes as BP Chargemaster, the operator of the UK’s largest public charging network, has taken what it says is a major step forward for industry by committing to introducing card payment on all new 50kW and 150kW chargers. It will also retrofit its existing UK-made rapid chargers with the technology over the next 12 months.

David Newton, CEO at BP Chargemaster, said: “As the operator of the UK’s largest public charging network, including the greatest number of rapid chargers, we support the government’s vision for all new rapid and ultra-fast chargers to support contactless bank card payment.

“We will be going one step further, not only by introducing this facility on all new 50kW and 150kW chargers from today, but also by committing to retrofit our existing UK-made rapid chargers with this technology over the next 12 months.”

The move follows the Prime Minister’s announcement last week that the government wants to see the development of a high speed electric vehicle charging infrastructure nationally; with the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to lead a review on the vision for the network.

The government has made clear that if the market is too slow to deliver improvements across the entire network it is prepared to intervene to ensure a good deal for consumers by using powers in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act.

Image by Goran Horvat from Pixabay

Diesel car sales continue to fall as electric rises

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Diesel car sales in the UK fell by another 242,000 in the last year, from 930,000 to 688,000, far outweighing the 131,000 rise in petrol car sales.

That’s according to new data from accountancy UHY Hacker Young, which says the diesel emissions scandal and subsequent ‘demonization of diesel’ has now led to two consecutive years of sharply falling diesel car sales, with this year’s 26% decline matching the 26% fall in 2017/18.

Petrol sales were up by 10% in the past year.

The 688,000 diesel cars sold in the past year represent just over half the 1.27 million sold in 2015/16, prior to the diesel emissions scandal. In the wake of that scandal, several taxes and charges were introduced to discourage diesel car purchases, including increases in car tax and company car tax for diesel cars, and a £12.50 daily charge for most diesel cars to enter the London’s new ‘Ultra Low Emission Zone’.

The biggest jump in new car sales in the past year has been seen among battery electric vehicles – ‘pure’ electric vehicles that use no fossil fuels at all. This category saw sales rise 41% from 13,000 in 2017/18 to 18,500 in 2018/19.

3,200 of these battery electric cars were registered by Tesla in the past year, down 24% from 4,200 in the previous year.

The first quarter of 2019 saw the biggest-ever quarter for sales of battery electric vehicles, with 7,000 new vehicles registered. The primary driver was Nissan’s new Leaf model.

Hybrid electric models, such as the Toyota Prius, saw sales rise another 26% to 92,000 in the past year. The category now makes up 4% of all new cars sold.

Paul Daly, automotive partner at UHY Hacker Young, said: “Diesel sales have now almost halved in the two years since the emissions scandal – this has changed the landscape of new car sales completely.

“Between the negative perceptions of diesel engines among buyers, and the Government’s moves to discourage diesel through tax, it’s unlikely that diesel sales will recover in the foreseeable future.

“This is a shame, as the latest Euro 6 diesels actually make a compelling environmental case, especially for higher mileage drivers.

“Manufacturers and dealerships will have hoped that petrol sales would make up for the shortfall, but that simply hasn’t happened.

“The accelerating sales growth of battery electric vehicles is great for the small number of manufacturers who have a credible challenger in that market. However, that market is still only a tiny fraction of new car sales overall.

“The real disruptor to the market at present remains hybrids, and battery electric vehicles still have a big gap to close to change that.”

Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

EVs should be ‘only option’ by 2035

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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The UK can end its contribution to global warming within 30 years by setting an ambitious new target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has said.

In its latest advisory, the Committee states that by 2035 ‘at the latest’ all new cars and vans should be electric (or use a low- carbon alternative such as hydrogen).

If possible, it says, an earlier 2030 switchover would be desirable, reducing costs for motorists and improving air quality. The Committee says this step could could help position the UK to take advantage of shifts in global markets.

It has told the Government it ‘must continue to support strengthening of the charging infrastructure, including for drivers without access to off- street parking’.

Ten years after the Climate Change Act became law, the Committee says now is the right moment to set a more ambitious goal – it asserts that achieving a ‘net-zero’ target by the middle of the century is in line with the UK’s commitment under the Paris Agreement; the pact which the UK and the rest of the world signed in 2015 to curb dramatically the polluting gases that cause climate change.

Scotland has greater potential to remove pollution from its economy than the UK overall, and can credibly adopt a more ambitious target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 2045.

Wales has slightly lower opportunities than the UK as a whole, and should adopt a target for a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, compared to 1990 levels.

The CCC says its recommended targets, which cover all sectors of the UK, Scottish and Welsh economies, are achievable with known technologies, alongside improvements in people’s lives, and should be put into law as soon as possible, the Committee says.

Falls in cost for some of the key zero-carbon technologies mean that achieving net-zero is now possible within the economic cost that Parliament originally accepted when it passed the Climate Change Act in 2008.

The Committee’s report, requested by the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments in light of the Paris Agreement and the IPCC’s Special Report in 2018, finds that:

  • The foundations are in place throughout the UK and the policies required to deliver key pillars of a net-zero economy are already active or in development. These include: a supply of low-carbon electricity (which will need to quadruple by 2050), efficient buildings and low-carbon heating (required throughout the UK’s building stock), electric vehicles (which should be the only option from 2035 or earlier), developing carbon capture and storage technology and low-carbon hydrogen (which are a necessity not an option), stopping biodegradable waste going to landfill, phasing-out potent fluorinated gases, increasing tree planting, and measures to reduce emissions on farms. However, these policies must be urgently strengthened and must deliver tangible emissions reductions – current policy is not enough even for existing targets.
  • Policies will have to ramp up significantly for a ‘net-zero’ emissions target to be credible, given that most sectors of the economy will need to cut their emissions to zero by 2050. The Committee’s conclusion that the UK can achieve a net-zero GHG target by 2050 and at acceptable cost is entirely contingent on the introduction without delay of clear, stable and well-designed policies across the emitting sectors of the economy. Government must set the direction and provide the urgency. The public will need to be engaged if the transition is to succeed. Serious plans are needed to clean up the UK’s heating systems, to deliver the infrastructure for carbon capture and storage technology and to drive transformational change in how we use our land.
  • The overall costs of the transition to a net-zero economy are manageable but they must be fairly distributed. Rapid cost reductions in essential technologies such as offshore wind and batteries for electric vehicles mean that a net-zero greenhouse gas target can be met at an annual cost of up to 1-2% of GDP to 2050. However, the costs of the transition must be fair, and must be perceived as such by workers and energy bill payers. The Committee recommends that the Treasury reviews how the remaining costs of achieving net- zero can be managed in a fair way for consumers and businesses.

Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, said: “We can all see that the climate is changing and it needs a serious response. The great news is that it is not only possible for the UK to play its full part – we explain how in our new report – but it can be done within the cost envelope that Parliament has already accepted. The Government should accept the recommendations and set about making the changes needed to deliver them without delay.”

EV battery capacity up by 50kWh

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Frost & Sullivan research reveals battery capacity has increased by more than 50kWh across all plug-in hybrid/battery electric vehicles (PHEVs/BEVs), while 150+kW batteries now come with fast-charging capabilities.

These advances in battery technologies are creating a parallel need for a battery thermal management system (BTMS) to ensure higher mile range, longer life, and superior battery performance.

While passive thermal management, such as air-cooled systems, will be the key technology for HEVs, liquid cooling and active thermal management will be popular among PHEVs and BEVs.

“The use of liquid glycol through cooling tubes and plates between modules will not only help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) maintain battery efficiency but also allow their vehicles to achieve compliance with stringent battery standards,” said Arvind Noel Xavier Leo, Industry Analyst, Mobility. 

“In the future, OEMs will adopt active thermal management systems that centralise all thermal needs for battery, motor, power electronics, and cabin temperature.”

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, ‘Global Analysis of Electric Battery Market and Battery Thermal Management System for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Forecast to 2025,’ provides in-depth analyses of BTMS and highlights the current and future products of manufacturers. The study covers the markets of Europe (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom), China, South Korea, Japan, and North America (the United States).

“Prismatic cells are the most preferred cell structure due to their high energy density and compact packaging, and present significant opportunities for high-end passive BTMS due to their thermal instability,” noted Leo. “Most OEMs are outsourcing battery cells for EVs and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and assembling the module and pack in-house. LG Chem, Panasonic, Samsung SDI, and Sanyo will be the key cell suppliers for western OEMs, whereas BYD, CATL, and CALB will be the key battery manufacturers in China and will look to adopt western OEM technology.”

More information on the analysis can be found here: https://go.frost.com/EI_PR_KCekani_MDD0_ElectricVehicle_Mar19

Arval makes EV charging point commitment

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

A significant new electric vehicle charging site is to open next month at the headquarters of vehicle leasing and fleet management company, Arval.
 
At its Windmill Hill Business Park offices, 43 charging points will be available to Arval employees along with an additional seven for other businesses using the same building.
 
Furthermore, Arval has unveiled plans to install new charging points at its other UK premises in Manchester and Birmingham. 
 
Ailsa Firth, Human Resources Director, explained: “As a business, we are committed to supporting the ongoing energy transition toward electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and this means giving drivers convenient access to charging points.
 
“In our own company car fleet, we already have around 100 plug-in vehicle drivers and we expect this number to grow over the coming months and years as availability, choice and experience grows.
 
There is already research, notably from the International Council on Clean Transportation, suggesting EVs cost less to operate than petrol and diesel cars. With this project, we hope to prove the cost and practicality arguments for ourselves.”
 
The charge points and charging services at the Arval UK offices are being provided by NewMotion, the European leader in smart charging solutions for EVs. General Manager UK, Alan McCleave, explained that their complete infrastructure and service offering is intended to make EV charging as easy as possible for employees and visitors.
 
“We’ll be holding roadshows at Arval’s UK head office to introduce employees to the charging sites, the surrounding framework, and to show them how they work.”
 
All Arval employees who register will be provided with a validated charge fob. This will enable charging sessions at the NewMotion charge points at the Arval office. They will be able to charge at work for free for the first six months from when charge points go live. In addition, they will be able to use over 100,000 publiclyavailableNewMotion charging locations throughout Europe, accessible with the same charge fob.
 
Miguel Cabaça, Managing Director at Arval UK, added that the new charging development was also intended to act as a test ground and working example for customers who were thinking of increasingly electrifying their company cars and vans.
 
“We are delighted to be working with NewMotion on such a major installation. Every day we see a growing interest in electric vehicles from a broad cross section of our customers. By leading the way in adoption and creating the necessary infrastructure, we hope to provide a real world illustration of the practicalities behind the energy transition.”

‘Major re-think’ needed on EV infrastructure

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Social divides in communities could be deepened with millions of people set to miss out on the environmental and financial benefits of electric vehicles (EVs), a new report concludes.

The Localis report – ‘Smart Cities: Fair investment for sustainable growth’ – argues that outdated energy and infrastructure policies must urgently be modernised, and local network operators freed up to invest ahead of demand, if the government is to meet its ambitious targets for ensuring all new cars sold are zero-emission by 2040.

The report calls on government to devolve certain Ofgem powers to city regions and strategic authorities, allowing them to develop their own ‘smart city’ plans and energy policies built upon their own expertise and understanding of place.

Local authorities should be able to form their own consortiums using existing knowledge of their local areas, and also be empowered to work with private energy network providers to deliver the infrastructure they need for the future, the report recommended.

The report emphasised that families across the UK are at risk of sharing the cost for necessary new energy infrastructure, but not being able to access for themselves the benefits of EVs and other ‘smart’ technologies – driving further inequality between richer and poorer parts of the country.

Jonathan Werran, chief executive at Localis, said: “Without a change in regulation, behaviour and a wholesale transfer of powers for local energy policies, we risk a tale of two cities in our major urban centres – deepening levels of inequality between the prosperous and more deprived parts of town.

“A ‘devolution revolution’ in locally-regulated energy markets has the potential to accelerate the nation’s switch to clean growth, turn UK cities into powerhouses for sustainable and inclusive prosperity and improve livelihoods in towns and cities across the UK.”

Furthermore – while private energy network providers have invested heavily in building infrastructure that is fit for purpose today – the report claims their inability to invest further unless there is proven need for it presents a major barrier to readying cities for smart technologies.

This restriction should be lifted if the UK’s energy network is to be fit for meeting future demand for smart technologies such as EVs – which will require a six-fold increase in the number of charging points by 2020 (Emu Analytics, May 2018).

The report authors also recommend that government should produce a standardised framework for how EV charging infrastructure is built and upgraded.

Localis head of data research, Joe Fyans, said: “The advancement of smart technology into households has huge potential for increasing the quality and efficiency of local public policy, but we have to make sure we have the nuts and bolts infrastructure in place to facilitate this change by securing the appropriate investment, and in a timely fashion.”

The report and its recommendations were informed by a series of roundtable events with local authorities, councillors and business groups.

George Lowder, chief executive, Transport for Edinburgh, said: “We’ll be taking note of the findings of this report here in Edinburgh, which is particularly timely as we consider city centre transformation, Low Emission Zones, future mobility and city development in 2019.

“A cleaner, smarter, Edinburgh is one that we are all striving for – including the increased use of EVs across our public transport fleets and an extended EV charging network for the city. The recommendations in the report today can help us to deliver this in a way that works for everyone.’’

Cllr Anna Richardson’s, city convener for sustainability and carbon reduction, Glasgow City Council, said: “Today’s report sets out many of the challenges and opportunities for Glasgow as we continue on our transition to a ‘smart city’.

“New technologies like EVs can play a part in decarbonising our transport system and improving our air quality – but they need to be rolled out fairly across the city, so everyone can benefit, and not exacerbate existing inequalities.

“The recommendations today can help ensure that government, and local authorities up and down the country, are able to oversee a successful shift to smarter technologies in a way that is fair, affordable and equitable.”

World’s big fleets make commitment to speed EV adoption

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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BT Group, E.ON, Schenker AG, Ontario Power Generation and Genesis Energy have committed to large-scale electrification of their fleets by 2030 as part of the EV100 initiative led by The Climate Group.

Electromobility was a focus of the COP24 climate negotiations in Katowice, Poland, where last week more than 40 countries signed an EV declaration championing EV100 and calling for increased business and government collaboration in accelerating the roll-out of electric transport.

Companies from Europe, North America and New Zealand have signed up to The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative.

The signatory businesses say they are delivering certainty and direction for global electric vehicle markets by stepping up through their purchasing decisions and influence over millions of staff and customers.

And with Brexit presenting uncertainty in the UK, the US Administration questioning subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs), and Germany two years behind its target of one million EVs on the road by 2020, business action is accelerating the pace in driving down transport emissions.

The new commitments follow an announcement by Volkswagen AG last week that it is moving to producing only electric vehicles by 2026. 14 countries have also made such commitments to date, but with target dates ranging from 2021 to 2050.

Helen Clarkson, CEO, The Climate Group, said: “Forward-thinking companies are forging ahead on electric vehicles to demonstrate leadership, reduce their emissions, and ready their business operations for a low-carbon economy. Despite uncertain times internationally the economic opportunities are vast, and business is simply getting on with it.

“These ambitious commitments will help to tackle air pollution in our towns and cities and channel investment into smarter energy infrastructure. Every major company – and government – should be switching to electric transport.”

Commercial fleets represent an increasing number of vehicles on the road. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the first 10 months of 2018 saw a 3.9% increase in the European Union, bringing more than two million new vehicles onto the road.

BT Group has a fleet of approximately 34,000 vehicles, ranging from cars to heavy goods vehicles, including 25,000 in its Openreach network engineering business. BT aims to convert its vehicles to EVs where this is the best technical and economic solution and pursue other ultra-low emission solutions where electric vehicles are not viable.

Working towards the EV100 goal will help BT to achieve its science-based targets, specifically to reduce its direct emissions intensity by 87% by 2030 compared to 2016/17, and to become net-zero by 2045. The company is already committed to source 100% renewable electricity through its membership of RE100.

Andy Wales, Chief Digital Impact and Sustainability Officer, BT Group said: “At BT, we have committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Joining EV100 is an important step to help achieve that goal. We recognize that we are dependent on the right vehicles and charging infrastructure becoming available at scale and being part of the EV100 movement helps drive that change.”

E.ON’s EV100 commitment will see the company switch its entire fleet to electric and install charging stations across 100 office sites for staff, guest and customer to use, building on the 400 charge points already introduced. Through its electric mobility brand E.ON Drive, E.ON provides smart charging infrastructure for its customers in more than 10 European countries and builds a Ultra-Fast charging network across Europe from Trondheim to Rome.

Andreas Pfeiffer, Global Domain Head E-Mobility, E.ON, said: “We are convinced, that electric corporate mobility will accelerate the general breakthrough of E-Mobility. We heavily invest to support our business customer to make this conversion possible in a way that electric vehicles will even become part of the future energy system.”

Our friends electric: 89% of UK fleets to change to electric before 2030

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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89% of UK-based fleet managers expect electric vehicles (EVs) to play a major role in their businesses fleet by 2030.

The research, published by Geotab, also revealed that almost half of the 250 fleets surveyed in the UK do not currently have any EVs.

48% of those polled said Government initiatives were a leading motivator for the change to electric, while 48% said improvements to charging EVs, along with 32% who said improved selection of models also contributed to the growth of EV fleets.

Anticipation of the Government bringing in regulations regarding the implementation of EV fleets, similar to the ‘Road To Nowhere’ initiative, was commonplace, with 88% of fleet managers saying it was likely to happen.

Benefits to an electric fleet included 59% who agreed it was better for the environment, 46% who anticipated more efficient energy costs due to rising petrol and diesel prices and improved maintenance and  upkeep costs (42%).

“These survey results help to demonstrate that the government’s call for an EV future is not something businesses are taking lightly,” said Edward Kulperger, VP Europe at Geotab. “With most fleet leaders looking to have a fully EV-dependent fleet over the next few years, it’s no longer a question of if, but rather how soon a complete overhaul can take place.

“Based upon the outcome of this survey, it’s clear that businesses and fleets feel they now need additional government initiatives and smart updates to critical infrastructure across the UK.

“If this can be made a priority, as a nation, Geotab is confident that the UK can take a spot as one of the most innovative global leaders trying to help push the widespread adoption of green transportation in the coming years.”

Less than 2% of those polled for the survey claimed that there are no benefits to an EV fleet.