electric vehicles Archives - Page 4 of 12 - Fleet Summit
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electric vehicles

Automakers told they can cut material emissions by 60% by 2040

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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By WhichEV

Electric vehicles are easier to design, easier to make and easier to maintain. However, they have forced every major car company to reconsider their manufacturing processes and supply chains – because of the new technologies being developed and used.

Across the whole of the automotive sector, 30% of the world’s pollution emissions are created. That’s something that car makers are addressing as they prepare for the manufacturing processes of tomorrow.

The move to electricity takes care of a lot of the emissions from fuel oils, but what about the manufacturing process itself?

Specialist consultancy Bain & Company, help major organisations ‘think differently’ about the markets in which they operate and to give fresh consideration to how they do business at all. Bain & Company call this new way of thinking an ‘insurgent mindset’ and they have been helping companies reinvent themselves since 1973.

A new analysis by Bain & Company shows that the European automotive sector could reduce emissions associated with materials used to produce vehicles, by up to 60% before 2040.

Read the full story over at WhichEV…

Futureproof your fleet and meet regulatory Net Zero deadlines!

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The UK Government’s ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars has been brought forward to 2030, meaning the time to start your EV journey is now. Our expertise in delivering electrical infrastructure, our nationwide installation, operation and maintenance  capabilities, and our independent hardware-agnostic approach makes SMS the perfect partner for your EV charging requirements.

We offer independent EV charging solutions that put your business requirements in the driver’s seat.

  • Need a full installation and maintenance package- we’ll provide that.
  • Want the flexibility to change the hardware- we’ll work with you to choose the most suitable products that are interchangeable at your request.
  • Prefer direct billing, negating the need for employee expense claims- we can set up a dedicated charger and tariff for your EV charging to take place in a domestic setting Keeping drivers happy and vastly reducing admin costs!
  • Not forgetting our easy-to-use Fleet App, which gives your drivers access to every charger in the UK without needing to download individual payment app’s.

Place your trust in a company with proven heritage in infrastructure, energy efficiency and asset management so you can be sure we’ll always be here to help.

Visit our website for more information: www.sms-plc.com/evcharging

Email: evcharging@sms-plc.com

Tel: Mark Winn, +44 7376 490 650

Global EV sales up 60% in 2022

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Based in Sweden, EV Volumes is an organisation focused solely on the shipment of vehicles with electric motors across the globe.

They pull together over 130 sources – cross referencing where possible – to try and build the most accurate picture possible of how the evolution toward carbon neutral transport is going.

In Europe, against a backdrop where overall vehicle registrations are down by more than 15%, electric vehicles have grown by almost 10% – making the region the second biggest in the world, behind China.

The companies experiencing the largest growth rates in EV sales include:-

  • Geely (inc Volvo and Polestar) at 334%
  • BYD at 320%
  • Hyundai at 86%
  • Tesla at 46%
  • Stellantis (Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat, Vauxhall etc) at 42%

Here in the UK, fully electric cars (BEV) increased by 23% in October – compared to the same month last year.

Overall UK BEV sales are up more than 38% (compared to the same 10 month period in 2021), with almost 200,000 shipped so far

Click here to read the full story over at WhichEV.

Three quarters of fleet managers to fully convert to electric before 2030

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

More than three quarters (78 per cent) of fleet managers aim to convert their entire fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) before the government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars comes into effect in 2030.

That’s according to new research by Churchill Expert, Direct Line Group’s flexible fleet insurance specialist. Petrol and diesel vehicles currently make up two-thirds (65 per cent) of fleets, with 16 per cent being hybrid and under one-fifth (19 per cent) being EVs.

Fleet managers expect this breakdown to change in two years with the proportion of EVs increasing to 37 per cent and hybrid vehicles to 20 per cent – a total of 56 per cent of fleet vehicles being either electric or hybrid. Petrol or diesel vehicles are expected to make up 44 per cent – a reduction of 21 percentage points in two years.

Several factors are impacting fleet managers’ general operations, as well as their ability to transition vehicle fleets. These include the increasing popularity of EVs (70 per cent), the rise in the Government’s green initiatives such as Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) (77 per cent) and greater availability of salary sacrifices schemes (70 per cent).  This transition comes as salary sacrifice schemes become increasingly available and supply chain issues remain a challenge for fleet managers.

Fleet managers’ insurance needs will also evolve as people transition to EVs. Nearly half (49 per cent) want cover against damage to charging points and equipment, 10 per centage points more than those who are looking for low-priced premiums

Despite the challenging economic environment, the findings also reveal that 85 per cent of fleet managers are optimistic about their company’s future over the coming two years. While the majority are impacted by the rising cost of living (92 per cent) and increased energy or fuel costs (97 per cent) optimism in the industry remains remarkably robust.

Nicola Richmond, head of Churchill Expert Flexible Fleet Partnerships, commented: “Despite the odds, fleet managers continue to display inspiring levels of optimism and ambition in today’s market. As the increased cost-of-living impacts fleet drivers, it’s reassuring to see a continued rise in the demand for electric vehicles and ongoing plans to fully convert vehicle fleets by the end of the decade. This will be in time for when all new petrol and diesel cars and vans are set to be banned from sale in 2030. For those in the process of converting their fleets to electric, it is important to have the right fleet insurance provider to support you through this journey.”

Mer charges up Dawsongroup

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Dawsongroup is one of the UK’s leading asset management specialists. Its vans division offers a wide range of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) available to hire, lease, or purchase, from 13 locations, nationwide. The company had started investing in Vauxhall Vivaro all-electric vans and needed a charging infrastructure partner to support this process.

Dawsongroup needed a provider who could deliver the right infrastructure that was both reliable and scalable. The company turned to Mer, an established and experienced supplier of workplace EV charging, with unique expertise in smart chargers and the back-office systems to manage them.

Simon Ridley, Managing Director of Dawsongroup Vans, said: “We had worked with two different suppliers previously but ran into problems with reliability of the charging products. So, when we approached Mer, we not only wanted them to recommend a solution to us, but we also needed to know that they would deliver.

“With light commercial vehicles, you need to have charging infrastructure in place where the vehicle is stored overnight, so it’s ready to operate the next day. If you’ve got the charging in place, and you have thought it through, those electric vehicles can remain on rent for as long as a diesel vehicle would.”

Experts from Mer carried out electrical surveys at every Dawsongroup depot, enabling Mer to recommend and deploy chargers with load balancing capabilities – meaning they work within the limits of the available power, on each site at all times. Mer’s customer services team also helped to prepare information on EVs and infrastructure for Dawsongroup’s customers and drivers.

Mer has now successfully installed 22kw dual fast chargers all Dawsongroup Van sites. The project went so well that the client has expanded its partnership with Mer to other divisions of the group. Mer has installed fleet and workplace charging across the UK for Dawsongroup’s Truck and Trailer, Finance, and Sweepers divisions. All four divisions use Mer’s Operator Portal to monitor the infrastructure and track usage.

“We continue to support Dawsongroup by delivering rapid charging capability across more locations,” said Natasha Fry, Mer’s Head of Strategic Accounts – fleet and workplace charging. “We have formed an extremely exciting partnership with a forward-thinking group; and aim to develop it for years to come.”

For further information on how Mer can help your business with EV charging infrastructure, visit https://uk.mer.eco/ev-fleet-charging.

WhichEV Awards 2023 – And the winners are…

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

By James Morris, WhichEV

The relentless growth in the EV market has continued in 2022. In September 2021, battery EVs had a 15.2% share of the market. In September 2022, this had risen to 16.9%. The increase is even more pronounced when you look at the Year-to-Date, with a 9.5% share this time last year, and 14.5% up to September 2022. This 40.3% increase in EV share year-on-year is the only truly positive from an auto market that continues to be beset by supply chain issues.

This healthy growth has occurred despite the UK plug-in grant being cancelled entirely in June. Premium EVs had been ineligible for some time, without significant negative impact on sales. Underlining this has been the performance of the Tesla Model Y, which was the second best-selling car of all fuel types in September, and even managed to be the eighth best-selling for the year-to-date. It’s clear that the era of the BEV is fast arriving. So although we still haven’t reached the long-awaited price parity with petrol and diesel, demand is high.

To help you choose yours, we looked at the EVs released in the last 12 months that we think should dominate the coming year’s sales, to create our annual Awards listing. Read on to find the best EVs to buy in 2023….

Click here to read the full story…

Jaguar moves to launch its own network of high speed chargers

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Despite only having one battery electric vehicle in the market with the I-Pace, Jaguar is nailing its colours to the mast with the announcement of a new partnership with Plugsurfing to give Jaguar drivers access to a virtual network of 300,000 charging points across 27 countries.

Pay-as-you-go won’t have a monthly Tarif associated with it – but you will pay a higher charge at the point when you need it. The Gold and Platinum plans will cost £4.26 and £8.50 respectively with an increasing package of benefits.
Jaguar drivers with a Platinum package can expect decent deals at Osprey, Ionity and other major charger providers.

Mina partners with Lightfoot to launch industry-leading solution to EV charging fraud

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Mina, the award-winning payment solution provider for EV charging at home and in public, and Lightfoot, the pioneering driver coaching and rewards technology specialists, have joined forces to launch a market-leading solution that will help stamp out EV charging fraud within electric fleets.

With a rising number of fleets transitioning to electric vehicles, energy fraud is a growing concern within the industry, especially where domestic charging is involved.

EV payment experts Mina already offer a comprehensive system for accurately paying drivers’ charging costs directly to their energy suppliers, but now through this new partnership with Lightfoot, fleet operators can rest assured that all charging sessions for business journeys have been automatically validated, ensuring that only commercial charges are reimbursed.

Find out more here: https://www.lightfoot.co.uk/news/2022/10/03/mina-and-lightfoot-partner/

Mer: A true partnership approach

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

When investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, it is important to get it right first time. Making the correct choices in terms of charge point capabilities and their support package will save you a lot of money in the long run.

At Mer we take a true partnership approach, meaning that we work with you every step of the way, to ensure that your EV charging points properly support your transition to ultra-low emission vehicles:

Site surveys

Our experts carry out detailed site surveys to determine what infrastructure is best for you and how you can overcome any limitations on power availability.

Charger specification

We ensure you get the right chargers for you, whether that is fast chargers for overnight or top-up charging, or rapid chargers for faster turnarounds. You can even set tariffs for employees and visitors using your charge points.

Grant support

We can help you access subsidies towards the cost of your charging infrastructure, such as the Government’s Workplace Charging Scheme. After you’ve filled in a few basic details, we can do the rest for you.

Aftersales service

Get superb insights into your charging infrastructure through our Mer Connect platform, providing data on usage, plus alerts if there are any issues with your charge points. We also provide comprehensive technical support packages.

Case Study: Milk & More

Milk & More is the UK’s biggest online doorstep milk delivery firm. The company needed a charge point strategy to support the introduction of electric vans into its fleet. The company tasked Mer with helping them create a programme to roll out charging infrastructure for these new vans.

Mer implemented a scoping exercise to fully understand the vans’ duty cycles and available down time for recharging – and carried out site surveys to assess local grid capacity. With most vehicles back at base from 8am to 11pm, Mer calculated that 7kW charging points would comfortably provide a full recharge for every vehicle, while still operating within each site’s power parameters.

The entire network is connected to Mer’s operating system, which gives Milk & More real-time visibility on energy consumed and which charge points are in use. It also acts as an early warning system for fault detection.

In total the Mer has installed over 200 charge points across five cities for Milk & More. Mer also helped its client access the Workplace Charging Scheme grant to subsidise costs.

Mark Chapman, electric fleet support specialist at Milk & More, said: “They have been a partner of ours from the very beginning. The team had a clear understanding of the direction of our fleet strategy and provided us with invaluable information to get us started as we moved to our new fleet. From providing charging for our very first vehicles in 2018 through to supporting us with additional infrastructure as our fleet continues to grow, they have been an important part of our journey.”

To find out more about how Mer can help your business electrify, visit https://uk.mer.eco/fleet

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Future proof your fleet with SMS!

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

With a mission to deliver the future of smart energy, SMS has been at the heart of the UK energy market for over 26 years. Providing a complete energy service, SMS funds, installs, operates and manages carbon reduction assets, including smart meters, EV charge points and battery storage systems, which facilitate a smarter, greener and more flexible energy system

The UK Government’s ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars has been brought forward to 2030, meaning the time to start your EV journey is now. Our expertise in delivering electrical infrastructure, our nationwide installation, operation and maintenance capabilities, and our independent hardware-agnostic approach makes SMS the perfect partner for your EV charging requirements.

SMS can support your facilities management objectives and future-proof your business by providing the benefit of EV charging for employees both in the workplace and at home. Not only can we fully fund the roll-out of EV chargepoints to your entire business, we can also offer a dedicated metering solution in domestic settings meaning EV charging costs are billed to you direct, are accurate and will have no impact on your employees. That is a  huge advantage as it negates the need for expense claims at a time when cost of living is of paramount concern and gives your business a lower nationwide cost for all your EV charging.

Other benefits of our EV Charging solution include a Fleet Module that provides detailed reporting, billing, history and the location of your entire fleet simultaneously. Our unique Fleet App enables simple and straightforward access to nationwide charging through roaming, and Fleet Manager’s can choose which networks drivers can use, providing cost management tools and useful driver support such as directions to the nearest, approved charge point.

Place your trust in a company with proven heritage in infrastructure, energy efficiency and asset management, so you can be sure we’ll always be here to help. That includes full maintenance and warranty management, should you wish.

Visit our website for more information: www.sms-plc.com/evcharging

Email: evcharging@sms-plc.com

Tel: Mark Winn, +44 7376 490 650

Come and see us at The Fleet Summit event, 7-8th November.