As the government continues to push drivers towards electric models with incentive grants and the looming ban on the sale of any non-zero emission vehicles in 2030 more and more businesses are integrating electric cars and vans into their fleet to transition to fully electric.
This guide focuses on the benefits of choosing to add electric vehicles (EVs) to your business fleet but if you’d like to find out more about EVs in general then head over to our dedicated EV guide.
Environmental Benefits
The biggest benefit of adding EVs to your fleet is the reduction of your harmful impact on the environment.
EVs are zero emission vehicles so they do not produce any harmful pollutants that damage the environment around the driver. This helps improve the air quality in the local area making it better for everyone in the area.
Because they don’t have the noisy combustion engine EVs also reduce the noise that the vehicle makes helping reduce the nose pollution levels in the area it’s being driven.
Reducing air and noise pollution will benefit your drivers, the general public and the ecosystems around them in their driving areas.
Transitioning to an electric fleet will help reduce your business’ overall impact on the world around us, help reduce the harmful emissions you and your employees contribute to global warming, improve your carbon footprint and generally make you a greener company.
Financial Benefits of EVs
Not only are there environmental benefits in adding EVs to your fleet but there are financial ones as well.
We’ve rounded up all of the financial benefits below.
Charging Grants
Both you and your drivers can also receive grants to help with the cost of installing charging points.
There is a workplace charger scheme that you can use to have these models installed in your business car parks, and drivers can look to have a home charger added to their property.
For more information on chargers and having these installed get in touch with us on 01722 322 888.
EV Running Costs
With a fleet of vehicles you can see the running costs quickly add up, especially if you are also providing your drivers with fuel cards for their use. Switching to EVs you’ll see a noticeable difference in the fuel and associated running costs.
EV Maintenance Costs
General maintenance costs on EVs can also be much lower as there are less components due to there not being the combustion engine, which is where a lot of the necessary maintenance will be. As there are fewer components that experience wear and tear this can reduce the maintenance costs. However, the cost when maintenance work is required might need a specialist due to the technology involved in EVs the cost could work out to be higher overall.
Road Tax
As EVs have zero emissions you will not have to pay road tax for them.
This can provide your business with a considerable saving if you are moving from a diesel heavy fleet to one that is predominantly electric as some can be charged as much as £490 depending on their fuel type and vehicle value.
Company Car Tax
Electric vehicles are currently being incentivised for businesses with very low Benefit in Kind (BIK) rates which means that you and your drivers will pay much less in company car tax on electric vehicles. This is a double saving as not only does the business pay less but your drivers also do so.
Low Emission Areas
More and more towns and cities are looking to introduce low emission zones (LEZ), similar to those in London and so switching to EVs in your fleet can save you a lot of money if you have several drivers going in and out of city centres with an active or soon to be implemented LEZ.
LEZ and clean air zones (CAZs) are being introduced to improve air quality and reduce noise emissions, reduce congestion and increase the uptake of alternative greener transportation methods.
In London you still need to register for exemption from the Congestion Charge in order for this to not be applied to each EV driving in the city centre.
Driver Benefits of EVs
We know that as well as the benefits for the business fleet managers need to know the benefits for the driver as they’re the ones who’ll be using the vehicles and may need convincing on why the switch should be made.
We’ve already mentioned the lower company car tax but there are many more benefits.
Top Five Benefits for Drivers
1. Extensive range of new models available which continues to grow as more and more models are produced
2. Long mileage ranges with several models achieving over 300 miles
3. Expanding public charging network with many available at convenient locations across car parks and residential streets
4. Lower running costs so they won’t spend as much at the pump, in fact charging an EV costs a fraction of a cost of a full tank
5. Better for the environment, both locally with reduced air and noise pollution and globally with zero pollutants
Additionally, as you transition to EVs then you might also want to have workplace chargers installed for your drivers to use while they are in the office. This would be a large incentive for drivers to support the switch as it will alleviate any charging concerns they may have.
If you’re unsure about transitioning from petrol and diesel fuel straight into EVs then you can also take a look at the benefits to hybrids here or if you’d like to discuss making the transition with one of our dedicated fleet team then you can request a call back or call us on 01722 322 888.