Fleet managers expose the uncertainties in EV transition

Vehicle supply issues, charger incompatibility and a Treasury that's out of touch with business needs were issues aired by fleet decision-makers attending the September Fleet200 Strategy Network as they transition to electric.

This is a summary of their views.

• Recovery of revenues: how the Government fills the hole left by fuel duties and declining company car taxation revenues.
• Tax regimes are out of kilter with other mobility options: how can barriers be removed to allow innovation?
• Notice required about any impending changes: view that Treasury is isolated from discussions.
• Short term issue of getting the vehicles, although this will be resolved in the medium term
• Longer term concerns about downtime for charging – can’t be under-estimated, e.g. speed of action by local authorities and also a lack of consistency on their charging solutions. Who brings everything together? Share best practice, have a national approach so local authorities don’t all go off in different directions.
• Concerns over the 2030 deadline ending the sale of ICE-only vehicles: van delays of 9-12 months on quotes but often much longer; capacity is going to other markets.
• Also, smaller companies don’t have to meet Scope 3 targets so they don’t have the same focus on EV transition – many have no plans to switch before 2030 which is too late. Predictions that there will be a big market for used diesel on 2029 and 2030.
• Concerns that the newest vehicles don’t ‘talk’ to the older chargers: CCS standards are too loose. Vehicles aren’t backwards compatible (Chademo is fine).
• Needs a mandate to force OEMS to work with charging networks when developing new EVs. Government needs to set up a regulator: manufacturers have to meet standards on the plug connector, but not the software which is an emerging problem.
• Regulator could also address the concerns about site security.
• Fleets should be aware that is a charger isn’t working, in more than 90% of cases it just needs a restart – but people aren’t willing to call the company and wait.
• Need to business collaboration on workplace chargers: the issue is who gets priority of charger use. Most employers think about own business use and not shared usage; access issues as many are behind gates so can’t be used outside of business hours.
• Hydrogen: different types – has to be sustainable, i.e. wind/solar. Issue of getting it to where it is needed. It isn’t energy dense, so a tanker of hydrogen is much less than a tanker of diesel. It has to be produced on site.
• Hydrogen is still 15-20 years away, but mixed messages are stopping some fleets from investing in EV because they are waiting for hydrogen to come.