By Scott Miller, vice president of sales Europe, ChargePoint

According to Bloomberg, 67% of vehicles worldwide will be electric by 2040.

In the UK, the Government plans to be in the vanguard of the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), recently setting an ambitious target to rid Britain of petrol- and diesel-only cars by 2040.

While by 2020, 90,000 electric vehicles are expected to be on UK roads.

In the short term, the Government has sought to incentivise drivers by offering subsidies to help make EVs more attractive to consumers and fleets.

While the price of EVs continues to drop, some models carry a price premium over their petrol or diesel alternatives. Until prices are in alignment, this is a step in the right direction.

While research suggests that range and perceived availability of places to charge are obstacles to EV adoption, fleets are starting to see the benefits of going electric.

As demand grows, Government and private investment in infrastructure will be key to helping increase adoption and support the behavioural shift in fuelling.  

Driving an EV requires that we rethink the concept of fuelling. For fleets, this flexibility helps to make refuelling easier while also enabling a reduction in costs. 

To support this shift to electric, a variety of charging options should be available and designed to make refuelling accessible, convenient and easy. 

On-the-road rapid charging will be important to support long distance travel but won’t be a primary fuel.

Medium- and fast-charging at fleet depots, car parks or around town will provide the majority of the power for EV fleets, allowing drivers to top up between trips on fast chargers or while they are parked for longer durations utilising medium speed charging.

What role can businesses play? Private businesses can provide a critical and significant part of charging infrastructure as fleets, retailers, employers and other businesses have the biggest opportunity to improve the availability of EV charging. 

Additionally, by replacing fleet vehicles with EVs, they can also help familiarise drivers with electric motoring and benefits that come with it.

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