The Licence Bureau has issued a warning to fleets of a ‘major knowledge gap’ as electric vehicle (EV) registrations continue to surge.
Registrations of EVs has increased by 217% a year to date over 2019 according to SMMT figures and with grants of up to £3,000 available on low emission vehicles and zero company car tax (benefit-in-kind or BIK) payable on full battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from April 6, 2020 until April 5, 2021, business uptake of EVs is a key area of focus for the burgeoning market.
However, Licence Bureau feels adoption could be hindered by an ‘information void and subsequent knowledge gap’.
Martin Starkey, training and development manager at Licence Bureau, said: “The uptake of EVs is actively being encouraged to the UK business sector with financial incentives and is seen as a key breakthrough market, but the reality is overcoming the knowledge gap, amongst both businesses and individual business drivers, could prove the greatest challenge.”
Licence Bureau says that a lack of ‘clear, transparent, readily available information’ is resulting in business drivers holding back on committing to EVs due to uncertainty around its suitability.
It believes that the challenges may be overcome with businesses doing more to support employees with the decision-making process, by focusing on their driving profile and understanding the benefits that adopting EV mobility may have.
Licence Bureau is looking to support its partners with practical advice and insights, provided via Empowering Driving course.
The Empowered Plus EV module can be added to Licence Bureau’s Empowered Driving course, designed to provide business drivers with the tools necessary to enhance driving safety.
Starkey said: “There are so many confused messages within the market right now that many businesses and business drivers are reluctant to commit to EVs. However, with the huge investment going into this area it is only a matter of time before EVs become the mainstream and we are keen to support businesses in early adoption.
“Through education and dispelling the common myths relating to EVs, businesses and drivers alike will be much better positioned to make decisions based on data and facts in order to support their driver compliance strategies.”
UK EV sales are expected to reach 131,000 in 2020, according to forecasts from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, and EVs are forecast to account for a fifth of sales in the UK by 2026.
You can find out more about Empowering Driving here: https://www.licencebureau.co.uk/empowered-driving/
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Jessica is event and digital content co-ordinator for all our events.
She was the web producer at Fleet News, Commercial Fleet and Smart Transport until April 2023.
She started her career as a content writer for a digital marketing agency that specialised in financial services, where she worked for more than two years.
Jessica was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Multimedia Journalism in 2017.
Colin Paterson - 20/03/2020 12:39
Agree with this, we at DriveTech are seeing an uplift in requests for EV driver training - as well as cost, environmental and ownership considerations, driver familiarity with a non ICE (internal combustion engine) is important too.