How businesses adopt different approaches to EV charging

Fleet200 companies have different views on whether a business should contribute to a home charging point if an employee chooses an electric vehicle (EV).

To encourage adoption of EVs, some businesses, who took part in a roundtable discussion at the virtual Fleet200 Executive Club meeting last month, said they will cover the cost of installing a home charging point.

However, others stipulate in their fleet policy that it is the employee’s responsibility.

“It’s not a lot to ask when there is no benefit-in-kind (on pure EVs) at the moment, and very minimal next year,” a fleet manager said.

Businesses also have to bear in mind that their policy will have an impact on the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) grant, which provides up to £350 off the cost of purchasing and installing a home charging point 

The grant only applies to the individual so if an employer or the leasing company is involved the grant doesn’t apply.

Having a set policy on whether the company contributes to a home charging point will become even more important in light of more people working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For those who already have EVs on their fleet, it has meant workplace charging points are not being used.

“Our policy rule is that if you have an electric vehicle, you have to have a point installed at home. And especially now, when people are working more remotely. I've got plenty (of charging points) in the office with nobody there to use them,” a fleet manager said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also meant that fleet operators have to balance their desire to get more people into electric vehicles with extending contracts on diesel or petrol vehicles.

> The above was shared with Fleet News at the virtual September meeting of the Fleet200 Executive Club.