Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Electric VehiclesLatestNews

Charging and vehicle choice “holding back” fleet transition

Challenges with charging and the cost or choice of vehicles are holding back slightly fewer employers from switching to a more sustainable fleet, according to the Europcar electric vehicle (EV) barometer.

The study of Quarter 3 2024 also revealed that EV knowledge is increasing, as the data shows that lack of understanding is less of a problem now than it was earlier in the year.

But despite improvements, resistance to making the switch is an increasing challenge for would-be electric fleets, rising from 14% in Q2 to 15% in Q3.

According to 40% of employee respondents in Q3, they said the cost of purchase and maintenance stopped their employer going electric. Lack of charging infrastructure was cited as a barrier by 36% in Q2, and a slightly lower 35% in Q3. The lack of model choice and vehicle availability as well as lack of understanding each dropped slightly on the previous quarter and remain challenges for the employers of around 18% of respondents.

In order to assist businesses and drivers gain a better understanding of EV life, Europcar also said it regularly updates its free digital EV Guide and Knowledge Hub, which answers the most common questions and helps drivers make sense of all the buzzwords and acronyms.

Tom Middleditch, Head of Electric Mobility at Europcar, said:

“The changes may be small, but it is encouraging to see most of the figures moving in the right direction,” commented “As improvements continue in these areas, and people gain more knowledge and understanding of electric motoring, we believe we will soon also see a reduction in resistance.

“There has been a lot of negative press around EVs in recent years. Range anxiety remains a concern despite the battery technology improving significantly. The unknown of a new way of driving is also a barrier which means changing to an electric fleet seems too high a risk for many businesses.

“However, we have found that when business drivers have the opportunity to try out electric motoring for themselves, in real-world conditions, the confidence increases significantly. And electric rental helps hesitant drivers understand how zero emissions mobility can fit into their daily lives”

Image courtesy of Europcar

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