With less than a decade to go before the ban on combustion vehicle sales in the UK, much more accelerated action still needs to be taken for this goal to materialize on schedule.
The ruling will end the marketing of new gasoline and diesel cars and vans ten years earlier than originally planned. However, hybrid car transactions will be allowed until 2035.
According to a survey conducted by Geotab, one of the leading telematics companies, 74% of respondents revealed that they had only electrified 10% of their fleets, keeping their largest share in gasoline and diesel vehicles.
The report, which consulted 113 local authorities across England, highlights that the average reported electrification rate is only 4.2%.
Although Geotab has shown in its Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment (EVSA) projections that nearly 40% of UK fleets could go electric today and still save money, respondents cited key barriers, including high cost and limited availability for specific types of electric vehicles, such as HGVs and buses, along with limited resources to support such a transition.
Poor charging infrastructure was another barrier mentioned, with most reporting fewer than 50 supply points in public, domestic and depot locations.
Challenges and Opportunities
Geotab highlights in its study that the challenges revealed a clear opportunity to improve access to data and understanding of current fleet usage to better inform a more comprehensive EV transition, including through telematics. While only 13% reported using this technology across their fleets, the vast majority use it to some extent; only 10% said they have not adopted it all.
Geotab’s Vice President for the UK and Ireland, David Savage noted that the findings of this report demonstrate a worrying lack of investment by local authorities across England ahead of the switch to electric at the end of this decade.
“Twenty-seven percent of UK emissions are attributed to transport, with fleets accounting for more than 50 percent of new vehicles on the road. Public sector fleet operators are well placed to lead this strategic shift by example, but they need the investment, funding and tools to support the transition to 100% electric.”
Despite the issues and challenges raised in the report, the findings show that the transition has clearly begun, with 80% of local authorities reporting at least one EV in their fleets.
The report concludes that there is a need for better guidance and facilitation of practice sharing between local authorities and government, along with a concrete target to focus transition progress.
