26
GREEN ECONOMY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
ELECTRIC IS ON THE CHARGE
By Ged Henderson
Growing numbers of Lancashire businesses are plugging into the electric vehicle revolution, their journey driven by the national move towards a carbon zero future and fuelled by rising petrol and diesel prices.
The rising demand for EV vehicles is explained by Robert Wardle, head of tax at Azets in the North West, who provides advice to employers looking to move away from diesel and petrol towards a green fleet, including plug-ins.
He says: “The UK’s net-zero carbon strategy is rightly focusing minds in a way we’ve never witnessed before and this is showing through increased demand for electric battery company cars.
“Around 90 per cent of our advisory work on company cars used to involve internal combustion engines with the remaining 10 per cent covering electric – now the position seems to have reversed.
“The trend is toward a very strong focus on the provision of electric vehicles as part of the overall employee reward package. This seems to be the trend across the UK.
“Not only that, employers, with Environmental, Social and Governance on the boardroom agenda, feel it is the right thing to do for the environment as we move away from polluting fossil fuels.
“There is the perception aspect to consider these days – pulling up to a meeting in a diesel car may leave customers wondering if your company is practising what it preaches.
“There’s also the regulatory side – companies are looking to pre-empt any bans on diesel and petrol vehicles in certain locations.
“And it is worth bearing in mind that the government has announced new proposals which would see more than 50 per cent of all new cars sold to be fully electric by 2028, just six years away. One more factor is also driving demand – diesel and petrol costs at record highs.”
Lancashire based property and construction group Eric Wright is one of the businesses working towards a full electric fleet. Fleet and transport manager Steve Openshaw is leading the conversion project.
He says: “Two years ago, only 20 per cent of our fleet was EV or hybrid but today our order bank is currently 95 per cent electric and we’re proud that we will meet our 2025 commitments two years early.”
To support the group’s drive to a fully electric fleet the power supply to its head office in Bamber Bridge is being upgraded and a further 20 charge points have been installed. Another 30 are being installed across its North West property portfolio.
Steve says: “Before deciding on the type of electric vehicles you or your fleet need it’s a good idea to record your trips and see what kind of mileage you actually do day to day.
“You will probably be surprised at the results. It really makes a difference what type of trips you are making, whether you are commuting the same distance every day or doing shorter trips less often, or whether you are traveling up and down the motorway regularly.”
He advises businesses setting out on the conversion journey to appoint an ‘EV champion’. He says: “It is essential to have someone within
the business, someone who can go out and speak to drivers.
“They can include them in early discussions and listen to the issues they have and then educate them on how easy it is to transition.”
Forward planning is also important. Steve says: “We’re probably planning 10 years ahead in upgrading the head office electricity supply.”
Miles Roberts, innovation development manager at car retail business Chorley Group, is working with companies looking to make the transition. He says the increasing choice of vehicle and their greater range is making it easier.
He adds: “You need to ask what the vehicle you are looking to replace does at the moment. What do you need from it? Also do you need a car park with lots of chargers? That may be a significant investment but may not be a requirement.
“Do your research and find out what is going to work for you. Also get buy-in from your staff, especially if they are going to have to modify or change what they are used to doing.”
Miles points to businesses that have successfully made the transition, such as Blackpool based Premier Cabs, one of the early movers. The company began switching to EVs in 2015.
It has now invested more than £3.5m in EVs with a fleet numbering well over 100. Premier also owns and operates a network of charging stations across the resort for its drivers’ exclusive use.
In the drive towards the increased use of EVs in commercial fleets Tesco, the UK’s largest
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
