In focus


“The 2030 deadline is only two lease replacement cycles away.”


“The early adopters were the ones that really enthused about it, and they were willing to work through any problems. The second cohort need more help. They need more guidance through the process, and again it comes back to my previous point, on the human behind the wheel being where the change is. Previously, we put petrol or diesel in a vehicle, now it’s the whole charging process.”


LeasePlan were an early adopter of Salary Sacrifice, with their first scheme in 2010. As such, Neill believes these are the saviour to turning company fleets electric. “We were an early adopter, particularly supporting public sector employers - those organisations that were keen to provide a company car to the wider population. They were quick to realise the benefits, and the Green Car Schemes as they were, plus the tax savings, have been very attractive. Then, when the Government carved out low-emission vehicles from OpRA legislation, it’s safe to say across the industry there was a real sigh of relief.


“Looking forward, we’ve got certainty on BiK rates until the end of the 27/28 tax year, so fleets have got that confidence to encourage EV uptake within their organisation. I hope it is a long-term solution, and we see Salary Sacrifice as a positive process to engage adoption. We’ve seen their long-term effectiveness, but that’s wholly dependent on government policy. As an industry, we need to keep pushing that, to help everybody transition to electric.”


Neill says EV supply continues to be a challenge and it depends on manufacturer, and what type of vehicles people are after. “We work really hard with clients to ensure they have the vehicle that they need at the right time and fitting their budget. Then, we do a lot of education with fleet managers, to navigate any delays, coordinate a charging infrastructure, and then offering flexible solutions. So that could be offering a vehicle we have available in our LeasePlan Flexible stock - offering a lead-in vehicle.


www.businesscar.co.uk | June 2023 | 27


“For us it is all about keeping our customers mobile, and making solutions work for them. Look further forward a bit, the 2030 deadline is only two lease replacement cycles away. So, we’re actively encouraging organisations hard to get them to make sure that they’re on that trajectory, that they are planning, and they are doing this in advance. We do a lot of communications, if we look back, when we did have supply challenges, to then help people understand what was going on. Then helps with the replacement cycle, so that if drivers are due to come out of a vehicle, just planning that little bit further ahead can help to avoid some of those long delays.


“I think whether this is a smooth transition, will depend again on education and understanding. We see some fleets that are keen to be the leaders in the market. We see others, who need help engaging. It’s down to us to say, here’s a case example that you could follow, and these are the steps that they took. Then, work through them pragmatically. There’s a whole industry that’s willing to work together, to help organisations that are less mature than others - because at the end of the day it’s the end user - the driver that really needs the help and support.


“The fleet manager and senior manager have all committed, but what if the driver is struggling with it – how do we help them? What additional things do we deploy? How do we do that? Do we do a roadshow, do we do a ride and drive? There are all sorts of things that we can do to help them through that process, but it must be nuanced and, on a case-by-case basis, but I think that’s where we can add a lot of value.”


Left: Neill believes Salary Sacrifice schemes are the saviour to turning company fleets electric.


29%


Percentage of fleet managers who feel they lack sufficient knowledge to help advise their drivers on EVs.


Below: LeasePlan’s driver tools can help fleets and drivers choose the right EV for their needs.


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