Should You Switch Your Company Cars To Electric Vehicles?

One of the best ways to help decarbonise your business is to switch to zero-emissions transportation technologies wherever possible, and whilst EV procurement consultants can help audit your company and see where the biggest gains can be found, some environmental wins are much easier to obtain than others.

An easy, highly visible and remarkably effective way to kickstart the electrification of your company is to start with your fleet of company cars, a set of cars owned and serviced by a company that are used by an employee for both personal and business purposes.

This is a great place to start because it offers the most options and the least amount of adjustments compared to other parts of the business, but there are a lot of benefits to going electric and buying company EVs for employees.

They Are Cheaper Across The Board

Company cars are often an incentive or a reward for employees, but for many of the types of new cars that would be purchased as fleet vehicles, electric cars are becoming cheaper upfront, are far cheaper to run, and there are countless financial incentives that make them even cheaper.

Most recently, the Electric Car Grant has come into force, offering a discount of up to £3,750 on any car that has a model under £37,000 that meets the sustainability and technical criteria of the scheme.

There are also grants for installing charging stations at places of business, ensuring that they remain fully charged for less than it would cost to refuel a car.

Beyond this, the upkeep costs are significantly cheaper. Electric vehicles have fewer moving parts and fewer elements that can go wrong, whilst also costing less money to get from the place of business to meetings and back home.

It Is A Visible Sign Of Change

Fleet vehicles should not be the only consideration when it comes to sustainability in your company, but EVs on the road, either branded with corporate insignia or with representatives of your business at the wheel, send a prominent message about your priorities.

It has become abundantly clear that, amongst other businesses and the general public, sustainability is a significant goal, and a visible sign that a company is committed to their environmental principles will not only boost its reputation but also its revenue.

Future Proofing Early

At present, the UK plans to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, which will affect fleet vehicles and company cars earlier than the general public due to the prevalence of new cars in this particular market. Used company cars are seldom purchased, after all.

However, this cut-off date will be accompanied by a gradual phase-in of a network of public and private charging stations, as well as a phase-out of petrol stations as they become increasingly less necessary.

This process will take some time, but switching your fleet early will remove the risk of being left behind.

Beyond this, employees will increasingly want to acquire an EV as an incentive, and having the option available and your business built around supporting it will make all the difference.