Volkswagen Financial Services Fleet has launched a new online tool designed to help fleet managers assess how ready they are to switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

The EV Maturity tool is said to have been developed after VWFS Fleet’s customer advisory board found that many businesses felt uncertain and often overwhelmed when it came to assessing whether they were ready to go electric. 

The board also found that many customers thought they stood at a different stage in their EV journey compared to how ready they were in reality, and needed more guidance from their leasing company.

The EV Maturity tool is designed to help fleet managers self-assess how ready they are to switch engine type against a series of categories including vehicle, infrastructure and cost readiness. 

Rather than simply being either ready or not, the maturity of a fleet is assessed across all the key areas in terms of strengths and developments.

The tool starts by asking users to estimate where they are on a scale of being ready for EV. Users are then taken through a series of questions including the number of vehicles, availability of a suitable EV, eligibility for government grants, whether the candidate has carried out a whole-life cost analysis, and training opportunities for drivers. 

At the end, users are given their actual position on the maturity scale, as well as their progress in five areas of readiness: overall, driver, vehicle, infrastructure, and cost.

They are also presented with a series of resources depending on the identified areas in need of development. 

VWFS Fleet head of sales and marketing Tom Brewer said: “We understand the pressure on fleets to consider switching to EVs but with so many factors to consider, it can be overwhelming and often a costly decision that many fleet managers don’t feel able to make.

“Through our EV consideration hub, a growing suite of online tools and a team of experts we are here to support fleet operators, VWFS customers or not, [and make them] feel confident in making the right decisions for the short and long term.”