In Q1 2024, the Europcar monthly barometer of barriers to adopting electric found that 40% of company car drivers believe purchase and maintenance costs hold employers back from switching to a greener fleet. Just over a third (34%) said charging infrastructure was a barrier. And lack of knowledge around EV driving and ownership were cited as a barrier by nearly a quarter. 

It may seem that these barriers are hurdles many businesses cannot overcome. However, there is a solution. Europcar data is proving that renting electric cars and vans as and when required, rather than purchasing outright, is already getting many businesses on the electric road of discovery.

2023 saw Europcar become part of its customers’ sustainability journey. A new report, ‘Plugged into Sustainability’, highlights the key landmarks in the company’s own sustainability journey and demonstrates how it is helping businesses and private motorists make the transition to zero emissions mobility.

  • Europcar customers drove more than 3.5 million EV miles in 2023
  • 50,000 more EV rental days were driven year-on-year
  • 99.5% of Europcar’s corporate customers have access to EVs
  • 12% of the rental fleet was battery electric (BEV) or Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)
  • by the end of 2023 – a year-on-year increase of 379%
  • Over 25% of Delivery & Collection journeys use electric cars and bikes

“We are committed to helping businesses and private motorists make the change from ICE to electric, through innovative tech-based solutions, electrification across our network, and a growing range of low and zero emission vehicles”, explained Tom Middleditch, head of electric mobility at Europcar. 

Europcar’s electrified fleet now comprises a wide range of models, available to rent for a few days, weeks, months or more. And CO2 emissions on its company car vehicles are down 85% compared with the legacy fleet. 

“Moving a business to a zero emissions strategy requires clear thinking, detailed planning and a hands-on real-world experience”, added Tom Middleditch. “Our carefully designed EV solutions are future-proofing the whole mobility process and already support many organisations as well as private motorists on their sustainability journeys.”

‘Plugged into Sustainability’, includes detailed insight into Europcar’s own sustainability journey, and how it is helping businesses reduce their fleet emissions and can be downloaded from the Europcar website here