Switching a fleet from petrol and diesel to low and zero emissions may tick the sustainability box. However, there are still plenty of unknowns holding many businesses back from making the change. The recent government announcement – to move the deadline for the ban on the sale of new ICE vehicles to 2035 – is also likely to have put a question in the minds of many business travel and fleet managers about when is the right time to move. 

But the fact of the matter is that any business that wants to play its part in reducing emissions will need to start thinking about how to win the hearts and minds of its employees sooner rather than later.

Learning in real-world conditions 

Europcar is committed to helping customers make the switch in a way they can afford, and which fits with business requirements. Crucially we know that the best way to discover everything about electric is to put it to the test – in real-world conditions. 

That’s why a team of Europcar colleagues recently joined a 50-strong convoy of electric cars, vans and trucks on a 5-day 1,200-mile EV Rally, from Cardiff to London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin. The rally provided numerous learnings which are helping us assist customers as they transition to electric motoring. 

With a range of options available, from a rental of a few days to several months and with the opportunity to try different makes and models, Europcar is supporting customers on their decarbonisation journey. Whether it’s a case of adding one or two electric vehicles to a company’s pool car fleet or including EV in a business travel policy so that employees can opt to rent an electric vehicle for a few days or weeks, the key is to enable businesses to start to understand how they might need to adjust working practices to take account of the different driving and ‘fuelling’ needs.

Get the knowledge 

We have also launched a new digital guide to electric motoring to give businesses and their drivers the insight they need to make the right choice for each trip. 

Comprising a digital showroom outlining the features and benefits of each electric vehicle in the Europcar fleet, the Europcar digital EV Guide also includes access to the Zapmap charging map and journey cost comparison tools. This enables motorists to find over 40,000 charge points across the UK & Ireland to suit their charging needs, from rapid and destination charging to overnight charging – delivering an extremely valuable tool to reduce range and charger anxiety for new, as well as experienced, EV drivers.

Try before you switch 

EV rental, for a few days, weeks or months, really does make sense to test out electric motoring in real-world conditions. And the Europcar EV Guide provides easy-to-digest information to help motorists get familiar with accessing, personalising and driving their rental vehicle beyond the personal handover at the start of the journey.

The Europcar EV Guide is available at electric.europcar.co.uk