There’s never been a more complicated time for fleet managers and drivers to choose a vehicle. With the Government focusing on its Road to Zero initiative and 24/7 ULEZ zones now in effect, a lot of companies are talking about electric vehicles. Then there’s the upcoming WLTP ratings coming into full effect, as well as potential changes to BiK and the government incentive loans to consider.
It’s crucial that companies are having discussions around the different fuel types available to fleets and considering whether the current fleet policy that’s in place is the right one for this changing landscape. As a fleet manager, it’s important that you have the information you need to advise drivers who may come to you with questions around changing to a different fuel type.
At VWFS | Fleet, we know that there isn’t one fuel type that will work for everybody. So, whether it’s companies trying to introduce electric to a fleet or drivers keen to move to this newer fuel type, it’s important that you’re able to determine who is a good candidate for EV and who should remain on diesel or petrol.
Ultimately, fleet managers and drivers need to really consider the journey needs of the fleet and make an educated decision that works for everyone. The key things to consider are type of driver and journey, mileage, ULEZ proximity, budget, access to charging points, and access to a second petrol or diesel car.
We believe knowledge is power and that’s why we’ve developed the Future Fleet Analysis tool, to help with any uncertainties over the next steps for your vehicle choice. Fleet managers simply upload their telematics data and the tool does the rest, showing which vehicles could be suitable for a switch to electric or plug-in hybrid technology and those which are better suited to diesel or petrol. Giving you an idea of what potential fuel savings could be made by making such changes, you can quickly and easily see what your fleet could look like if you were to move some drivers over to electric. The same report will also showcase why some drivers would not be suited – which could come in helpful in a board meeting!
As an industry, we’re only at the beginning of the EV journey. With so much more change to come, fleet managers need to be looking ahead at how they can prepare the fleet and their drivers for the future. Every business is different and you need to be making the right decisions for your business and your drivers.
