As the UK’s 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans fast approaches, the adoption of vehicles with lower tailpipe emissions and the promotion of clean air are top of the agenda for many businesses. This represents a significant opportunity for fleet managers. There are, of course, challenges to overcome but businesses could benefit from potential cost savings and may gain a competitive edge by making the switch to electric vehicles (EVs).
Company car tax rates are lower for zero and ultra-low emission cars, offering an attractive option for both employers and employees. The UK Government is also supporting the zero-emission van market through the plug-in van grant and tax incentives. As part of the Government’s long-term strategy to improve air quality, clean air zones (CAZs) are also popping up across the country. The charge for entering London’s CAZ in a non-compliant vehicle is currently £12.50 per day for a car, and up to £100 for a lorry.
CAZs have also already been implemented in Bath, Birmingham and Portsmouth, with Brighton, Bristol and Newcastle set to join them in 2023. bp’s industry research shows that a little less than half of UK fleet managers (43%) and fleet drivers (41%) think they’ll begin introducing EVs to their fleets within the next two years.
While this demonstrates eagerness within the industry to embrace change soon, the logistics of transitioning a fleet can be challenging, especially when it’s at scale and with mixed vehicle types. bp’s Fuel & Charge card helps fleets with both combustion engine and EVs. For fleets gradually transitioning to electric, the card provides the convenience of using one payment method for traditional fuels and electric charging. Plus, the easy-to-navigate bp Fuel & Charge card online reporting provides one simple solution and an overview of expenses for individual fuel types and EV charging in one place, cutting admin time to a minimum.
To help businesses transition their fleets to EV, bp pulse offers a completely integrated electric vehicle charging solution, with customers able to select their ideal blend of home, workplace, and road charging. Chargers range from the pulse Home, which is able to make use of cheaper electricity prices to charge your car overnight, right up to the pulse 300, designed to rapidly charge increasingly large EV batteries. And with the bp Fuel & Charge card, you have easy access to charging points while away from home or the office. bp pulse is of one the UK’s largest public charging networks. It currently consists of more than 9,000 EV charging points, including 3,000-plus rapid and ultra-fast charging points, and it is set to expand much further, with plans to triple the number of charging points by 2030.