Did you know that no new vehicles using petrol or diesel will be sold in the UK after 2030, as part of a larger plan to make the country carbon-neutral by 2050? FuelCards.com show you how you can best prepare your fleet for the big change.
Increasing use of wind, nuclear, and hydrogen power, zero-emission public transportation, increased walking and cycling, energy-efficient houses, and carbon capture are all part of a “Green Industrial Revolution.” Billions of pounds will be invested in the programme, including £582 million in incentives to help people acquire zero-emission or ultra-low-emission vehicles.
Looking further into the law, you will find numerous important modifications which might have a short-term impact on your business. The Road to Zero report from the government outlines modifications, including:
- “Extending the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) beyond buses, coaches and HGVs to include vans and black cabs.” This implies you have to upgrade or replace obsolete cars which do not have emission reduction technologies.
- Increase the provision to the company’s fleets of alternative fuels.
- They are supporting an electric vehicle car industry, which would support budget-conscious electricity firms.
Electric vehicle regulation and emission reductions are complicated and subject to changes, and it is crucial that your firm keeps up with the newest innovations that are relevant to you.
When should you make the switch?
If your company operates vehicles and plans to be around for the next decade, you will likely need to switch to an all-electric fleet, but the question is when.
Although technology has remained mostly stagnant in internal combustion engines, EVs in 2030 are probably more efficient than those that exist now. Improved infrastructure is being created, so while charging stations may be challenging in some areas of the country, this problem should have improved considerably once the government has invested the promised £1.3 billion in this area.
While the change to electricity is two or three cycles off and the infrastructures of electric vehicles are not completely built, we predict that the majority of our clients will have fleets that are one-third electrically powered in the next three years.
All-electric fleets are ready to roll
Electric vehicles have reached a stage for many enterprises where they are feasible for a full range of duties, be that for business use or delivery vans. However, the incomplete acceptance among a lot of businesses indicates that firms still decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether cars are required to replace EVs. The low-emission vehicle grant, which allows car buyers to reduce the price of a range of selected electric vehicles significantly, is an element that can influence their opinion. Distributors will price themselves for this award, so purchasers will not be subject to any application or paperwork.
Many firms may not have available cash to replace their whole fleet from the beginning, so this will be understandable, but we will see a growth in investment in electric cars as the economy normalises over the coming year. This will hopefully lead to numerous electric fleets in all the UK industry sector well in advance of 2030.
If you have recently invested in company cars, why not enquire about fuel cards to make your fleet run more smoothly? Fuelcards.com are a leading fuel card supplier in the UK and Ireland and help many business fleets. Get in touch today to see what we can do for your business.