Rapid uptake of battery electric vehicles is planned by around four in 10 fleets in the near future, according to research in the Arval Mobility Observatory 2021 Barometer.
When asked, “What percentage of your car or van fleet will be 100% BEV in the next three years?”, overall, car operators answered with 42% while their van counterparts said 37%.
The level of expected EV uptake within three years was relatively similar across responses from fleets of all sizes. Among car fleets with more than 500 employees it is expected that over half (54%) of the fleet would be electric, compared to 38% of those with fewer than 10 employees. For van fleets responses were also similar with almost half (48%) expected by larger employers and almost a third (32%) by smaller – a positive signal for their adoption on fleets..
Shaun Sadlier, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said, “The incredible speed that fleets anticipate electrification taking place is clear in this year’s results. On this basis, the future uptake of BEVs will be rapid and perhaps much quicker than previously expected.
“By 2024, both van and fleet respondents expect around four out of 10 vehicles on their fleet to be fully BEV. This underlines the extent to which fleets are not just accepting, but very much embracing an electric future.
“Beyond these headline figures, two trends are notable. One is that the desire to electrify van fleets is not far behind cars, despite the relatively limited range of models available. Fleet managers are clearly expecting that situation to be largely resolved soon and Arval has recently seen a rise in its number of discussions with fleets about the introduction of eLCVs.”
