The sustainable journey conundrum

February 2023

Mark Newberry, Commercial Director and Sustainability spokesperson at Europcar Mobility Group UK talks about making the switch to electric

Along with vehicle supply and financial pressures, 2023 is giving business fleet and travel managers big challenges when it comes to transitioning to more sustainable transport and travel policies. There are still many ‘unknowns’ about electric motoring that are causing roadblocks in the acceleration of EV adoption. There is also resistance to making the switch because of fears about costs.

Recent Europcar research found that over 40% of motorists surveyed do not agree with the end to the exemption of vehicle excise duty in 2025. In a separate poll 60% said they had been put off switching to an EV because of the current cost of electricity. This is underlined by RAC research which suggested that the cost of rapid-charging an electric car using a public charging network had increased by about 50% in the past eight months.

However the RAC’s research found that those who charged at home were still getting “great value”. No surprise, therefore, that a separate Europcar poll found that 59% of motorists preferred to charge at home compared to 23% at work and 18% ‘on the go’.

Making a steady switch

The key now is for those responsible for business vehicles – whether it’s just one or two or hundreds – to truly understand what’s the right fit for right now – as well as planning for the future. Making a steady switch, moving from older, higher polluting vehicles to newer lower emissions and eventually to zero is being adopted by many employers. And Europcar is offering a partnership approach on that journey. From low and zero emissions cars and vans to flexible on-demand vehicle solutions Europcar is helping organisations develop robust environmental policies for present and future operations.

It is also focused on offering attractive alternatives to vehicle ownership for those organisations not yet ready to move to zero. Renting ICE vehicles when needed, rather than owning, naturally reduces mileage and the resulting environmental impact. And if the vehicle is chosen to match the needs of a specific journey this increases efficiency and reduces unnecessary emissions from driving too big a vehicle.

And for new EV adopters, Europcar is offering a rental solution for electric that gives businesses the chance to assess the operational and commercial impact of electric vehicle use in real world conditions. This ensures the transition to zero doesn’t have any short-term negative impact on operations and business costs meaning you can save the planet and cost at the same time.

To find out more about how Europcar can help your organisation on your decarbonisation journey visit www.europcar.co.uk/business/electric or call 0371 384 0140.