ENERGY

Are Electric Vehicle Fleets the Way Forward?

The anticipated cost savings for buying electric vehicles have not yet materialized. Are fleets the solution, then? According to a recent report from AVERE, the availability of secondhand electric vehicles on the European market could be accelerated by the decarbonization of fleet vehicle acquisitions. “The organization that promotes electromobility and environmentally friendly transportation in Europe is called AVERE. Companies, research centers, and national organizations that support and promote the use of electric vehicles and electromobility throughout Europe make up their membership. They presently have more than 50 members who are actively involved, some of whom are from the most prosperous EV nations, such as Norway, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

More than 2,600 industry members, including SME’s, OEMs, and other businesses with a commercial interest in electromobility, as well as more than 150,000 EV customers, are a part of these associations. They now support the European Commission’s pledge to introduce legislation in 2023 to require corporate fleets to reduce their carbon emissions. “Today, the estimated 63% of new vehicle sales in the EU are made up of corporate fleets. They generate a disproportionate number of emissions since they travel 2.25 times as far as privately owned cars on average. Furthermore, after 36–48 months, corporate vehicles frequently transition to the used market and become individual vehicles.

They are, therefore, the primary force behind the introduction of reasonably priced used EVs to the market, notably in Eastern and Southeastern Member States, which are still in the early stages of the growth of the EV sector. In order to realize their objectives of having 100% new zero-emission vehicles by 2030, a fully carbon-free European road transportation system by 2050, and establishing Europe a global leader in electromobility, AVERE believes that EU regulation is the best suitable legal instrument. This policy will start by addressing the most travelled and hence most polluting automobiles. Additionally, it will lower the price of EVs for consumers.

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The sale of automobiles with internal combustion engines (ICEs) is scheduled to end in the EU by 2035. There are far earlier cutoffs in many member states. The anticipated proposal on fleets is a win-win and regret-free solution, according to AVERE Secretary-General Philippe Vangeel, and it supplements the tightened CO2 requirements and the 2035 phase-out of internal combustion engines. “It will benefit consumers by making affordable EVs available across the EU and fostering a thriving used car market, as well as carmakers by ensuring demand for their EVs and targeting the vehicles with the largest decarbonization impact.

We’re looking forward to working with the Commission to determine exactly how the plan should be drafted and implemented. For those who receive a vehicle as part of their work benefits, the UK’s reduction in the Benefit in Kind tax has sped up the shift to EVs. Australia’s federal government is currently putting our Fringe Benefits Tax into effect, which is a comparable initiative. EV fleets: the solution? Possibly. They will contribute to decarbonizing road transportation, at the very least.