GreenFleet 145

FOR SMES

Ensuring small businesses are not left behind on the journey to net zero

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Supporting SMEs with net zero

A common theme found while compiling this SME-themed issue of GreenFleet was that many small businesses lack the money, time and knowledge to switch to electric vehicles, with the situation made worse by the cost of living crisis.

But it’s important that small businesses do not feel left behind on the net-zero journey. While a business itself may be small, collectively, the UK’s six million small businesses make up 99 per cent of the UK’s enterprises, employ 60 per cent of the UK workforce and generate £2.2 trillion of revenue to the economy.

To ensure that SMEs have the knowledge and tools to decarbonise their fleet and transport operations, this issue of GreenFleet covers the government grants that are available for small businesses to install EV charging infrastructure, an overview of the resources available on the SME Climate Hub, as well as insight from Martin McTague, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, on the barriers that SMEs are facing. What’s more, we ask our Expert Panel for advice on how to smoothly and cost-effectively make the switch to zero-emission vehicles.

This issue of GreenFleet also looks at a new report published by Motability and the Energy Saving Trust, which highlights the barriers to making the design of electric vehicles accessible for disabled people and how these could be addressed.

Angela Pisanu, editor

P ONLINE P MOBILE P FACE-TO-FACE

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The most cost-efficient and scalable DC charging solution on the market

Rolec EV’s latest DC ultra-rapid charging station is the most intelligent, modular and scalable solution for your electrified fleet.

The ULTRACHARGE 160 is packed with the latest charging and safety features and o ers up to 160kW charging speeds, making it ideal for fleets of all shapes and sizes.

07 News

More than one million EVs now on the road, reports SMMT; Battery intelligence software to unlock potential of EVs; and Fleet demand for EVs driving progress to 2030 target

10 Electric Vehicles

For many small business owners, their livelihood is dependent on their cars or vans. But with the current cost of doing business crisis, small business owners and the selfemployed increasingly find themselves lacking the cash needed to switch to electric vehicles. Martin McTague, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, shares the challenges to overcome for SMEs

14 Grants & Incentives

Small businesses can apply for help with the cost of electric vehicle chargepoints and infrastructure works through dedicated funds from the government. Here’s a summary of what’s available

16 Panel of Experts

Many small businesses have been hit hard by the cost of living and energy crisis, and as a result, are delaying the move to zero emission vehicles due to their high upfront costs. We ask our expert panel for advice on how SMEs can cost-effectively make the switch and where to go for support

24 Resources

Small and medium sized businesses can access tools and resources to help them meet environment targets through the SME Climate Hub. From making a public pledge to become net-zero to accessing carbon reporting tools, we look at what support is available and how they have helped small companies

27 Electric Vehicle design

A new report published by Motability and the Energy Saving Trust has highlighted the barriers to making the design of electric vehicles accessible for disabled people, in particular, those that use wheelchairs, and how these could be addressed

30 Staff Travel

Julian Scriven, managing director of Brompton Bike Hire – member of the Urban Mobility Partnership – discusses the success of the Wheels for Heroes Campaign during the pandemic, and the importance of integrating micro mobility with public transport and other shared transport providers, to give a better choice for greener staff travel and commutes

32 EV Rally Preview

Now in its third successful year, GREENFLEET takes the EV Rally to all capital cities of the UK and Ireland, covering more than 1,200 miles over five days, to test the capabilities of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure

34 Road

test: Toyota Professional Proace Electric Building on the success of its ICE-engined light commercial family, Richard Gooding finds that Toyota’s addition of a proven, all-electric powertrain boosts the Proace’s practical appeal

More than one million EVs now on the road, reports SMMT

One in 32 cars driving in Britain now comes with a plug, amounting to 1,089,241 vehicles – a rise of more than half over the last year, to reach 3.1 per cent of the parc, according to SMMT data.

Ownership of electric commercial vehicles has also risen, with vans up some 67.3 per cent and buses and coaches increasing by 34.9 per cent, while the number of zero emission trucks has almost trebled since last year – although they still account for fewer than one in 600 in use.

Overall, the number of cars in use on UK roads in 2022 has risen by 124,393 units to a total of 35,148,045. This has returned the number of cars on the road to levels last seen in 2019, while the overall number of vehicles has risen to a record 40,723,974 units.

There are also 615,570 trucks and 4,887,593 vans in service, up 1.9 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively. Britain’s HGV parc is now at record levels, while vans make up almost one in eight vehicles in use, the largest proportion ever recorded.

The UK’s bus and coach fleet, however, has fallen again, by -2.3 per cent to 72,766 vehicles – the lowest since records began, with 16,608 going out of service over the last decade. More than one in four buses have been in use for more than 15 years, demonstrating the need for support to encourage operators to invest in the latest zero-emission buses given the essential role these vehicles play in providing mobility for millions of people and in road transport decarbonisation.

Despite the overall increase in vehicles on the road, average car and van CO2 emissions have fallen by -1.6 per cent – driven by the influx of new lower and zero emission models.

The SMMT also reports that the public chargepoint rollout continues to lag behind EV uptake, with one standard public charger for every 36 plug-in cars on the road, down from 31 in 2021.5 The need for investment is even more intense for other road transport sectors, however, as these existing chargepoints may not be suitably located or sized to serve van operators, and

Small businesses benefitting from London scrappage scheme

there are no dedicated HGV charging points on the UK’s strategic road network at all. Deployment of infrastructure appropriate for commercial vehicles would energise uptake of the latest electric vehicles, accelerate fleet renewal to take older units off the road, and help reduce the UK’s carbon footprint.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “After two tough years, Britain is on the road to recovery with the first growth in car ownership since the pandemic – while vans and trucks also continue to deliver for business and society in ever greater numbers. Better still, we are driving Britain towards a net zero future with more than a million zero emission vehicles now on the road and cutting carbon. With exciting new technologies and models fuelling our appetite to get back behind the wheel, now is the time to commit to greater investment in infrastructure and incentives, to speed up a switch to carbon-free mobility that is accessible to all.”

EMERGENCY VEHICLES

London Ambulance Service takes on fleet of Mustangs Mach-Es

London Ambulance Service has taken on a fleet of electric Mustang Mach-E cars for its Fast Response Unit.

Seven of the cars are already in use with a further 35 being delivered over the next few weeks, making this the biggest fully electric fleet of Fast Response Units (FRUs) in the UK.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of London Ambulance Service (LAS), said: “I’m very proud we have the biggest electric fleet of fast response cars in the country and can contribute to reaching net zero.

The Mayor of London and TfL have allocated £13.5m of scrappage scheme funding to drivers of vans and minibuses, with the majority going to help small businesses scrap their polluting vehicles to comply with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). And more than £4m has been committed to Londoners who own non-compliant cars and motorcycles.

Overall, 4,833 applications have been approved through the scheme, with £17,727,500 committed to date. In detail, this translates to 2,183 car and motorcycle applications, 2,650 van and minibus applications, 31 charities, 1,290 micro businesses, 1,329 sole traders, 1,673 Londoners on low income benefits, and 510 Londoners in receipt of disability benefits.

With just over four months to go until the ULEZ expands, there are still tens of millions of pounds left in the scrappage fund and TfL continues to advise drivers to check their vehicle’s compliance and make the most of the Mayor’s scrappage scheme.

The £110m scrappage scheme was launched to support smaller businesses, sole traders,

charities, Londoners on lower incomes and disabled Londoners in replacing their older, more polluting vehicles with greener options to comply with the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in August.

Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of strategy and policy said: “It is great to see that scrappage grants are already playing a significant role in supporting smaller businesses, those on low incomes, disabled people and charities to get ready for the expansion.

“While the vast majority of cars driving in outer London on an average day are compliant, I urge drivers to use our vehicle checker and if they have a non-compliant vehicle, check their eligibility for the scrappage scheme to help them make the switch to greener and cleaner travel.”

The scrappage scheme builds on the previous £61m scheme that helped to remove more than 15,200 polluting vehicles from the roads.

“Having cleaner and greener vehicles is extremely important in improving air quality – not just for our people and our patients – but also for the health of our communities across London.”

It takes just 40 minutes to charge the Mustang battery to 80 per cent and that allows the car to travel more than 300 miles, which is about ten times further than an ambulance would normally cover on a shift.

The blue lights and sirens are powered by a 12-volt battery rather than the car’s drive battery but the Service is fitting solar panels to the cars to make them even more environmentally-friendly.

The Service is also investing in charging infrastructure across its sites and ambulance stations, as well as recruiting new mechanics and upskilling current mechanics to help maintain its growing modern fleet.

Last year, the Service introduced three electric motorcycles to its fleet – the first ambulance service in the country to do so.

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IKEA invests £4.5 million in EV charging infrastructure

customers’ homes, with the ambition to reach over 500 by 2025, with the charging points will be used by both IKEA and partner electric vehicles.

This infrastructure is being implemented in addition to the existing customer charging points in IKEA stores. With the introduction of a home delivery infrastructure, IKEA is building a complete offer for customers to have IKEA products arrive sustainably to their homes, no matter how they choose to shop.

IKEA has been welcomed by the Government. Transport Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said: “It is great to see IKEA investing heavily in EV chargepoints and decarbonising its vehicle fleet.

“This investment is the latest example of businesses and government working together to decarbonise all aspects of road transport, improve air quality and create healthier, buzzing communities.”

IKEA has announced a £4.5million investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which will power its electric delivery vehicles with renewable energy.

The project will see IKEA install 196 Mer chargers, of which 53 will be rapid, providing full charge on vehicles in under an hour. The chargers will be located at IKEA stores across the country, as well as the new Dartford customer distribution centre due to open in spring 2023, with the first ones fitted and operational in IKEA Cardiff.

The EV infrastructure forms part of IKEA’s aim to reach 100 per cent zero emissions deliveries to customers by 2025. By summer 2023, IKEA plans to achieve 60 per cent zero emission deliveries in the UK and Ireland.

This move is fundamental in allowing IKEA to continue expanding the electric vehicle fleets being used to deliver to

Jakob Bertilsson, country customer fulfilment manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at IKEA, and we are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the planet while supporting our customers to live more sustainable lives at home.

“Investing in this infrastructure of nationwide charging points is a fundamental step in our ambition to reach zero emissions customer deliveries from all IKEA stores and distribution centres by 2025, as well as supporting our ambition to become a climate positive business by 2030.”

IKEA’s commitment to rolling out an electric vehicle charging infrastructure will advance the UK Government’s ambitions to achieve its legally binding targets of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, building on their response to the Skidmore Review. The investment from

To build the nationwide infrastructure, IKEA is partnering with Mer, a European charging company owned by Statkraft, which is Europe’s largest renewable energy producer. Mer will be responsible for the end-to-end implementation and ongoing management and maintenance.

Natasha Fry, head of sales at Mer UK said: “IKEA is an iconic brand with a recognised commitment to sustainability. When they needed future-proof charge points for their zero-emission, lastmile fleet, they wanted to work with a partner who shares these ambitions.

“We look forward to supporting the IKEA team and, importantly, its customers in making sure last-mile deliveries are efficient and emission free.”

Battery intelligence software to unlock potential of EVs

WAE Technologies (WAE) has launched Elysia, its Battery Intelligence software designed to unlock significant improvements in the life, safety, usable energy, power, and rapid charging times of any battery system.

Elysia allows for battery insight, management, and optimisation of batteries to the mass market using state-of-the-art embedded and cloud-based products which together provide customers – including global automotive OEMs, fleet operators and battery asset financiers – with access to battery insights and the ability to manage, optimise and enhance performance across the battery’s entire lifecycle, both in the vehicle and in ‘second life’ applications such as stationary grid storage.

Furthermore, the improved insight and control provided by Elysia, reduces an OEM’s need to oversize or overengineer battery systems, enabling them to be lighter, cheaper and more sustainable.

The core offering is based around two key products. The first is Elysia Embedded, a suite of state-of-the-art battery management algorithms, which run locally on the Battery Management System (BMS) – for example directly on an EV’s battery or on a stationary energy storage system. Its best-in-class BMS algorithms help OEMs to increase

vehicle range, enable faster charging, and maximise battery power, enabling them to stay ahead of the competition delivering the best possible performance to customers, without compromising safety or battery life. Whereas conventional battery management systems traditionally require extensive data from testing and limits specified by cell suppliers to build software that controls how the battery is used, Elysia Embedded’s algorithms offers customers the ability to unleash untapped potential through intelligent ‘physics-informed’ models. Whilst this approach has formed an integral part of WAE’s motorsport capability, these algorithms have been designed to run on standard low-cost chips as typically found in mass-market battery management systems. In applications to

date, this has shown the ability to bring up to a 30 per cent increase in battery life and 10 per cent potential increase in battery range, whilst also enabling dramatically reduced fast charge times and higher peak power output when compared to traditional battery management algorithms.

The second product is Elysia Cloud Platform, a cloud-based system which uses proprietary digital twin technology. It helps OEMs, fleet owners and battery asset financiers turn data into actionable insights, designed to enable these customers to forecast and extend battery life, enhance safety, and protect warranty and residual values. By providing a complete picture of the battery’s state of health, it brings much-needed transparency, while enabling accurate verification of degradation and in-life fault-finding, offering the potential to revolutionise the second-life battery market.

Elysia is built upon a unique combination of AI and data science, fused with electrochemical modelling expertise, whilst being grounded in unrivalled real-world battery engineering and development experience.

New research on barriers to accessible EV design published

A new report published by charity Motability and the Energy Saving Trust has highlighted the barriers to making the design of electric vehicles (EVs) accessible for disabled people, and how these could be addressed.

Motability has previously conducted extensive research into the accessibility of EV charging infrastructure, which led to the creation of the BSI standard for accessible public chargepoints (PAS 1899). This new research conducted by Energy Saving Trust looked at accessibility issues with the vehicles themselves, with a particular focus on wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs).

The research found that the requirements of disabled people are not being sufficiently considered in the design and production of EVs, with WAV users in particular raising concerns about finding models suitable for their needs. A survey of disabled WAV users conducted as part of the research found that over 70

DECARBONISATION

per cent of respondents have considered driving an electric WAV, with over 25 per cent planning to get one as their next vehicle. However the limited choice of suitable vehicles available is a key concern for disabled people, with 85 per cent of respondents listing it as a significant barrier for them. Examples of unsuitable design features included some electric vehicles not being tall enough for some seated wheelchair users, or not enough boot space for mobility equipment. With the control systems in EVs becoming increasing advanced, the report identifies that more engagement is needed to ensure that new features work for disabled people. The placement of the battery and the charging socket are highlighted as key accessibility concerns for EVs. The position of the battery is a key concern for adapters and converters, and is a particular challenge to producing small WAVs, which are the

preferred size for many WAV users

Responses from the adaptation and conversion industry found that they have limited engagement with vehicle manufacturers. This makes it difficult for them to obtain technical information about the vehicles they need in order to meet the accessibility requirements of disabled customers.

The report makes a series of recommendations for overcoming the challenges identified relating to accessible and inclusive EV design. These include encouraging greater engagement between converters, adapters and vehicle manufacturers, and establishing design principles for accessible EVs.

Read more on the report on page 27.

Many fleets not monitoring CO 2 despite having targets

According to Alphabet’s European Fleet Emission Monitor, despite every second company having CO2 reduction targets for the future, only one-third are actively monitoring their fleet emissions.

The survey, which had responses of 700 corporate fleet managers across Europe, identified that while 51 per cent of companies acknowledge the significance of sustainability in their business decisions, only 37 per cent actively monitor CO2 emissions. And 17 per cent have no knowledge of their fleet emissions whatsoever.

Sustainability is widely accepted as a crucial factor for fleet managers, with close to two-thirds acknowledging the overall need to consider it in business decisions and a similar proportion

(61 per cent) taking sustainability into account during fleet planning. However, sustainability does not play a consistent role in decision-making for all companies; 38 per cent revealed that they are aware of its importance and discuss it, but do not always bear it in mind. And a further 10 per cent admitted that they do not consider sustainability at all when making company-wide decisions. Promisingly, reducing fleet CO2 emissions is a key focus for 83 per cent of companies surveyed. In fact, more than half of these businesses have set specific CO2 goals for the future, with over a third aiming to achieve them within the next two to five years.

To reach their decarbonisation targets, organisations must proactively manage

fleet CO2 emissions. Yet, the data suggests that most are overlooking CO2 monitoring: only one in three companies currently monitor fleet emissions and 35 per cent do not have any plans to start monitoring emissions in the future. Without this vital information, businesses have no way of knowing if they’re on track to achieve their goals or what measures to adjust in order to reach them.

When it comes to those companies that are monitoring fleet CO2 emissions, a significant number (48 per cent) do not use a suitable fleet management tool and rely on their own calculations based purely on fuel consumption data instead. While a further 31 per cent turn to manufacturer data collected in Excel spreadsheets.

According to the survey, the majority (69 per cent) of decision-makers believe their fleet will be fully electrified in the future; 30 per cent anticipate it being entirely free of petrol and diesel vehicles within the next six to ten years and 29 per cent expect to make the switch in less than five years.

Despite this optimism, the research revealed that there are still significant barriers to electrification that need to be addressed. Less than one per cent of companies surveyed have fully transitioned to EVs, and an overwhelming 94 per cent of fleet managers see challenges on the road to zero with range and charging infrastructure topping the list of concerns. Employee reluctance to transition from traditional ICE vehicles was also identified as a major obstacle by seven per cent of respondents.

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Fleet demand for EVs driving progress to 2030 target

Auto Trader has released its Road to 2030 Report, which tracks the progress of electric vehicle (EV) adoption as the UK moves closer to the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales.

The report says that the number of new electric cars registered in the UK has continued to rise into the start of 2023 with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reporting 76,233 new battery electric car sales in the first quarter, up 18.8 per cent on last year’s levels.

Strong demand for EVs from businesses and fleet operators is driving the increase in the number sold as low taxation rates make the switch more attractive – especially through salary sacrifice schemes.

The report says that whilst it’s been an encouraging start to the year in absolute terms, the rate of growth will need to accelerate as the new car market recovers from long-lasting supply constraints and electric’s market penetration begins to flatten at around 16.5 per cent (based on a 12-month rolling average until March 2023).

The report says that in sharp

AIR QUALITY

contrast to the fleet market, retail demand for new EVs has fallen as the cost of living crisis deters private buyers from making the expensive switch.

The number of enquiries sent to retailers about new electric cars has fallen 65 per cent year-onyear, and they now only account for nine per cent of all new car enquiries, compared to 27 per cent at the same time last year. This has been exacerbated by private buyers not receiving any financial support from purchasing an EV. As retail buyers typically account for around half of all new car sales, it will be important that uptake improves dramatically before the 2030 deadline, but there are few signs of this changing in the short-term beyond the possibility of fuel prices rising. In the first quarter of 2023, 52 per cent of new cars looked at on Auto Trader were petrol, up from 47 per cent the year prior. This switch back to petrol follows continuous declines in its market share since the start of 2020.

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Consultation on revising the government's Air Quality Strategy

The government has launched a consultation, seeking views on a revised Air Quality Strategy which outlines how councils in England should use their existing powers and responsibilities more effectively to deliver improvements to air quality.

The draft strategy outlines the actions councils can undertake to improve air quality, and reduce emissions of fine particulate matter.

It also provides a framework to enable local authorities to make the best use of their powers and deliver for their communities

Following consultation, a final strategy will be published, providing a framework to support local action to improve air quality, in consultation with local communities.

The final strategy will complement the range of

Zemo Partnership’s Andy Eastlake

Time seems to march on ever faster, but a significant anniversary has given me cause to reflect (if not really time to pause!).

This year our partnership – formerly LowCVP, now Zemo – has been around for twenty years.

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership became an entity in 2003. Its formation was announced in the 2002 ‘Powering Future Vehicles Strategy’. Then Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote the foreword to the report which introduced the strategy. It announced the formation of a Ministerial Low Carbon Group to oversee the delivery of the low carbon agenda and to report annually to Parliament.

The Prime Minister wrote: “Successful change depends also on the UK vehicle and fuel industries, consumer, environmental and other stakeholders. So I attach particular importance to the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership announced in this document. I wish them every success in their work as we move towards a low carbon transport system. Britain needs a modern transport system. But we also need to embrace fully our environmental responsibilities. It is the job of us all to get that balance right.”

So that was where it all started, under the able leadership of launch director professor Jim Skea. I was involved from the beginning as a founding Board member of LowCVP and chair of its members council. Over a decade ago, I became the Partnership’s managing director and, now, CEO.

In the Powering Future Vehicles Strategy, the Government set challenging targets for reductions in average new car CO2 emissions, plus stretching targets for low carbon buses.

In 2003, there were almost no electric cars on the road; the first mild hybrid – the iconic Toyota Prius – had been introduced a few years earlier, and cars – or buses - with plugs were nowhere to be seen. In 2003, average new car CO2 emissions were around 170g/km. The average new car sold in 2010 had CO2 emissions about 20 per cent lower than a decade earlier and emissions went on falling – to a low of about 120g/km by 2016. We were getting close to the technical limits for ICE cars, but soon after that electrification really began to take off.

support government makes available to local authorities, including £883 million allocated under the Nitrogen Dioxide Programme, and funding awarded annually under Defra’s local Air Quality Grant scheme to develop and implement measures that benefit schools, businesses and communities, and reduce the impact of polluted air on people’s health. The government also wants to help councils to improve air quality more quickly by assessing their performance and use of existing powers, while supporting them with clear guidance, funding and tools. The consultation represents a significant step forward in the delivery of these commitments.

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The Partnership – as LowCVP – was heavily involved in initiatives such as the introduction of the new car fuel economy label which played a key role in communications with vehicle buyers; an important element of the transition in the car sector.

LowCVP was very heavily involved, too, in policy implementation in the bus sector helping the Government to design and introduce a series of low (then ultra-low) emission bus funds which effectively kick-started the UK market for low – and later, ultra-low and zero – emission buses. The UK has been the leading European market for battery electric buses in the decade to 2022 with a total of 4,152 vehicles registered last year.

Now – as fleet buyers well know - electrification is in full spate in the car and van markets as well as buses and the momentum is unstoppable. We’re making serious inroads, too, into the commercial vehicle sector, though some heavier, long-distance vehicles are harder to electrify. Today, fleet buyers are choosing cars that emit, on average, 20 per cent less CO2 than the private market, clearly leading the charge.

So we’re well advanced in our journey on the road to zero and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to reflect that Zemo Partnership has been a central player in helping deliver the progress we’ve seen over the last two decades.

We’re planning an anniversary event to celebrate the progress we have made together over the last 20 years in decarbonising road transport, and for us to look forward to a zero emission mobility future. Do join us at Zemo’s 20th Anniversary Conference, to be held in City Hall, London on Clean Air Day, June 15

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.zemo.org.uk

Twenty years of ‘powering future vehicles’ together

Decarbonising small businesses and sole traders

For many small business owners, their livelihood is dependent on their cars or vans. But with the current cost-of-doing business crisis, small business owners and the self-employed increasingly find themselves lacking the cash needed to switch to electric vehicles. Martin McTague, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, shares the challenges to overcome for SMEs

Setting up and running a small business requires entrepreneurs to think outside the box, take on new challenges, and resolve fundamental challenges facing their customers and wider society. Whilst small businesses have been asked to tackle a number of such challenges over the decades, perhaps none are as globally threatening than the impact of climate change.

In the UK, transport is the single biggest contributor this crisis, accounting for just under a third of all greenhouse emissions. Efforts to encourage drivers to opt for zero emission vehicles are growing as the country moves towards its net zero targets by 2050. But have small business owners and sole traders been left behind, despite their crucial role on this journey?

Recent research by Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows a majority of small firms believe the planet is

facing a climate crisis, and a third have already taken steps to decarbonise.

Small businesses understand making the switch to cleaner vehicles will help them pick up the speed on net zero transition. But many say the cost of electric vehicles (EVs), the lack of a second-hand market and fragmented charging infrastructure in rural areas are holding them back from reaching this important landmark.

A jump start

For many small business owners, their livelihood is dependent on their cars or vans. But with the current

cost of doing business crisis, small business owners and the self-employed increasingly find themselves lacking the cash needed to switch their work vehicles to electric: almost half (46 per cent) say cost is a barrier to adoption.

Under the current operation of the Clean Air and Low Emission Zones, the danger of a two-tier society emerges, where those that have made the switch exempt from clear air charges, whilst those who cannot afford an EV to pay penalties.

Handing the zone charges back to those in need in the form of grants

FSB research shows a majority of small firms believe the planet is facing a climate crisis, and a third have taken steps decarboniseto

will help change the course. This could be distributed through a comprehensive scrappage scheme under which smaller businesses and sole traders could replace diesel or petrol commercial vehicles with cleaner hybrids or zero emissions vehicles, with the support of the grants.

Such a scheme will not only give underresourced small firms a jump start to make the switch but also help form a developed second-hand EV market to keep costs within a reasonable range, which is vital to transition to the 2030 ban that takes effect in less than a decade.

Charge up

Behind the challenge of funding lies another: more than a third of small businesses attribute the lack of charge points as a key factor putting the brakes on EV adoption. In rural areas, that figure rises to four in ten.

To talk about EV uptake without considering the charging infrastructure is like putting the cart before the horse. Small businesses and sole traders are reliant on public charge points because not everyone will be able to install one at their sites. For those who rent their premises, many say landlords won’t approve charge point installation. In other cases, the prohibitive cost of power supply upgrades is holding back businesses.

As part of its Powering Up Britain Strategy, the Government has announced more than £350 million further investment in EV charging infrastructure, backing up its plan to build a network of 300,000 chargers in the UK by 2030. While this is a welcome move, it’s vital that charge points are spread out across the country, and that the rural economies are not left behind.

As things stand, charge points are concentrated around the major road network. Quite logical, you may think, except that the small firms that make-up 99 per cent of the private sector often travel on local roads.

In addition, in more remote and sparsely populated rural areas where it is unlikely that public transport will ever be a viable option for connectivity, cars, and soon ZEVs specifically, will be the only way to move goods and access people.

Think about the remote artisan, food and hospitality business in the countryside, failing to reach customers and delivery their goods and services because those who’ve made the ZEV switch feel they can’t reach them – the B&B sent to the wall because they can’t install a charge point, and there isn’t a public one near them.

A member recently highlighted that “unless you invest in a charging point yourself, the currently insufficient infrastructure will become a limiting factor impacting your business in the near future.”

Another business highlighted that even if a few chargepoints are available, those are either broken or occupied day in and day out by the same vehicles.

The government must therefore treat the local roads network with the same priority as motorways and major A roads, future proofing the rural economies on which millions of livelihoods depend. With the

UK Government’s plans to introduce the ZEV mandate, those barriers need to be addressed – otherwise businesses will be left stranded and disconnected from the new infrastructure network. The UK’s recently launched Local EV Infrastructure Fund will play a key role in delivering on this.

Help to Green

The EV transition also highlights the need for greater energy security. Over the winter, small businesses battled through an unprecedent energy crisis. As higher wholesale gas prices have driven up electricity prices, charging an EV became dearer.

FSB has long lobbied for greater energy security. Our Help To Green proposals, comprising a voucher programme to financially support small businesses to invest in energy efficiency measures or micro-generation and a SME energy advice service, are backed by a dozen trade associations and adopted as one of former energy minister Chris Skidmore’s recommendations in his Review of Net Zero.

The proposals have also been taken forward by the government as part of its Powering Up Britain Strategy, in the form of the SME energy advice service alongside

We hope to see this government initiative scaled up to a full national scheme that can help every small business wanting to invest in green measures, be it adopting an EV or better insulating their premises, that will support the move to net zero.

March saw the biggest EV sales in history, accounting for more than one in three new registrations that month. It is tempting to believe that the EV transition is as simple as boosting sales. But the road to clean vehicles and net zero also extends to the matter of infrastructure, the need for drivers with knowledge of electric work vehicles, the importance of R&D investments, and most importantly, the need for a long-term energy security strategy.

Fundamentally, small business owners and sole traders – accounting for 99 per cent of the overall business population – are in the driver’s seat on the journey to net zero, and the UKwide ZEVs can’t happen without them. Whilst there are measures out there to help us, such as tax reliefs, congestion charge exemptions and capital allowances, we need to see policymakers go much further to leave no drivers behind. L

Behind the challenge of funding lies another – more than a third of small businesses attribute the lack of charge points as a key factor putting the brakes on EV adoption. In rural areas, that figure rises to four in ten

Sustainability: more than a buzzword

Mark Newberry, commercial director and sustainability spokesperson at Europcar Mobility Group UK, discusses the company’s latest research. Sustainability is on the agenda for businesses of all sizes, but what he was particularly interested in was the steps SMEs are taking to build sustainable fleets capable of bringing business benefits beyond meeting environmental targets

Businesses of every size recognise the need to run greener fleets. Europcar recently spoke to 300 professionals responsible for fleet management and business travel decisions, including those working for SMEs, to uncover what they have changed, what challenges they face, and what the future holds as they work to reduce the impact of their business mobility. The growth of hybrid working since the first COVID-19 lockdown has had a positive impact on emissions but, as discussed in the new Europcar report ‘Switching sustainability from buzzword to business benefit’, more can be done to lower mobility emissions.

It is encouraging to see that SMEs involved in the study run relatively young and therefore efficient fleets with more than half saying the average age of vehicles on their fleet is between one and two years.  SMEs are also doing a good job of transitioning to zero emissions. Nearly half of SMEs have some electric vehicles (EVs) on their fleet; 45 per cent have hybrids.  However, a big barrier in transitioning to low emissions is charging infrastructure but the Europcar research suggests SMEs are doing a good job on this front. Over half of SMEs said they offer charging facilities at their business premises, make contributions to at-home charging and the provision of a company charging card to use on the go. And even for those not currently offering charging facilities on the premises, there’s a strong intent to change that in the next three years.

Sustainability targets

When we asked SMEs about their current sustainability targets, the most common was an overall reduction in carbon emissions (30 per cent), followed by increasing the number of EVs on fleet (29 per cent) and increasing the use of other forms of mobility such as walking and cycling (27 per cent).

A quarter of SMEs plan to reduce business travel in general, reduce their petrol fleet, increase use of public transport and/ or increase use of corporate car sharing based at the company premises.

Unfortunately, these noble targets are being hampered by a swathe of challenges. One in three SMEs named ongoing fleet supply issues as a barrier to switching to a more sustainable fleet. The same proportion admitted to a lack of understanding around running costs of hybrid and electric vehicles.

Almost as many lack understanding of maintenance costs for these vehicles. Restricted finance to purchase or lease vehicles is another significant barrier at 27 per cent.

It seems, from our research, that the grey fleet remains an important back-up to company-run vehicles at 81 per cent for all respondents and a higher 87 per cent for SMEs. The pandemic certainly contributed to this situation; more than half of the SMEs we surveyed said more employees are using their own vehicles since the start of COVID-19. Of course, that means switching to a greener fleet is not as simple as offering zero and low emissions fleet options. Instead 86 per cent of SMEs that rely on grey fleets are looking at ways to reduce or stop this reliance. Over half offer incentives to employees to drive fully electric or hybrid vehicles; 46 per cent impose limits on vehicle emissions and 43 per cent limit the age of vehicles used for business travel. A grey fleet also brings its own significant challenges and internal resource requirements from checks on vehicle condition to driving licence and insurance checks.

The road ahead

If hybrid and electric vehicles are too expensive to buy, too much of a financial commitment for long term lease agreements, too hard to get hold of, and too much of an unknown to instil driver or fleet manager confidence, how can businesses even begin to run more sustainable fleets? This is where rental can fit in.

A way to use the newest, most efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles as and when required, rental is a great ‘try-beforeyou-buy’ to help drivers and employers gain a real-world picture of all areas of electric vehicle driving and ownership. The fact that long-term rental is commitment-free gives businesses an important safety net; they’re not locked into agreements before they know what works for them. And ‘try before you buy’ provides reassurance that the investment in a greener fleet will work with operations and bring business benefits, dispel concerns drivers have regarding charging infrastructure and driving range as well as help businesses understand what is right for them now and in the future. Mark Newberry talks more about how Europcar is helping businesses meet their sustainability challenges in the video below. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

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

Financial help for workplace charging infrastructure

Small businesses can apply for help with the cost of electric vehicle chargepoints and infrastructure works through dedicated funds from the government. Here’s a summary of what’s available

The government has funds to help small to medium sized businesses, as well as sole traders and charities, with their fleet electrification plans, through the EV infrastructure grant and the Workplace Charging Scheme.

The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets gives money towards the infrastructure needed for chargepoints, as well as for installing the chargepoints themselves. It is for small and medium sized companies, with 249 employees or less.

Businesses do not have to install all the chargepoints at once, but it allows them to plan for the future by creating infrastructure that can enable chargepoints to be installed later on. This is a separate and different grant from the Workplace Charging Scheme, which does not help towards the cost of chargepoint infrastructure.

A business can receive up to five grants in total. Each grant must be for a different site

that the business owns, leases or rents.

The chargepoints installed must be exclusively for staff or fleet use and cannot be for visitor or guest use.

The grant supports the provision of chargepoints and future chargepoint locations where chargepoints may be installed at a later date.

A minimum of five parking spaces must be provisioned with charging infrastructure, at least one of which must have a working chargepoint.

Businesses can get up to £500 for each parking space that will get charging infrastructure.

Each grant application can be for up to a maximum of £15,000. If more chargepoints are needed in addition to those provided by this grant, then the Workplace Charging Scheme may be used. The charging infrastructure must comprise at least a new electrical connection at a metered electrical supply point, such as a consumer unit or feeder pillar, and a dedicated, safe, unobstructed route for electrical cabling from the electrical supply point to the installed chargepoints and any future connection locations.

The workplace charging grant

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations. It is also open to small accommodation businesses such as B&Bs and campsites, with 249 employees or less. It can be used with the above mentioned EV infrastructure grant for the same site but not the same chargepoints. Any attempt to claim the

The EV grantinfrastructure for staff and fleets gives money towards the infrastructure needed for chargepoints

same chargepoint twice by submitting a WCS and EV grant application for the same chargepoint, may be viewed as fraud.

The grant covers up to 75 per cent of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints and is capped at a maximum of £350 per sockets and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.

These places must have dedicated off-street parking, and either own the property or have consent from the landlord for chargepoints to be installed at all the sites listed in the application. Each site must have a minimum power supply of 3kW to each individual socket that is not diminished by their simultaneous use, and have have no more than one socket installed for each accessible parking space.

Considerations before applying

Before applying for the Workplace Charging Grant, applicants are encouraged to discuss their needs with one or more authorised WCS installers and identify which of the models on the Workplace Charging Scheme approved chargepoint list they want to install.

They must undergo a site survey with an authorised installer to ensure the electrical capacity of the site can support the number of sockets being applied for. Applicants must also consider the needs of disabled drivers and drivers with reduced mobility, as well as how the chargepoint will be maintained and any associated costs. Other points to assess include how the cost of electricity usage will be covered, if or how users would be charged, and whether to make the chargepoint open for public use and, if so, whether to make the location of the chargepoint public.

If the applicant does not own or manage the land where they wish to install chargepoints, they must also secure the necessary permissions ahead of making an application. For example, if you have access to off-street parking via a garage or private car park that is provided by a third party, you are eligible for the WCS provided the parking space meets all other eligibility criteria. If you do not own the parking space, however, you will be required to gain written permission from the landlord or owner. Applicants apply for the Workplace Charging Grant online, and if successful, receive a unique identification voucher code by email, which can then be given to any OZEV-authorised WCS installer.

Once the chargepoints have been installed, the authorised installer can claim the grant from OZEV on the applicant’s behalf. The chargepoint installation must be completed and the voucher claimed within six months of the voucher’s issue date.

If you apply for less than 40 sockets, you can submit additional applications in the future until you reach that limit.

London’s scrappage scheme London has a scrappage scheme worth £110 million which offers support to charities, sole traders and SME businesses to replace or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles, as well support for lower income residents and disabled Londoners.

Charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees registered in London can apply to scrap a van (£5,000 grant) or a minibus (£7,000 grant), retrofit certain vans or minibuses (£5,000 grant) or scrap and replace a van or minibus with a fully electric vehicle (£7,500 or £9,500 grant respectively).

For micro businesses to be eligible for the scrappage scheme, they need to have 10 or fewer employees, and show up to £632,000 turnover, or up to £316,000 balance sheet total in the preceding and current financial year. They must also have Companies House registration as an active company or VAT registered within the 32 London boroughs or City of London.

A sole trader is eligible if they are self-employed and own and operate a business within the 32 London boroughs or the City of London. Charities must be registered with the Charities Commission as active within the 32 London boroughs or the City of London. Vehicles eligible to be scrapped under the scheme include light vans, up to and including 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight, or a minibus that is up to and including 5 tonnes gross weight. A replacement vehicle must be a fully electric light van, up to and including 3.5 tonnes, or a fully electric minibus, up to and including 5 tonnes gross weight. The vehicle can be purchased or on a hire/ lease contract that is at least two years long. The replacement vehicle must also be the same body type (van or minibus) as the vehicle that was scrapped. For vehicles that are intended to be retrofitted, they must be on the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) register.

Small businesses benefitting from London scrappage scheme

£13.5m of the Mayor of London and TfL’s vehicle scrappage scheme has been allocated to drivers of vans and minibuses, with the majority going to help small businesses scrap their polluting vehicles to comply with the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Overall, 4,833 applications have been approved through the scheme, with £17,727,500 committed to date.

In detail, this translates to 2,183 car and motorcycle applications, 2,650 van and minibus applications, 31 charities, 1,290 micro businesses, 1,329 sole traders, 1,673 Londoners on low income benefits, and 510 Londoners in receipt of disability benefits.

With just over four months to go until the ULEZ expands, there are still tens of millions of pounds left in the scrappage fund and TfL continues to advise drivers to check their vehicle’s compliance and make the most of the Mayor’s scrappage scheme.

The £110m scrappage scheme was launched to support smaller businesses, sole traders, charities, Londoners on lower incomes and disabled Londoners in replacing their older, more polluting vehicles with greener options.

Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of strategy and policy said: “It is great to see that scrappage grants are already playing a significant role in supporting smaller businesses, those on low incomes, disabled people and charities to get ready for the expansion.

“While the vast majority of cars driving in outer London on an average day are compliant, I urge drivers to use our vehicle checker and if they have a noncompliant vehicle, check their eligibility for the scrappage scheme to help them make the switch to greener and cleaner travel.”

With just over four months to go until the ULEZ expands, there is still money left in the scrappage fund and TfL continues to advise drivers to check their vehicle’s compliance to check if they are eligible. L

EXPERT PANEL SME DECARBONISATION

Many small businesses have been hit hard by the cost of living and energy crisis, and as a result, are delaying the move to zero emission vehicles due to their high upfront costs. We ask our expert panel for advice on how SMEs can cost-effectively make the switch and where to go for support

Matt Waller, EV solutions director, FLEETCOR

Matt is responsible for solutions for electric vehicle charging both on-the-road and at home across the UK and wider Europe. He is passionate about the future of e-mobility, with a focus on layering existing services with new innovations such as connected vehicle technology, as well as an overall aim of driving acceleration in the UK’s transition to EVs and alternative fuels. Prior to joining FLEETCOR, Matt was Head of Mobility Solutions at IMS, leading activities across vehicle data, fleet management and stolen vehicle recovery. He has also held multiple product-facing roles at Jaguar Land Rover, with successes including the launch of InControl telematics, delivery of the allelectric Jaguar I-Pace and the development of the award-winning connectivity technology in the new Land Rover Defender.

Richard Parker, electric vehicle lead, Webfleet, part of Bridgestone

Steve Beadle, head of 0Zone, The Grosvenor Group

Steve Beadle is head of 0Zone, the Grosvenor Group’s innovative and market leading solution to help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultra-low emission and electric vehicles. With extensive experience of helping companies make the smooth transition to ultra-low emission and electric vehicles, he offers a perfect balance between how fleets can drive down their emissions and the implications of policy setting. Steve joined the Grosvenor Group in 2012, and is well-known for his clear and inciteful advice for companies with car and light commercial vehicle fleets looking towards their zero emission futures.

Webfleet UK and Ireland’s EV lead, Richard Parker, has 23 years of experience in the fleet industry. In the last seven years, Richard has committed to developing his knowledge of electric vehicle solutions to support customers in decarbonising their fleets. Recently, he was listed in GreenFleet’s 100 Most Influential for fleet sustainability for the second consecutive year, indicating his devotion to reducing carbon emissions and advocating for sustainability in all his endeavours.

During the current cost-of-living crisis, with high energy bills and operating costs, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may be putting off the move to zero emission vehicles due to their high upfront costs, as well as the investment that may be needed for charging infrastructure. Recent research from Bridgestone and Webfleet backs this. It found that over three quarters (76 per cent) of commercial fleets are postponing their fleet electrification plans due to mounting cost pressures. However, delaying decarbonisation plans can risk longer term issues, believes Richard

Parker, Webfleet UK’s EV Lead at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions. Richard explains: “Cutting capital spend in this area is a case of kicking the can down the road – and this can risk compromising longer-term profitability.

“Financial and sustainability business objectives tend to be mutually inclusive, and a cost-benefit analysis that looks beyond shortterm cost management is recommended.

“Electric vehicle fleet registrations are continuing to rise rapidly, and there are strong reasons for this, beyond the impending sales ban for new petrol and diesel cars and vans.

“Despite the higher upfront expense –along with soaring energy prices pushing up day-to-day running expenditure – the whole-life cost of operating petrol or diesel equivalents, in most cases, remains greater.

“Establishing the business case is vital, and telematics solutions can play an important role here by generating data insights to simplify comparisons between petrol and diesel vehicle running costs and real-world EV performance. EVs may not be right, at this point in time, for all businesses and all use cases, but planning reports will point to which vehicle fleets can be cost-effectively switched to EV alternatives.”

Funding methods

Steve Beadle, head of 0Zone at The Grosvenor Group, advises that organisations give careful thought to their funding method before ordering electric vehicles. He says: “Offering your drivers a salary sacrifice scheme is a particularly strong option at the moment due to the very low benefitin-kind (BIK) tax for ultra-low emission and electric vehicles. It means employees can drive an electric car for up to 40 per cent less with salary sacrifice compared to a personal lease, with advantages for your business too. Grosvenor’s offering is riskfree as it comes with protection against employees leaving the company, or going on extended sick or maternity/paternity leave.

“If you own your vehicles, and do not wish to pursue the salary sacrifice option, then contract hire has particular benefits for companies who are concerned about the cost of living crisis. As contract hire is a fixed cost, the risks of relatively ‘unknown’ future re-sale values and maintenance for electric vehicles sit with the leasing company giving you peace of mind and clear budgeting when embarking on EVs for the first time.”

SMEs should not to be lured into a false economy of thinking EVs are more expensive due to their higher purchase prices, because their total cost of ownership is lower, Steve adds. “Let’s take, for example, a Skoda Octavia Diesel Estate 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 5Dr DSG,” says Steve. “This is a diesel car with a P11D value of £36,555. Its electric equivalent is the Skoda Enyaq IV Estate 150kW 80 Loft 82kWh 5Dr Auto which has a P11D value of £42,870.

“At first sight, the electric model looks expensive and it would be easy to assume that, at just over £6,000 more, the diesel is better value. However, the whole life cost takes into account factors such as running costs, maintenance, tax, fuel/charge and future resale value and shows that the electric model is £91.56 per month less than it’s diesel counterpart, meaning that it is £4,394.71 cheaper overall during a four year period as a company car.”

A long term plan

“These have all been barriers to entry for new EV users, but with the government’s deadline to stopping the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles rapidly approaching, we’re seeing many businesses are increasingly making the move. There are fleets that we’ve worked with that have been successful already in kicking-off the transition, and the key has been taking it in small incremental steps and accepting a mixed fleet in the short term.”

BanksfromResearchLloyds

Agreeing that a total cost of ownership approach is best fitted for electric vehicles, Matt Waller, EV solutions director at FLEETCOR, says: “The business case is inevitably a long term plan as EVs generally offer lower ‘fuel’ costs, reduced maintenance bills, and zero or discounted car tax, and are eligible for government grants. As well as lower running costs, the environmental impacts are also significantly reduced, helping companies towards those crucial emissions targets.” But even with this knowledge, Matt understands that the transition is not easy and there are hurdles to overcome: “We often find that fleets underestimate the cultural change of the EV transition for drivers,” comments Matt. “The switch to EVs is a massive undertaking, from ensuring the technology is up to standard and can effectively replace traditionally fuelled vehicles, to changing mindsets, and ensuring the infrastructure is available to support both private and business users without leaving them stranded or out of pocket.

“We’ve made it our mission to create not only one of the biggest EV networks but one that provides a wide range of charging options to create inclusivity for those drivers that do not have the ability to recharge their vehicles at home. All of these products accompany our great set of fuelling solutions to enable customers to benefit from a single provider, single invoice and in the vast majority of cases, with the Allstar One Electric, a single card,” Matt adds.

A net-zero strategy

Research from Lloyds Banks shows that 77 per cent of small businesses do not have a net zero strategy in place, and 34 per cent said this was down to a lack of knowledge. To help fleets before embarking on their net zero plans, where can SMEs go to get support and information to fill this knowledge gap?

Steve Beadle from The Grosvenor Group recommends that businesses talk to someone impartial and lay out their individual requirements. He explains: “Every company is different in terms of the vehicles they require, the geographical areas they operate in, how the vehicles are used, the mileages driven, the mix between cars and commercial vehicles, the ability to install workplace charging, availability of public E

shows that 77 per cent of small businesses do not have a net zero strategy in place

 charging points, the ability for employees to charge at home – and so the list goes on.

“It is therefore always best to talk to someone impartial who can understand your business and offer relevant advice that can be implemented. At Grosvenor Leasing, our 0Zone team has been helping companies large and small with their net zero strategies for six years and have won multiple awards for their guidance. As the UK’s largest privatelyowned contract hire and fleet management specialist, we are not tied to any particular funder or vehicle manufacturer which is why we can offer truly objective support.

“We are always happy to speak to SMEs and answer any of their questions with no obligation to use our services, as we see ourselves playing an important role in helping to drive the green agenda with this complimentary service. We can also put SMEs in touch with other businesses that we have helped to hear about their net zero journey.”

Utilise resources

FLEETCOR’s Matt Waller suggests other places that SMEs can look for support when implementing decarbonisation plans. He says: “Developing a sustainability strategy may seem daunting for companies at the smaller end of the scale with limited budget and resources. However, there are many resources available to help businesses get started. The government’s SME Energy Efficiency Scheme, for example, provides free energy efficiency assessments and funding towards energy-saving equipment for SMEs. There are also a growing number of sustainability consultancies that can help businesses develop and implement a sustainability strategy.

“Implementing a strategy doesn’t have to be expensive, but your business will get out what it puts in. Some smaller companies may need staff to take time out of their regular duties to put together a strategy as best they can

without training, others may hire consultancies to help them through the transition, and larger companies might be able to hire trained staff to form a dedicated sustainability team.”

Tapping into the expertise of partners and suppliers can also help smaller businesses navigate the decarbonisation task, believes Matt. He says: “SMEs should also be speaking to their current service providers across fleet management, fuelling, OEMs, service maintenance and repair to understand the opportunities they have to execute on “low hanging fruit”. The road to net zero can only be navigated through a strong network of proficient partners that have experience in helping businesses from the large corporate entities right down to the one or two person operations.”

Gaining support

Richard Parker from Webfleet points towards the “growing ecosystem of advice” when it comes to transitioning

to zero emission vehicles, including support and consultancy groups, online resources, dedicated forums and events.

“Here at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, for example, we are committed to helping fleets achieve their sustainability ambitions. Alongside game-changing tech innovations, we have published a wide range of specialist guides on decarbonisation and electrification, designed to inform, educate and inspire,” says Richard.

“What’s more, as a provider of fleet management solutions that can help ease and cost-optimise EV adoption, we offer consultancy support to ensure these are implemented and utilised by businesses in the most appropriate and effective way. Our support includes introductions to specialist services from partner organisations that can help facilitate the transition.

“Elsewhere, extensive information and advice can be found via organisations such as The Energy Saving Trust, Zemo Partnership and the government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles,” Richard adds.

Charging infrastructure

For companies buying electric vehicles, consideration must be given to where the vehicles will be charged. So how can this process be kicked off?

Steve Beadle from Grosvenor Group advises that it’s worth conducting a brief feasibility E

Tapping into the expertise of service partners and suppliers can help smaller businesses navigate the decarbonisation task and identify the “low hanging fruit”

SAVE UP TO 40% ON ELECTRIC CARS WITH RISK FREE SALARY SACRIFICE

Grosvenor Leasing’s Salary Sacrifice scheme for Ultra Low Emission Vehicles and Electric Vehicles can save your employees as much as 40% per month compared to a personal lease, with financial and environmental advantages for your business too.

Risk Free and Minimal Administration

It also comes with protection against employees leaving the company, or going on extended sick or maternity/paternity leave, and there is minimal input required to put it in place.

It means businesses can implement the scheme with complete peace of mind, and without being overwhelmed with lots of administration.

For more information, why not speak to one of our Ultra Low Emission and Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice experts

Benefits to Employees and Employers

Employees sacrifice a portion of their gross salary in return for a fully maintained, taxed and insured company vehicle, at very competitive rates.

The employer gains by making Class 1A National Insurance savings as well as offering an additional staff benefit, at no extra cost.

With many exciting electric cars available, such as the MG4 EV, Cupra Born and Polestar 2 (all shown above), now is a great time to be offering a ULEV and EV Salary Sacrifice scheme.

Telephone 01536 536 536 or email

salsac@grosvenor-leasing.co.uk

 survey with employees before you plan out your approach to charging.

Steve expands: “By asking employees if they are able, and willing, to have a home charger installed will help identify those who are going to be able to charge at home versus those who will be reliant on either a workplace charger and/or the public charging network.

“For those reliant on workplace and public charging, where are they located, where do they travel and will it be feasible for them to run a fully electric vehicle.

“This will also begin to identify likely numbers of drivers who may wish to use a workplace charger so that you can plan the required numbers of chargers, if you have the ability to install them.

“For some small to medium sized businesses, the ability to install workplace charging simply isn’t an option. Either they don’t have the car parking space, or they are in shared offices with an allocation of parking bays and the decision doesn’t rest with them. In these scenarios, we go back to the feasibility survey because if drivers cannot have a home charger installed, and live/operate in an area with a limited public charging infrastructure then maybe a fully electric car isn’t yet right for them and they need to look at PHEVs or ULEVs.

“However in doing this research will help you pinpoint which drivers can drive a fully electric vehicle and what charging infrastructure can best support them.”

It is also worth thinking about ways to financially support workers to install a chargepoint at home. Steve says: “Where home charging is feasible, now that the installation grant has been removed, one way to support drivers financially in getting their home charger installed is via a salary sacrifice scheme, particularly where salary sacrifice is your chosen method for encouraging drivers into EVs. We can also include the cost of charge points within a contract hire lease.”

It is also important to get data on how workplace chargers are being used and paid for. Steve says: “For those companies that do have workplace chargers, most are allowing drivers to plug in and use them for free, with no record being kept of who is using it and how much its costing per driver.”

“Companies should now be looking to upgrade their existing chargers to Smart Chargers, or installing new Smart Chargers, that can provide data on who is plugged in and what charge they have used so that some form or payment scheme can be put in place.”

A future proofed strategy

Steve Beadle highlights other charging infrastructure considerations: “Businesses also need to think about how many charge points they can have on site, the level of investment they need to budget for and whether the existing back office electrics can cope. For example, if you are going to charge above 22Kw you need a tethered charge point, which is a significant investment and depending on the demand for workplace charging may, or may not, be a viable spend.

“It’s quite a dilemma, because there’s little point in having slow chargers -

otherwise drivers will plug in and take hours to charge which means the facility won’t be able to adequately serve all EV drivers (employees and visitors).

“It comes down to the fact that a ‘futureproofed’ charging strategy is needed, and Grosvenor’s 0Zone team can offer advice and support to find the best solution.”

Operational requirements

All companies are different and some may find it easier than others to switch over to electric vehicles. But operational requirements must be assessed before changes are made.

Matt Waller from FLEETCOR comments:

“Going electric isn’t as simple as swapping every ICE vehicle for an EV – although it can be for some. A company that has a small fleet of company cars for salespeople and executives can (in principle) simply change their existing vehicles to EVs as needed and use EV charging cards so that their drivers could use public charge points.

“Other companies will have to do more work to prepare. A company with large numbers of vehicles that see a lot of use – a delivery company for instance – may have to take a look at their operations and make some changes. For example, EVs still take significantly longer to recharge (on the lower end charge points) than their ICE vehicle counterparts do to refuel at a traditional pump. This means that it may be necessary to stagger shift patterns or charging times to help ensure vehicles aren’t all arriving back on site at the same time, or it may be necessary to find ways for vehicles to be charged outside of work hours (such as at home or at work).

“Many companies allow their drivers to take their vehicles home overnight and by charging at home, overnight when the vehicle isn’t in use, they are often more convenient for drivers and their companies. It is important to consider how you can enable home charging when every driver in your company has unique personal circumstances which might make it difficult and will require companies to be flexible and empathetic.

“Finally, some companies, principally those larger ones with more on-site space, also consider what charging infrastructure they need at their premises and how they can reduce the cost of this by opening it up to employees and customers. The alternative for smaller companies might be a reduced number of charge points on site but the same principle of providing multiple options for their employees,” adds Matt Waller.

Connected EV data

Richard Parker from Webfleet says that data can give insight into the above points and form an effective EV strategy. He says: “Ensuring electric vehicles are charged to meet the requirements of next day operation, that they can be operated in a way that minimises downtime, optimises business productivity and maximises range is crucial to their successful adoption.

“From the outset, consideration should be given to charging infrastructure and availability. Public charge point availability can be a problem in rural areas, for example, while charging space can also be limited at motorway services, heightening range anxiety and complicating journey planning.

“Connected EV data can help shape the creation of effective fleet charging strategies. E

For some small to medium sized businesses, the ability to install workplace charging isn’t an option. Either they don’t have the car parking space, or they are in shared offices with an allocation of parking bays and the decision doesn’t rest with them

Do you want to electrify your fleet?

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You know where you want to take your business. We give you the power to get there. Reduce fuel usage, improve safety, boost productivity – no matter the focus, Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution gives you the data insights and tools you need to make it happen.

 These insights will help businesses determine where their vehicles spend the most time and will reveal their typical mileage and dwell time. This will be unique to every fleet but will signpost whether vehicles will need to use home, office or public charging infrastructure – or a combination of all three.

“In some cases, charging availability at employees’ homes may be limited, but fleets should bear in mind that even the cheapest public chargers will be considerably more expensive than home charging, while the most expensive can prove more costly than petrol or diesel.

“Where charging stations are required at business premises, telematics reports can paint a detailed picture of driver working patterns, signalling how many will be needed, whether standard chargers are appropriate, or if more expensive rapid chargers are necessary. In some cases, a single charger might serve multiple vehicles and rapid chargers may only be needed as back-up.”

Look beyond business travel

Aside from zero emission vehicles, are their other ways small firms reduce the emissions from their transport operations?

Steve Beadle from The Grosvenor Group says: “Within the ‘scope’ of a small firm’s own business travel, there are of course ways to drive down emissions through the continuation of hybrid working, encouragement of online meetings, car sharing, offering priority workplace car parking to drivers of electric vehicles, and offering mobility as a solution Apps to

encourage more varied ways of getting from A to B using public transport.

“However, often businesses with a relatively small number of vehicles, and in particular those who are already providing ULEVS and EVs, believe they have done everything in their power to reduce the emissions generated by their transport operations.

“However, most businesses rely on third party suppliers to transport and deliver their goods, or provide outsourced services and, while the company itself may have driven down their own emissions, their business can still be contributing to high carbon emissions if their supply chain is not working to the same green agenda.

“My suggestion is therefore to look beyond your own business travel and start to challenge the emissions of your supply chain in order to ensure that your overall business activity is a net zero as possible.”

Cutting miles and more planning

Richard Parker from Webfleet says that cutting miles from operational journeys, or improving the mpg of vehicles, will help reduce an SME’s carbon footprint. “Efficient job allocation, journey planning and smart routing are critical to reducing fuel consumption, with every litre of fuel saved equating to more than 2kg of CO2,” comments Richard.

“Vehicle mpg, meanwhile, can be affected by a wide range of factors, from payload and tyre choice to maintenance processes. It is the driver, however, that arguably has the greatest impact.

“Fuel consumption can increase dramatically with incidents of idling,

speeding, harsh cornering, braking, and shifting gear at the wrong time.

“Fleet management solutions deliver actionable insights in these areas to help profile individual drivers or entire fleets, and these can then be used to support continuous performance improvement programmes. What’s more, drivers can be empowered with real time information fed to their in-vehicle navigation devices.”

Reviewing how your organisation operates can not only help with emission reduction, it can also improve driver wellbeing, says Richard. He explains “To boost engagement with improvement initiatives, particularly in the current climate, companies should be mindful of the benefits of fostering a positive working environment.

“Webfleet research has revealed that more than three quarters (76 per cent) of fleet operators believe work pressures facing drivers are intensifying in the wake of the ‘cost of business’ crisis. A similar number (75 per cent) also believe the cost-of-living crisis is negatively impacting their mental health.

“Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) went on to admit that they need to review their current systems and processes to help alleviate workforce stress – an important eco-driving influencer.”

Energy and offsetting

FLEETCOR’s Matt Waller signposts other areas an SME can look at to decarbonise its entire operations. He says: “In addition to switching to EVs, there are many other ways that businesses can improve their sustainability credentials. This may include reducing energy consumption through energy-efficient equipment and building management systems, as well as implementing waste reduction measures. Larger companies can also consider offsetting their carbon emissions through schemes such as tree planting or renewable energy projects.

“Some other ways that small firms can reduce the emissions from their transport operations include shared mobility, reducing the number of cars on the road and saving fuel costs and parking fees.

“Avoid unnecessary business travel by using video conferencing tools instead of face-to-face meetings, saving time and money as well as emissions.

“Implement a fleet management or telematics system that optimises routes, reduces mileage, monitors fuel consumption and emissions, and encourages eco-driving behaviour among drivers. This can help you save fuel, reduce maintenance costs and improve safety.”

What is clear from the advice of our expert panel, smaller organisations have a wealth of support when it comes to the often daunting task of switching their transport operations to zero-emission alternatives. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

While a company itself may have driven down its own emissions through electric vehicles, the business can still be contributing to high carbon emissions if their supply chain is not working to the same green agenda.

Tools to help SMEs take climate action

Small and medium sized businesses can access tools and resources to help them meet environment targets through the SME Climate Hub. From making a public pledge to become net-zero to accessing carbon reporting tools, we look at what support is available and how they have helped small companies

The SME Climate Hub is a global initiative that aims to support and help small to medium sized businesses take environmental action and eliminate their harmful emissions through all areas of their business, including vehicle operations and business travel.

The first step is to make a public commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and to become net zero by 2050 or sooner. And to help achieve this, the SME Climate Hub has developed free, practical resources specifically tailored to support SMEs on their net zero journey. Businesses can calculate their emissions with the Business Carbon Calculator, learn how to take action with the Climate Fit education course and access support through the Financial Support guide and 1.5°C Business Playbook.

The SME Climate Hub has also partnered with Oxford University to provide SMEs with a library of external tools that offer additional support to small businesses taking concrete steps towards climate action.

The SME Climate Hub is an initiative founded by the We Mean Business Coalition, Exponential Roadmap Initiative and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign in collaboration with Oxford University and Normative. The SME Climate Commitment is the official pathway for small and medium sized businesses to join the United Nations global Race to Zero campaign.

Barriers to overcome

The SME Climate Hub’s second annual study has revealed that the majority of SMEs want to create a better future for their business and for the planet

and are taking an increasingly proactive approach in tackling the climate emergency. Despite 77 per cent not being asked to reduce emissions by customers, 80 per cent are taking climate action as it is the right thing to do. However, substantial barriers remain. The survey found that finance is a major hurdle with 70 per cent of respondents needing funds to take action or speed up progress of their emissions reduction efforts. However, 47 per cent of SME leaders surveyed estimated they would need up to £80,000 to achieve net-zero. Lack of climate skills and knowledge is preventing 58 per cent of respondents from taking more

The ClimateSMEHub has developed free, practical specificallyresources tailored to support SMEs on their net journeyzero

ambitious action on climate, likely due to SMEs having inherently smaller teams, with greater time constraints.

Measurement and monitoring tools encourage business to take greater climate action according to 61 per cent of respondents.

Business benefits of climate action were highlighted as a key reason to act with 65 per cent of respondents saying they believed this differentiated their business from competitors, whilst 73 per cent took action to enhance the reputation of their business.

Climate action is gaining momentum within the SME community with three in five respondents reporting having encouraged other businesses to make the SME Climate Commitment.

Pamela Jouven, director of the SME Climate Hub said “Despite their collective impact on communities and economies, small businesses are often amongst the most vulnerable to change and disruption. Rising global temperatures and weather-related disasters particularly impact SMEs given their localised supply chains, centralised infrastructure, and dependence on the communities in which they operate. At the same time, SMEs have been the least equipped to mitigate their role in the climate crisis. Small businesses

are facing greater risk while also potentially missing out on the benefits of building more resilient businesses and cutting costs.”

Monitoring and reporting

Measuring and reporting emissions is often the start of the journey for any company that aspires to be a leader on climate action. By evaluating their current emissions, companies can understand where they are causing the most harm, including hotspots like business travel, emissions from heating or electricity and those that arise from transport and shipping. Reporting is also one of the largest drivers towards action, as governments, investors and corporate customers move towards more stringent regulations and expectations.

As such, the SME Climate Hub has developed a new reporting tool which seeks to address this challenge. The tool has been specifically designed for SMEs and enables businesses to easily report annual greenhouse gas emissions, the actions they’ve taken to reduce emissions, and the impact of their efforts. The tool is based on the SME Climate Disclosure Framework, developed by the CDP, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative and Normative.

Online training

Climate Fit is a free online training course to help SMEs understand what they need to do to reduce their carbon emissions and achieve net zero. It covers governance and strategy, operations, supply chain, design, finance, communities and storytelling.

Kuli Kuli, a US-based food and beverage brand, benefitted from the Climate Fit online course. The company learned through its emissions inventory that plastic packaging, more so than transport, was a key emissions hotspot. Since then, Kuli Kuli switched to using 50 per cent post-consumer recycled material for a key product line and, as a result, has saved an estimated 450 gallons of gasoline and diverted the equivalent of 100,000 plastic bottles from landfill.

Learning from others

Forster Communications, a UK-based PR firm, joined the SME Climate Hub in 2020 and has benefitted from its resources to implement its Climate Transition Action Plan. The company’s three-year roadmap set the goal of cutting operational carbon emissions from its travel, finance, and office operations,

as well as transitioning to suppliers with clear net zero plans and helping hybrid-work employees cut emissions at home and on their commutes. As a result, the firm reduced its CO2 emissions by 4.1 tons during this period.

For its transport, the business enables and encourages sustainable transport, with cycle training offered to colleagues and associates quarterly. They also offer extra holiday time for those who cycle or walk to work. The company also plans to extend its sustainable travel plan to include EV leasing.

Working from home has been made greener with 80 per cent of the team using renewable energy at home.

All of the company’s suppliers have now made net-zero pledges, 90 per cent of their business-sector clients have set greenhouse gas reduction targets, and the firm has collectively reduced 4.1 tons of CO2 scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The agency evolved who they offset emissions with by working with accredited providers who directly remove carbon. And, when they realised the vast majority of emissions came from pensions and banking, they changed banks and moved investments. As its capacity grows, the company aims to go further by reducing scope 1 & 2 emissions to minimise the need for offsetting.

As a result of their sustainability framework for suppliers, their office landlords changed waste suppliers, and now no waste from any of the building’s businesses goes to landfill.

Clients too have been encouraged to make greener choices; such as choosing trains over flights for business travel.

Commenting on the company’s Climate Transition Action Plan, chief executive Amanda Powell-Smith said: “By normalising [climate action] through our work, it sparks wider conversations within our organisations and among peers. It helps nudge them in the direction of more sustainable travel choices.

“This shows the ripple effect of taking small, planet-minded steps – and the power that small- and medium-sized enterprises have to spark change in their own networks. We should never underestimate SMEs as the trailblazers of change. They are often more agile than larger organisations, trialing new ways of working and responding quickly to challenges.”

Measuring and reporting emissions is often the start of the journey for any company that aspires to be a leader on climate action. By evaluating their current emissions, companies can understand where they are causing the most harm, including hotspots like business travel, heating, electricity, transport and shipping.

Accessible and inclusive EV design

A new report published by Motability and the Energy Saving Trust has highlighted the barriers to making the design of electric vehicles accessible for disabled people, in particular, those that use wheelchairs, and how these could be addressed

The charity Motability has previously conducted extensive research into the accessibility of EV charging infrastructure, which led to the creation of the BSI standard for accessible public chargepoints (PAS 1899).

Following this, the charity has worked with the Energy Saving Trust to find out the accessibility issues with the vehicles themselves, with a particular focus on wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs).

The research found that the requirements of disabled people are not being sufficiently considered in the design and production of EVs, with WAV users in particular raising concerns about finding models suitable for their needs.

What are the barriers?

A survey of disabled WAV users conducted as part of the research found that over 70 per cent of respondents have considered driving an electric WAV, with over 25 per cent planning to get one as their next vehicle. However the limited choice of suitable vehicles available is a key concern for disabled people, with 85 per cent of respondents listing it as a significant barrier for them. Examples of unsuitable design features included some electric vehicles not being tall enough for some seated wheelchair users, or not enough boot space for mobility equipment. With the control systems in EVs becoming increasing advanced, the report identifies that more engagement is needed to ensure

that new features work for disabled people. The placement of the battery and the charging socket are highlighted as key accessibility concerns for EVs. The position of the battery is a key concern for adapters and converters, and is a particular challenge to producing small WAVs, which are the preferred size for many WAV users

Adaptation and conversion industry

As well as research with disabled drivers and passengers a number of surveys and interviews were also conducted with key industry stakeholders. This included vehicle manufacturers and the adaption and conversion industry which provide mobility solutions for disabled motorists.

Responses from the adaptation and conversion industry found that they have limited engagement with vehicle manufacturers. This makes it difficult for them to obtain technical information about the vehicles they need in order to meet the accessibility requirements of disabled customers.

Motability Operations, which carries out the day-to-day running of the Motability Scheme, also contributed to the research. Over 630,000 people currently use the Motability Scheme, and more than five per cent of all vehicles used by Scheme customers are WAVs. Around 10 per cent of all cars on the Motability Scheme have an adaptation.

Changes to EV design

The report makes a series of recommendations for overcoming the challenges identified relating to accessible and inclusive EV design. So far, missing engagement with OEMs has been identified as a key barrier for both the adaptation and the conversion industry. In particular, adapters struggle to establish any form of communication with OEMS. Motability Operations has a wide pool of industry contacts, which they should use to facilitate business introductions and set up shared meetings, supporting adapters and converters in establishing meaningful relationships with OEMs. Motability Operations’ will help to focus attention on the needs of adapters and converters and can foster trust between all involved stakeholders.

Another recommendation is to establish guidelines on accessible design principles in collaboration with disabled users and the wider specialist automotive industry. Missing guidelines on precise design principles is a barrier for vehicle design. An interview with a design and engineering company implied that often, only a small subset of vehicle attributes must change E

Electric Vehicle Design

suitablechoiceLimitedofvehicles available is a key concern for disabled people looking to make the switch to electric

 to make the base vehicle suitable for conversion or adaptation. Early engagement on the inclusive design of new models with converters, adapters, users and other relevant stakeholders will enable the automotive industry to agree on key principles.

The report calls for the ZEV mandate to incentivise the production of WAV base vehicles. One potential mechanism that could be utilised to guarantee supply is to offer more certificates for WAV base vehicles. This possibility was recognised by the Department for Transport (DfT) in the ‘incentivisation longlist’ produced as part of the ZEV Mandate consultation. Through this project, Motability and the Energy Saving Trust had encouraging conversations with DfT regarding the design of the ZEV Mandate. The number of additional ZEV mandate certificates should be decided in consultation with OEMs and converters. Additional WAV certificates could be divided between them to encourage greater collaboration. This would also allow converters to sell certificates as an additional revenue stream.

The DVLA registration process should also be reviewed to see if a dedicated WAV marker could be added to the vehicle description to enable this ZEV mandate feature. This would make it simpler to implement multiple certificates and easier to track the development of the WAV market.

Strengthen the plug-in grant

The report also says that the Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) should be strengthened to support customers with higher upfront costs for EVs.

A PiCG for WAVs has been retained, offering funds for 35 per cent of the price of an eWAV conversion up to a max of £2,500 while the base vehicle must cost below £35,000. A total of 1,000 grants have been made available per year. However, take up is low and awareness is low.

Next-generation electric wheelchair accessible vehicles

Two students have been selected by Motability Operations and CALLUM to help design and engineer an electric Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (eWAV) prototype with the aim of encouraging industry innovation and helping to ensure future EV mobility is accessible for all.

Zoe Graham from the Glasgow School of Art/Glasgow University, and Yikuan Zhang from Coventry University, impressed the judging panel with their eWAV concepts developed at ‘Design Hacks’ held at their respective universities.

Over half of survey respondents (51 per cent) asked in this research said they were unaware of the PiCG scheme. Of those who were aware of the PiCG, 19 per cent said the eligible cars were unsuitable for them and highlighted that it does not make the high upfront costs more affordable. Based on conversations with the adaptation and conversion industry, in addition to insights into WAV users, it can be concluded that the scheme is too restrictive to drive the widespread adoption of eWAVs. In order to boost take up and eWAV development, the report says that the PiCG scheme should be advertised more widely to drive engagement. The cost cap for base vehicles should be raised to reflect typical EV base vehicle costs. It says that the level of grant funding should be made more generous to reflect the additional cost of adapting EVs. It also says that more grants should be made available per year to reflect the number of WAVs being produced annually and the need to transition to electric mobility. What’s more, suitable second-hand vehicles should be made eligible under the scheme. The report also says that OEMs of eligible base vehicles need to be compelled to list them as PiCG eligible. Currently no Ford, Fiat or Volkswagen vehicles are listed despite these OEMs producing some of the most popular base vehicles.

Making the transition accessible to all

Barry Le Grys, chief executive officer of Motability said: “With the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles set to end in 2030, we want to ensure that the transition to EVs is accessible to all. While we continue to make progress on the accessibility of public chargepoints, it’s clear from this research that further work is needed on vehicle design. There is a risk that disabled people could lose the vital independence that

Both students will receive a paid placement at Warwickshire-based design and engineering business CALLUM to progress an eWAV prototype under the guidance of its design director Ian Callum CBE and engineering director Adam Donfrancesco, as well as the support of Motability Operations and insight of its customers. The project is also being supported by selected automotive OEMs along with some of the WAV industry converters who will share engineering insight into vehicle models to assist the design and engineering project. Graham and Zhang will reveal their eWAV prototype in late autumn 2023.

having access to private transport brings if these issues are not addressed by 2030.

“We welcome the findings of this research from Energy Saving Trust, which provides valuable insight from disabled people, vehicle manufacturers and the adaption and conversion industry. We now be considering how we can work with our partners including Motability Operations to encourage further engagement on this issue and develop practical solutions for accessible vehicle design.”

Tim Anderson, head of transport at the Energy Saving Trust, says: “This research highlights the significant barriers faced by disabled people and the industry when it comes to the design and provision of accessible vehicles. We hope the recommendations given in this report will help to address these barriers and, once actioned, will support an equitable transition to electric vehicles. We will continue to provide leadership, support research and deliver programmes in this area research and delivery in this area, making transport inclusive to all.” L

FURTHER INFORMATION

Read the report here.

Motability Operations and CALLUM eWAV design challenge

Power-up your fleet with Rolec and Monta

With the landscape of the workplace rapidly evolving, there isn’t always a one-size-fits-all solution for EV charging, and the diversity of your workplace should be reflected in your chargepoint provider and its offering

2035 is drawing closer and the shift to zero emission vehicles is beginning to hit fleet operators nationwide, spurred on by the phase-out of fossil-fuel dependent cars, vans, and lorries. Businesses will have to look outside of their traditional routes to mobilise their fleets and the lower running costs and increasing variety of electric models has made them the standout option. As a result, battery-powered vans and trucks are starting to become more commonplace on UK roads.

Considerations

With the increase in electrification and the rapid decarbonisation of British streets comes several considerations for fleet operators making the switch. Outside of vehicle sourcing (which is relatively familiar territory ) the question of how to manage vehicle charging and its supporting infrastructure is becoming a new element to be taken into account by fleet operators. With the landscape of the workplace rapidly evolving, there isn’t always a one-size-fits-all solution for EV charging and the diversity of your workplace should be reflected in your chargepoint provider. Rolec EV has the UK’s largest range of AC & DC chargepoints; offering domestic units for your team working from home, ultra-rapid DC chargers for fleet vehicles and pedestals for company car drivers. All of which are compatible with every EV & PHEV on the market.

Now that employees aren’t constrained by a fixed office space, charging can become a little more complicated. Features, like Monta’s ‘sponsor a chargepoint’, make this more manageable. Allowing you to connect to a charger automatically and reimburse the driver for charging a company vehicle at home. For employees that spend a lot of time on the road, you can also create a virtual company wallet, where they can pay at any of the 300,000 Monta roaming charge points from the company account. Cutting down admin on two fronts.

Government help

When it comes to funding the installation of chargepoints, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) hosts a number of grants that are available to prospective adopters of EV. Many of which can benefit you as a business or fleet operator. Most notably, the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), which provides successful applicants with up to £350 towards each chargepoint socket that can be claimed against installation costs and the cost of the unit. The grant will be claimed on your behalf by an OZEV approved installer after the installation of an OZEV approved chargepoint, like any approved chargepoint from the Rolec EV range.  They say that two is better than one, it’s a good job then that as a fleet operator or business you can also apply for the

government’s EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets. The grant is capped at £15,000 per building, or 75 per cent of the total cost of installation and up to £850 is available per parking bay. You will have to consider who will be able to use your new chargepoints as one notable condition of funding is that, during normal working hours, units are reserved for fleet and company vehicles only. Who will have access to your charge point once it is installed isn’t just a valid concern if you are opting for funding. After investing in EV chargepoints and electric vehicles for your entire fleet, the last thing you want is for every single charging bay to be taken up by members of the public. There are several ways you can manage this as a company. For example, Rolec EV’s full range of chargepoints can be operated by RFID so only people with cards will be able to charge their vehicles. Allowing full control over which users have access to your network of units and making them off-limits to the public.  You can also manage your team through the back-end; limiting access to select team members, or employees at certain times. Create bespoke access rules for your team, like reserving access to your staff between work hours (9am - 5pm) on weekdays but then opening them up to the public outside of these hours. You can even set a different rate for the public and your employees, so you can generate extra revenue when the office is closed.  Last but not least, you want to keep your fleet on the road, which means keeping your units up-to-date and well-maintained. As a fleet operator, ensuring that your chargepoints are dependable will avoid delays caused by unnecessarily halting your fleet. With that in mind, choosing a manufacturer with a solid warranty policy and over-the-air firmware/software updates, like Rolec EV, will be of benefit to you. Ensuring your fleet will remain charged and giving you the peace of mind that comes from a company with 15 years’ experience in the EV industry. On top of this, Monta’s self-healing algorithms ensure stability and availability throughout your network, because the smart feature automatically fixes CP software bugs and errors. The combination of Rolec’s hardware and Monta’s software provides your fleet with 24/7 support, either by phone or the web. L

An active and sustainable commute

Julian Scriven, managing director of Brompton Bike Hire – member of the Urban Mobility Partnership –discusses the success of the Wheels for Heroes Campaign during the pandemic, and the importance of integrating micro mobility with public transport and other shared transport providers, to give a better choice for greener staff travel and commutes

Brompton Bike Hire joined the Urban Mobility Partnership (UMP) as its first active travel partner and represents the bike hire mode. UMP works with Brompton and other members representing a range of other modes, from car rental to e-scooters and ticketing systems, to develop sustainable mobility solutions which help reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions, as well as encouraging active travel.

Brompton has been making our iconic folding bike since 1975 when our founder, Andrew Ritchie, designed and built the first prototype in South Kensington, London. We still make the iconic bikes in London with around 100,000 bikes made each year. The Brompton was conceived as a product that increases people’s sense of independence and freedom, and this concept is still at the heart of everything Brompton does, as we seek to make city travel more accessible and sustainable.

The Wheels for Heroes Campaign

We are very proud of the ‘Wheels for Heroes’ Campaign which in many ways was a happy accident. In March 2020, we were contacted by the St Barts Hospital NHS Trust who asked if they could borrow a few bikes as team were worried about the risks associated with travelling to work during the COVID-19 pandemic and wanted to ensure they kept themselves and patients as safe as possible as they carried out their life-saving work keeping our country safe. Within two weeks almost every Brompton Hire bike was out on loan to NHS staff at hospital trusts across the UK. From here the Wheels for Heroes Campaign was born.

As Brompton and Brompton Bike Hire were allowed to continue operating during the lockdown period and cycling was deemed ‘essential’ by the UK Government, we wanted to use this opportunity to do what we could to help those in need. Although demand from our customers around the world remained strong and production was challenging, we were determined to do our bit by allocating some of our manufacturing capacity towards building more bikes for NHS staff. Our approach was as follows: for the first 30 days that an NHS worker signed up to the Work for Heroes scheme the use of Brompton Bikes was entirely free. At 90 days, hire still only cost 50p a day or £15 a month.

The campaign far exceeded our initial plans and expectations. We launched this Crowdfunder back in April 2020 with the ambition to raise enough funds for dedicated NHS bikes. In June 2020 we were delighted to see the Campaign culminate with Sky Sports choosing Wheels For Heroes as the cause for The Race, a virtual cycling chase in which 4x Tour de France champion Chris Froome chased down other ex-pros such as Kevin Pietersen and other celebrities for charity. On 19th June 2020 we successfully raised £344,785 with 2394 supporters in 78 days, with £100,000 being donated by major industry partners including British Cycling, Sport England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This enabled us to build over 700 bikes especially for the campaign. In total, 3,641 NHS staff signed up to the scheme, with 1,772 workers borrowing a bike for free and 1,072 progressed to continuing to use the scheme after 90 days. The total number of bike use days was a huge 220,898 and the estimated distance travelled by NHS staff on bikes during the pandemic was 1.78 million miles, with NHS trusts across the country utilising the scheme. Most important of all though was one in five staff who started the scheme went on to convert to a long term user of cycling as a mode of transport.

Long term impact

Following on from the success of the Wheels for Heroes Scheme, Brompton has committed that these bikes will never be used to generate a profit. These bikes will only be used to generate modal shift toward cycling in low propensity to cycle groups. We have also worked to provide bike docks at hospital trusts throughout the UK to support a permanent legacy of safe, low-cost travel for the country’s healthcare staff going forward.

Crucially, the scheme did not just help NHS staff get to work but it also helped shift public attitudes towards cycling. Research carried out by Westminster Research found that Brompton’s inherent convenience has encouraged people

who were less comfortable with cycling on roads to start cycling and continue. When a sample of COVID-19 commuters’ intention were asked about intentions to continue to cycle for commuting after the pandemic by via a bike ownership model, 50 per cent of Brompton bike users said ‘definitely yes’. Another interesting find was that Brompton Bike Hire work from home users scored higher in majority of statements which focused on new cycle commuter, highlighting a newfound passion and understanding of cycling. There is also an important point to be made about business travel. At Brompton, as we have shown through the ‘Wheels for Heroes’ programme and the other work we are doing around transforming the way people get to and from their place of work, there is the demand for these solutions. However, changes to commuting practices can’t be made if employees are required to use their private vehicles for business travel during the day. This requirement, often contractual, means they will inevitably use their private car for their commute. So, there is work to be done, in businesses of all sizes to ensure corporate travel policies reflect our collective goals to reduce private car use and make use of active, public and shared transport solutions.

Bike sharing schemes as a key micro mobility solution

The ‘Wheels for Heroes’ Campaign successfully highlighted that bike hiring and sharing schemes are a crucial part of transforming the way people can commuting to work and the overall transport system, with many of those taking part in the scheme continuing to cycle to work long after the pandemic, including those who had perhaps never cycled before. In order to maximise its potential, active travel solutions and cycling infrastructure need to be integrated with sufficient public transport and other shared modes such as public transport, car club and daily rental which can accommodate for journeys that cannot be completed by active travel,

The ‘Wheels for Heroes’ scheme did not just help NHS staff get to work but it also helped shift public attitudescyclingtowards

accessible to those who wish to make this a part of their morning commute. There should be specific requirements to ensure that not only is there the requisite road infrastructure to support cycling, walkways, cycle lanes and paths, but there is also access

new developments and ensure bike sharing stations are installed where possible.

Brompton Bike are committed to continuing to work with key stakeholders, Government and the other members of the Urban Mobility Partnership to ensure access to affordable and

available across the UK’s major cities. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.ump.org.uk

www.brompton.com

EV Rally 2023 to visit the UK & Ireland’s capital cities

Now in its third successful year, GREENFLEET takes the EV Rally to all capital cities of the UK and Ireland, covering more than 1,200 miles over five days from 3-7 July, to test the capabilities of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure

The EV Rally is real life demonstration of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, covering over 1,200 miles. Now in its third year, the rally follows the success of the EV Rally Of Scotland (EVROS) in 2021 and the Great British EV Rally in 2022, which covered the length of John O Groats to Lands End. This year the EV Rally, sponsored once more by Lex Autolease, will see teams travel from Cardiff to Dublin, via London, Edinburgh and Belfast over five days in electric vehicles. As always, the rally is designed to test the capabilities of electric vehicles and the supporting charging infrastructure, over long distances and deliberatelychosen challenging routes. The aim is to show that electric vehicles are viable and that the charging network is up for the job, as well as highlighting areas for improvement and uncovering any challenges that need to be overcome.

This year sees the rally includes electric trucks and motorcycles for the first time, as well as electric cars and vans. There will also be a ferry crossing over to Ireland, to test the Irish charging infrastructure, which is reported to be more sparse than in other areas.

The route

The EV rally will travel from Cardiff to Dublin, via London, Edinburg and Belfast, with designated stops planned at clean energy projects, iconic sites and charging hubs on route.

The first day of the EV Rally will cover 306 all-electric miles, making it the second longest of the week. It will also be one of busiest in terms of checkpoints and showcases.

The start line is in Cardiff and will see teams travel to the first check point in Bristol. Here there will be a Lex Autolease showcase and EV engagement event at the Amphitheatre. Teams will then travel to Heathrow to visit the Hertz electric rental site. The next checkpoint is at OVO Wembley Arena for the OVO Energy showcase. Checkpoint four takes place at bp pulse’s EV hub in Kettering for a charge at on one of their ten 300kWh units. The rally then travels to Leicester for the Europcar showcase, with teams finishing the day at Nottingham

where they can charge thanks to Nottingham City Council’s innovative charging facilities. The second day of the rally has been labelled ‘The Beast’, with teams covering 316-miles, making it the longest day. Heading off from Nottingham, the teams will then visit York’s hyper hubs for the Churchill, Maxus and Speedy showcase. Checkpoint two will be in Sunderland where the rally’s Charge Card Partner, Paua, will be showcased at the Fastned hub. Here we will also hear about DPD’s electric vehicle fleet innovation.

The rally will visit Ore Catapult as the third check point, which is the UK’s leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy. Here there will be a showcase of the National Grid’s work in

the electric vehicle sphere. Checkpoint four will be on the England-Scotland border, where teams will put two wheels in each country. Day two ends in Edinburgh at East Lothian Council’s Wallyford hub.

Day three is the shortest day of the rally, in terms of mileage. Leaving Edinburgh, teams will head to Kilmarnock for a charge at the innovative Hub at the Athletics Stadium. The route then goes to Cairnryan/Stranraer to hop on the Stena ferry to Belfast.

The climax to the day is an EV Event at the stunning and iconic Titanic Belfast venue, next to Belfast Harbour. A gathering of Belfast EV dealerships will be joined by the Teams for an afternoon of networking and collaboration. Join the Teams, the drivers and local dealers for a day crammed full of engagement and collaboration, featuring Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Drivetech, AA, DAF-Cenex, Webfleet & Black Horse.

This year sees the EV Rally include electric trucks and motorcycles for the first time, as well as electric cars and vans

Thursday is ‘Game of Thrones Day’, as the rally takes in a couple of filming locations from the iconic series. The teams leave Belfast and head to the north coast to checkpoint one, Cloughmills, a new Weev mini-hub showcased at the McGuckian Milling Company.

Checkpoint two is Ballintoy, the scene for Pyke, The Iron Islands in Game of Thrones.

Checkpoint three is the Giants Causeway, the most visited tourist spot in Northern Ireland. Next up is Ballimoney, the Dark Hedges used to shoot the ‘King’s Road’ in Game of Thrones. After that, teams will go to the Battery Bar on the banks of Lough Neagh, before finishing the day in the beautiful town of Newry.

The final day of the 2023 EV Rally will see participants take in the beauty of Ireland, with innovation and clean energy projects as checkpoints. After crossing the border, the route takes teams to a newly-opened Rapid Charger hub at Mullingar, before moving on to the Bord Na Mona wind farm. The next checkpoint is Poulapoucha Lake which will provide a stunning backdrop, before heading to Brittas Bay. The next checkpoint is the beautiful town of Wicklow, with the entire rally finishing in Dublin where Harris Automotive, distributors of Maxus vehicles, will host a well-deserved BBQ and wrap-up party.

Teams and partners

As well as being the headline sponsor for the EV Rally, Lex Autolease is also taking part with its own team – and has a line up of

interesting electric vehicles, such as the newto-market Ora Funky Cat, Volkswagen ID Buzz and ID Buzz Cargo, Jaguar I Pace, and more.

Maxus has its own team participating and is also the rally’s Official Logistics Partner, where they will be providing vehicles for the event organisers to get around. Maxus is also hosting the ‘wrap party’ at the end of the rally at their HQ in Dublin.

Hertz is joining the rally with its own team and as the Official Vehicle Partner, where they will be providing two Tesla Model 3s to the event organisers, and two for the media team, driven by Sara Sloman and John Curtis.

The AA is once again the official Roadside Assistance Partner for the 2023 EV Rally, supporting teams if they were to experience a breakdown. Team AA will also be participating with team DriveTech, who is the event’s Official Driver Training partner, offering tips on getting the most out of an electric vehicle.

Paua is once again joining the rally with its own team and as the Official Charge Card Partner, supplying teams with the Paua card and app, which will enable them to find and charge on the Paua roaming network.

Bridgestone will be showcasing its electric vehicle tyre technologies during this year’s EV Rally as the event’s Official Tyre Partner, as well as entering with their own team.

GREENFLEET’s current Mobility Provider of the Year, Europcar, is taking part in the EV Rally, showcasing its electric vehicle and mobility expertise.

Team National Grid will once again be taking part in the rally, with BBC South’s

Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton driving for the organisation with daughter Frankie Clifton, as well as Lorna McAtear, the National Grid’s head of fleet. The National Grid will address teams at Ore Catapult, the UK’s leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy, on the second day of the rally.

Team OVO will be participating in the rally, and will be hosting a showcase at the OVO Wembley Arena on day one of the event.

As well as entering with their own team, bp pulse will be providing RFID cards to teams, enabling them to access the entire bp pulse charging network. The rally will also be stopping off at bp pulse’s new charging hub in Kettering.

DPD, which has an aim to be the UK’s most sustainable parcel carrier, joins the rally again this year and will be showcasing their expertise in electric vehicles.

GREENFLEET’s Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, Aaron Powell from Speedy Asset Services will be driving the rally on team Speedy, demonstrating the skills the company has thanks to its own electric fleet.

Team IVECO is entering the rally with its newly launched zero-emission van, the eDAILY. IVECO is keen to demonstrate the towing capabilities of the eDAILY by hitching a trailer with a digger to the back and pulling it up one of the steepest streets in the UK.

Churchill, one of the largest insurers in the UK, will be participating in the rally for the first time, and will showcase its offering for electric vehicle drivers.

DAF Trucks and Cenex, who are working together on the DfT-funded Battery Electric Truck Trial (BETT), is teaming up on this year’s rally. One of the DAF Electric LFs from the trial will be joining the rally to test the capabilities of the vehicle on long and challenging journeys.

As well as driving themelves, Webfleet is the Official Technology Partner for the rally, and will be putting its telematics units in vehicles to show the real-time location of the rally participants and give data on miles/ kWh and safety. At the end of the week, they will be able to show the final league table and see who comes out on top.

Leading Northern Ireland EV infrastructure company Weev is an official EV charging partner of the EV Rally 2023. Weev charging points will be used to power the electric vehicles participating in the rally when it visits Northern Ireland.

Team Black Horse Finance, which is part of Lloyds Banking Group, will also be participating and will be promoting a better understanding of the used electric vehicle market. L

To watch the rally unfold, visit the EV Rally’s social media channels on twitter (@rally_ev) and LinkedIn (EV RALLY), and through the event’s digital media partner, Transport + Energy.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ev-rally.co.uk

EV Rally Preview

Toyota Professional Proace Electric

What is it?

The current Toyota Proace has been around in combustion-engined form since 2016, the van a collaboration between the Japanese manufacturer and the Stellantis group. A cousin of the Citroën Dispatch, Fiat Professional Scudo, Peugeot Expert and Vauxhall Vivaro family of LCVs, the Proace first adopted the all-electric powertrain from these vans in 2021. A single 100kW motor choice is available, with either 50kWh or 75kWh battery packs. As with its smaller Proace City Electric van which arrived on the market following a similar collaboration, the Proace’s battery pack is mounted under the floor, so the e-LCV’s 5.8m3 load capacity is the same as that of its diesel-engined counterparts.

How practical is it?

Toyota’s combustion-engined versions of the Proace come in a choice of Medium (M) and Long (L) wheelbase models, but the Japanese manufacturer has kept things simple with its all-electric mid-sized van. Toyota’s market research states that the ‘M’ size of van is the most popular in its ICE family, so the electric model is solely available in this configuration. However, that

doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer practicality to suit those operators looking to decarbonise their LCV fleets.

With a wheelbase of 3,275mm and 1,899mm height, the 75kWh Proace Electric Medium tested here has a maximum gross payload of 1,000kg, the 50kWh model offering 1,266kg. Thanks to the standard Smart Cargo load-through bulkhead system which provides an additional 1,160mm of load length – while still accommodating two people in the cab – the Proace Electric can carry up to 5.8m3 of cargo. Overall cargo load length with Smart Cargo is 3,674mm, with a maximum height of 1,397mm and a width of 1,636mm. The overall exterior length of the van is 4,959mm.

A trio of Euro pallets can be swallowed with ease, loading made easy by a sliding door on each side – with a maximum opening height of 1,241mm and width of 932mm – and rear doors that open up to 180 degrees. A steel bulkhead with a window and grille keeps you and your cargo separate from each other, and both 50kWh and 75kWh models have a 1,000kg towing capacity (braked trailer, with up to 50 per cent payload inside the van).

What range does it have?

The 50kWh Toyota Professional Proace Electric delivers a WLTP-certified range of up to 142 miles. Opt for the larger 75kWh battery and that rises to an official distance of up to 205 miles.

How long does it take to charge?

The Toyota Proace Electric supports 100kW fast charging, which replenishes the 50kWh battery to 80 per cent in a little over 30 minutes. Opt for the 75kWh battery, and you’ll spend around 20 minutes longer attached to a CCS connection. When plugged into a 7.4kW home wallbox, the 50kWh model’s battery can be refilled to 100 per cent in five hours, the larger capacity version adding around two hours to this time. Should you have to use a UK domestic electricity supply, it will take around 14 hours to fully replenish the 50kWh model’s battery.

All Toyota Proace Electrics are fitted with a 7.4kW single-phase on-board charger, but an 11kW triple-phase unit is a £150 option.

How does it drive?

As with almost all eLCVs, there is very little to externally distinguish the Proace Electric from its diesel siblings. ‘Electric’ badges and

Written by Richard Gooding

Building on the success of its ICE-engined light commercial family, Richard Gooding finds that Toyota’s addition of a proven, all-electric powertrain and platform boosts the Proace’s practical appeal

a charging port on the nearside front wing are the only telltales that this Toyota light commercial is an e-LCV. And while the look is similar both outside and inside to its Stellantis cousins, that’s no bad thing, as the basic recipe has won multiple industry awards.

Inside, EV-specific instrumentation –including an electricity consumption meter and a 3.5-inch colour screen showing energy flow, battery charge level and remaining driving range – and a seven-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system mark out the zero-emissions model. The ‘e-toggle’ control is used instead of a traditional gearshift, and a separate button alongside it allows the driver to select from the ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’, and ‘Power’ driving modes.

The pace of the Proace is perfect for the urban environments it will spend most of its time in. The van picks up really well in Normal and Power driving modes, the Eco mode cutting output from 134bhp (100kW) to 81bhp (60kW). Press the separate ‘B’ switch next to the gear control for an additional level of regenerative braking which works well, but is most useful and more noticeable at slower speeds.

Around town, the Proace Electric’s steering is light and crisp, making it ideal for those urban and last-mile drop-offs. Good visibility and light controls also make it easy to place on the road, and the front-mounted motor makes it a more than able cruiser out of cities and towns when trips to the depot are

called for. The van’s car-like suspension gives a comfortable ride, and its hushed refinement eases any journey.

What does it cost?

The Plug-In Van Grant (PIVG) from the UK government will contribute up to 35 per cent of the purchase price of the Proace Electric, up to a maximum of £5,000. Toyota only offers its mid-sized zero-emission van in its most popular Icon trim. The Proace Electric Medium 50kWh is the entry level point, priced at £41,835 on the road with the PIVG deduction and VAT included. The 75kWh version starts from £47,485. In addition, a pair of Proace Electric platform cab models equipped with 11kW on-board charger are priced from £39,645 on the road (including PIVG and VAT). Standard equipment includes auto lights and wipers, cruise control, manual air conditioning, rear parking sensors, a seven-inch touchscreen multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as the Smart Cargo load-through bulkhead.

Why does my fleet need one?

With electric light commercials really starting to make in-roads into the overall LCV market as more and more fleets switch to zero-emission alternatives, the Proace Electric is in a strong position to capitalise on this fast-growing trend. As with the diesel versions, using an already successful formula as a base pays dividends. Good to

drive, well-made and specified, the mediumsized Toyota e-LCV’s useful dimensions and efficient powertrain technology create a commercial vehicle which holds ample practical appeal to fleets and operators wishing to decarbonise.. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.toyota.co.uk

ENGINE: 134bhp (100kW) electric motor and 50kWh lithium-ion battery / 134bhp (100kW) electric motor and 75kWh lithium-ion battery

GROSS WEIGHT: 3,025 - 3,100kg

GROSS PAYLOAD: 1,000 - 1,266kg

LOAD VOLUME: 5.8m3 (with Smart Cargo)

CO2: 0g/km

RANGE (WLTP): 142 - 205 miles

VED: £0

PRICE (OTR, inc VAT and PiVG): £41,835-£47,485

Toyota Professional Proace Electric