Confidentiality, copyright & reproduction: This proposal is submitted by Ricardo Energy & Environment in response to the request for proposal issued by the BVRLA, discussed in a meeting that took place on XX XXXXX 2024. It may not be used for any other purposes, reproduced in whole or in part, nor passed to any organisation or person without the specific permission in writing of the Commercial Manager, Ricardo Energy & Environment Ricardo Energy & Environment reference
Ref: ED20549
Date Issued: XX June 2025
Project: ED20549
Client Project Ref.: XXXXXX
Confidential: British Vehicle Rental and LeasingAssociation (“BVRLA”)
Technical contact: Michael Campbell Principle Consultant Michael.campbell@ricardo.com
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CONTENTS Demand
KPI Methodology: Demand (1/3)
KPI Metric Approach
ZEV utilisation rate was used as an indicator of demand in the rental sector. The utilisation of ZEVs is compared to ICE to assess performance, where thresholds were defined as:
Rental
Customer
Demand
(Parked, 2024 = Parked)
ZEV utilisation in rental fleet
Business
Leasing
Demand
(Cruising, 2024 = Cruising)
Personal
Leasing
Demand
(Cruising, 2024 = Accelerating)
Percentage of ZEVs in leased fleet
• Equal or higher utilisation = Green
• Up to 10% lower utilisation = Amber
• More than 10% lower utilisation = Red
Data was collected by BVRLA by their members. ZEV cars have a utilisation rate of 69% compared to 83% for ICE cars, while ZEV vans have a utilisation rate of 77% compared to 86% for ICE vans. As the difference between ZEV and ICE is greater than 10% for both vehicle types, this metric is given a red score.
New additions of ZEVs in the business leasing fleet is compared to the overall uptake of ZEVs in the UK, where thresholds are defined as:
• More than 25% higher = Green
• Within 25% = Amber
• More than 25% lower = Red
Leasing fleet uptake data was collected by BVRLA from their members and whole market sales data is from DfT. ZEV uptake in the business leasing fleet (54%) is outperforming the uptake in the UK wide fleet (28%), resulting in a green score.
New additions of ZEVs in the personal leasing fleet is compared to the overall uptake of ZEVs in the UK, where thresholds are defined as:
Percentage of ZEVs in leased fleet
• More than 25% higher = Green
• Within 25% = Amber
• More than 25% lower = Red
Leasing fleet uptake data was collected by BVRLA from their members and whole market sales data is from DfT. ZEV uptake in the personal leasing fleet (42%) is more than 25% higher than the uptake in the UK wide fleet, resulting in a green score.
KPI Methodology: Demand (2/3)
KPI Metric Approach
The cost per litre equivalent of charging an EV at a public charge point vs petrol car has been used to compare running costs for EVs and ICE vehicles. The cost per litre calculations were derived from the average electricity prices of public charging, which is converted to cost per mile and then cost per litre.
Cost of fuel and energy (public)
Cost of Ownership (Accelerating, 2024 = Accelerating
Cost of fuel and energy (home)
Thresholds are defined as:
• More than 25% cheaper than ICE = Green
• Up to 25% cheaper than ICE = Amber
• More expensive than ICE = Red
2025 data is taken from Zapmap. In April 2025, average EV cost per litre of using public slow/fast chargers (150p/litre) and public rapid/ultra-rapid chargers (229p/litre) was more expensive than a petrol car (134p/litre), resulting in a red score.
The cost per litre equivalent of charging an EV at home vs petrol car has been used to compare running costs for EVs and ICE vehicles. The cost per litre calculations were derived from the average electricity prices of home charging, which is converted to cost per mile and then cost per litre. Thresholds are defined as:
• More than 25% cheaper than ICE = Green
• Up to 25% cheaper than ICE = Amber
• More expensive than ICE = Red
2025 data is taken from Zapmap. In April 2025, average EV cost per litre of petrol and diesel to charge at home (59p/litre and 70p/litre, respectively) is more than 25% cheaper than a petrol (138p/litre) or diesel car (144p/litre). This results in a green scoring.
The average new vehicle cost of an EV is compared to an ICE, where thresholds were set as:
• Equal to or cheaper = Green
Cost of vehicle
• Up to 25% more expensive = Amber
• Greater than 25% more expensive = Red
Data was provided by Auto Trader, based on the prices of all cars available to buy on the market each month. With a median cost of £52,035, BEV cars remain significantly more expensive than their ICE counterparts (£37,226), resulting in a red score.
KPI Methodology: Demand (3/3)
KPI Metric Approach
Supply vs Demand RV impact
The cost of depreciation for EVs and ICE vehicles is compared, using the monthly percentage movement of the residual cost of a 3-year old, 60,000 mile car. Thresholds for performance were defined as:
• Equal to or lower than ICE = Green
• Within 25% of ICE = Amber
• Greater than 25% more than ICE = Red
The data was supplied by CAP-HPI. In 2025, EV depreciation is greater than 25% higher than ICE, resulting in a red score.
Used ZEV Market (Parked, 2024 = Parked, improvement)
Demand vs supply of used ZEVs
Demand of used ZEVs is compared to supply using data from Autotrader. Year-on-year changes in demand in supply are reported.
Thresholds for performance were defined as:
• Supply lower than demand = Green
• Supply up to 25% greater than Demand = Amber
• Supply more than 25% greater than Demand = Red
In April 2025, supply (51%) is outpacing demand (22%) for electric vehicles, hence this metric is given a red score.
The time to sell a used ZEV and ICE cars is compared, using data from Auto Trader. Thresholds for performance were defined as:
• EV sell time equal or shorter = Green
Used ZEV sell times
• EV sell time within 10% longer = Amber
• EV sell time more than 10% longer = Red
With the average sell times of EVs (35 days) slightly faster than both petrol (42 days) and diesel (46 days) in 2025 thus far, this metric is given a green score.
CONTENTS Infrastructure
KPI Methodology: Infrastructure (1/3)
KPI Metric Approach
Annual deployment of public charge point numbers (Source: DfT) from 2015 to April 2025 were plotted against linear and exponential pathways towards the UK government’s 2030 target of 300,000 total charge points.
Thresholds for performance were defined as:
Public charge point numbers
Public charging availability and reliability
(Cruising, 2024 = Cruising)
% charge points out of service
• Between exponential and linear pathway = Green
• Within 10% below exponential pathway = Amber
• More than 10% below exponential pathway = Red
With over 80,000 charge points deployed in May 2025, the current trajectory falls between the linear and exponential pathways, corresponding to a green rating. This metric was given a 50% weighting towards the overall KPI, as both deployment and reliability of the network are critical.
The percentage of charge points that are out of service are a common metric for assessing network reliability. The Public Charge point Regulations which came into effect in 2023, set a target for rapid charge points to be 99% reliable across the network, to be achieved within 12 months. Reliability levels in comparable regions were used to inform thresholds for performance:
• At 99% or higher = Green
• Between 90-99% = Amber
• Less than 90% = Red
With current levels of reliability estimated at 97.2%, this metric was scored amber. This metric was given a 50% weighting towards the overall KPI as both overall deployment and reliability of the network are critical.
KPI Methodology: Infrastructure (2/3)
KPI Metric Approach
The Public Chargepoint Regulations mandate that CPOs must now use Open Charge Point Interface (OPCI) to hold and open their data, ensuring standards are met. However, there is limited information on the progress towards achieving these standards. Data is available on proportion of the network which has live availability data. Thresholds for performance were defined as:
• More than 80% live data = Green
% network with live data
Public charging user experience (Brakes on, 2024 = Brakes on)
% network this pre-bookable
Ease of payment across network
• Between 60-80% live data = Amber
• Less than 60% live data= Red
The current proportion of the network with live data was determined using Zapmap data. Over 80% of Zapmap’s coverage has live data, which falls into the green rating range – a 5% improvement on last year. In future years thresholds may be updated on the basis of more comprehensive data being available on the proportion of the network with open data, reflecting the target set in the regulation. Each metric in this KPI was given a 25% weighting given their importance in relation to user public charging experience.
Pre-booking functionality remains largely unavailable, with only limited trials underway. Due to a lack of available data, thresholds were not defined. It is anticipated that thresholds will be set in future years, drawing upon increasing data availability.
The Public Charge Point Regulations require CPOs to support at least one roaming provider via contactless or RFID payment - reporting began in late 2023, though full compliance is still in progress. Although no single dataset captures total roaming-enabled charge points, provider data shows strong penetration: Octopus Electroverse offers access to around 80% of public chargers across Europe, including the UK, Paua supports over 60,000 UK connectors and Allstar Chargepass provides access to more than 65,000 chargers across the UK. Given the lack of available data, thresholds have not been defined, but an amber score has been awarded based on available information of the market. In future years it is anticipated that thresholds will be based on progress towards fulfilling the target set in the legislation.
% of network that is van accessible
No comprehensive dataset was identified on the proportion of the charging network which is van accessible. Paua’s charge point map offers a beta-phase functionality to allow users to filter charge points by vehicle size, however, this covers a small % of the total charging network. Due to a lack of comparable information, thresholds were not defined. Nevertheless, this metric was given an equal weighting (25) towards the KPI score, as a lack of data on van accessibility is a key challenge for fleets.
KPI Methodology: Infrastructure (3/3)
KPI Metric Approach
Ease of implementation
(Brakes on, 2024 = Brakes on)
Average grid connection times
The performance of DNOs against their targets on time-to-quote and time-to-connect can be assessed using data reported by Ofgem. Thresholds for performance were defined as:
• Met or exceed target = Green
• Within 10% of target = Amber
• More than 10% off target = Red
While 100% of DNOs met their targets for their Connections Guaranteed Standards of Performance, stakeholder feedback and other sources indicate that challenges with power connection for larger commercial installations persist. An amber rating was subsequently awarded.
The Index now tracks local authority engagement through the lens of LEVI (or equivalent) funding participation, recognising it as a proxy for active involvement in public EV infrastructure rollout. Performance is assessed based on the percentage of local authorities across the UK that have secured capital or capability funding under LEVI or comparable schemes in devolved nations. KPI Thresholds are defined as follows:
Local Authority engagement
(Brakes on, KPI introduced in 2025)
Progress in funding local authority infrastructure
• More than 90% of LAs funded = Green
• 50–90% of LAs funded = Amber
• Less than 50% of LAs funded = Red
77% of Upper-Tier Local Authorities in England have had funding approved for delivery from the LEVI programme, with a further 24% approved pending final review. The first tranche of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF, 2022-26) in Scotland awarded funding to 5 local authorities, out of a total of 32 (~16%). As of mid-2023, 17 Welsh authorities (77%) have received funding through the ULEV programme. An amber rating was awarded due to the varied levels of funding allocated to Local Authorities across the UK.
CONTENTS
Supply
KPI Methodology: Supply (1/3)
KPI Metric Rationale
This metric is based on two assessment criteria, with each weighted at 50% of the overall scoring:
1. The share of vehicles assessed as affordable, where the maximum price threshold was set to £30,000. Data on car prices were collected from EV Database, and van prices (for the top 20 models registered in 2024) from OEM published specification guides. Scoring thresholds were set at: less than 40% of total models below £30,000 = Red; between 40% and 69% = Amber; and greater than 70% = Green. For cars, 7% of models are below the threshold, and two vans priced below £30,000, resulting in a red scoring.
2. The correlation between the number of BEV models and the number of total registrations within each price band. Number of registrations within each price band derived using registration data from UK Government datasets and model prices (see above). Scoring thresholds were set using the correlation: Strong correlation for coefficient greater than 0.5 = Green; Weak correlation for 0.3-0.5 = Amber; and No correlation for coefficient lower than 0.3 = Red. The correlation coefficient between models and registrations resulted in an amber scoring.
The resulting scores for each vehicle type were weighted by the car and van composition of total BVRLA member fleets. Combining the vehicle type scores resulted in an overall score marginally above the amber threshold, reflecting an improvement in affordable model availability.
Vehicle efficiency
Vehicle charging speeds
Vehicle efficiency (mi/kWh) performance was assessed by defining a minimum threshold of 3 mi/kWh for cars and vans. Fleet efficiency data was derived from EV Database (cars) and OEM specification guides for the top 20 models (including model variants) for vans and trucks.
Of the models assessed, 82% of cars and 39% of vans exceeded the efficiency threshold. These scores were weighted by vehicle composition of total BVRLA member fleets, resulting in an overall score of Green.
This metric assessed the ability for electric vehicles to rapid charge, an important factor to ensure deployment in high-mileage environments. For cars, a threshold of 50 kW was used to assess whether models allowed rapid charging. For commercial vehicles, a higher threshold of 100 kW was used to reflect their higher daily mileage and payload requirements. For cars, charging speeds published on EV Database are used. For vans and trucks, specification guides for the top 20 models (including model variants) were used to identify the highest quoted charging speed. Scoring thresholds for each vehicle category were set at: over 70% models exceeding the charging speed thresholds = Green; 40%-69% of models exceeding the threshold = Amber; Less than 40% of models exceeding the threshold = Red.
Of available models, 96% of cars, 69% of vans and 36% of HGVs exceeded their respective rapid charging speed thresholds. The scores for vehicle types were weighted by car, van and HGV composition of total BVRLA member fleets, resulting in an overall score of Green.
KPI Metric Rationale
Continued -
ZEV Product Suitability (Accelerating, 2023 = Accelerating) Vans minimum range
ZEV Product Satisfaction
(Accelerating, 2024 = Brakes On) Aggregated satisfaction with OEM services
KPI Methodology: Supply (2/3)
ZEV Sales and Origin
(Brakes On, 2024 = Parked)
% of sales that are ZEV
A threshold of 200 miles for van range was used to assess the suitability of current models to high-mileage use cases, with ranges collected from vehicle specifications on manufacturer websites for the top 20 newly registered models (including model variants). Thresholds were set at: Over 70% models exceeding the range threshold = Green; Between 40% and 69% of models exceeding the range threshold = Amber; Less than 40% of models exceeding the range threshold = Red.
57% of top electric van models had a range greater than this threshold, resulting in a score of Amber.
This metric assesses the overall satisfaction of fleet operators with the provision of OEM services, through an annual survey of BVRLA members. Scoring for this metric was set at: aggregated OEM satisfaction of greater than 70% = Green; satisfaction of 40%-69% = Amber; and below 40% satisfaction = Red. A survey of BVRLA members in 2024 recorded an overall satisfaction at 74%, however as this only accounts the satisfaction of car fleet operators and negative qualitative feedback has been received for van product satisfaction, an overall score of Amber was assigned.
This metric assesses the development of ZEV registrations considering the ZEV Mandate targets for car and van sales from 2024 onwards. The latest SMMT UK New Car and LCV Registrations Outlook is used to compare forecast car and van BEV registrations against ZEV mandate targets. As well as the headline annual targets (28% for cars and 16% for vans in 2025), we also consider the adjusted whole market targets accounting for early year allowances (i.e. through sale of more fuel-efficient ICE cars. New Automotive estimate the real market wide target for cars to be around 22.4% in 2025.
• At or above headline ZEV mandate target = Green
• Within adjusted ‘real’ and headline ZEV mandate target = Amber
• Below adjusted ‘real’ ZEV mandate target = Red
Forecast shares of ~24% for cars and ~9% for vans fall within adjusted ‘real’ and headline ZEV mandate target, resulting in an Amber score.
KPI Methodology: Supply (3/3)
KPI Metric Rationale
This metric is weighted 50:50 using: data reported by the Institute of the Motor Industry on the number of dedicated technicians who have obtained IMI TechSafe qualification, and their analysis of whether there is a surplus of shortfall; and the wider Motor Trades . Thresholds for this metric were set as:
Number of qualified ZEV technicians
Aftermarket Services
(Cruising, 2024 = Brakes On)
ZEV repair times and costs
• Greater than 10% surplus of EV-trained technicians = Green
• Within 10% of the needed EV-trained technicians = Amber
• Greater than 10% shortfall of EV-trained technicians = Red
With a continued surplus of technicians greater than 10% at the end of 2024 and continued improvement in the long-term technician forecast since last year, the metric was scored as Green.
This metric is weighted 50:50 between: the servicing and maintenance repair times and costs for ZEV and ICE vehicles, using data collected by Fleet Assist. Thresholds were set for this metric as:
• ZEV repair times/costs less than ICE repair times/costs = Green
• ZEV repair times/costs within 10% of ICE repair times/costs = Amber
• ZEV repair times/costs more than 10% greater than ICE repair times/costs = Red
ZEV repair times are 25% shorter and parts cost 45% lower than for ICE vehicles, resulting in a metric score of Green.
