Europcar

Across the UK, Clean Air Zones – and in the case of London, an Ultra-Low Emission Zone – are being introduced or extended in order to improve air quality in our towns and cities.

Traffic pollution is quite rightly a top concern for people living in urban areas, and while Clean Air Zones are a welcome and necessary step in reducing traffic emissions, the profusion of rules and different approaches taken by local authorities can make it difficult for businesses to stay on top of what vehicles can be driven where and when.

Oxford City Council has, for example, recently introduced a zero-emission zone in the centre of the city which means that zero tailgate emissions vehicles can enter the zone without charge. But other vehicles will pay between £2 and £10 per day, depending on their emissions levels.

If effective, this pilot scheme could be rolled out to the rest of the city next year.

In Greater Manchester, however, the introduction of a Clean Air Zone has been delayed until later this year following concerns around people’s ability to upgrade to cleaner vehicles in time.

While the timings for the introduction of low-emission zones vary across the UK, the Government’s plan for all authorities to meet legal emissions limits by 2024 stands.

Earlier this year Europcar Mobility Group UK published a new whitepaper ‘Clearing the Air’:

Revolution? based on research of 300 fleet managers. This showed that 63 per cent of fleet managers expected between a quarter and half of their fleet to enter a Clean Air Zone each week. A large majority (87 per cent) confirmed that Clean Air Zones will impact their business operations and for 1-in-5, cost was the main concern around their ability to move to a lower emissions vehicle fleet.

The challenge is how to build and manage a fleet that meets CAZ and London ULEZ requirements, but is also flexible and costeffective. And all while vehicle supply is constrained. Having the ability to manage costs and ‘flex’ fleet by using rental, short and long-term, in response to fluctuations in demand will be key.

Having access to the latest electric vehicles, without having to make long-term financial commitments, will be also crucial.

Responding to these challenges, Europcar is not only increasing the share of green vehicles in its fleet, it is also making a significant investment in vehicle charging at the Europcar network around the UK as well as taking an innovative approach to cutting down emissions in its operations, with the use of e-bikes for drivers delivering and collecting vehicles.

Demonstrating its clear intent to deliver electrified and flexible transport solutions for commercial vehicle users, Europcar added 100 London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) hybrid electric VN5 vans to its Vans & Trucks fleet at the start of 2022.

Available for long-term rental from its Vans & Trucks locations across the UK, with a particular focus on the cities where Clean Air Zones are in force or scheduled for 2022, this new fleet addresses an urgent need among commercial vehicle users.

They give businesses the flexibility to ‘try before they buy’, without having to commit to lease or outright purchase, giving them the chance to really understand how electric will work for them and their drivers. Long-term rental of the VN5 also provides important financial flexibility while the UK economy remains uncertain. Plus, crucially, the VN5 gives customers a compliant solution eliminating the need to factor in additional costs for entering Clean Air Zones.

The VN5 is a truly innovative workhorse that delivers great storage capacity as well as the flexibility of LEVC’s eCity Range-Extender to eliminate the range anxiety that is holding back many commercial vehicle users from moving to electric.

n For 89 per cent of businesses, a

n Just under 30 per cent of businesses

n 40 per cent said that they intend to use