Roundtable Review Written by Kate Armitage
Working towards 2030 The 2023 GreenFleet roundtable season kicked off at Reading Stadium on 22 February. A lively discussion was led by Rivus and Allstar, along with delegates from the public and private sector, as well as blue light services. As 2030 looms, it is becoming clear that there are some big topics still to be addressed, observes roundtable host Kate Armitage Many public sector fleets have set 2030 as their net zero target. And with only seven years until the deadline is reached, we asked; is this target going to be met? A lot has happened since the 2030 targets were originally set and the overall feeling was that the complexity of the challenge was not fully understood when the targets were set. The impact of the pandemic has created worldwide shortages of components which in turn has curtailed vehicle supply. And the current energy crisis has had a significant impact on the total cost of ownership; impacting the business case for electric in the short term. One of the more progressive fleets, Oxford Direct Services, has already taken one third of the fleet zero emission. ODS transport manager, Owain Pearce, is currently reviewing the 2030 target. He believes that without significant additional budget 2030 is looking unlikely: “There are technical barriers but the biggest barrier is investment,” he said. He calculates that a 60-70 per cent reduction in emissions is
The general feeling was that PHEVs theoretically should provide a good segway into a full battery electric. However; the way the vehicles were sold historically (with a strong emphasis on subsidies and tax exemptions rather than reducing emissions) led to a haphazard approach to charging, with some vehicles reportedly never being charged up from mains Where are PHEVs The ene electricity. On the flip in this picture? crisis ha rgy side Brian Avery from We know that plug-in s h ad a significa Surrey Police reported hybrid electric vehicles n t impact on the excellent results from (PHEVs) will be their BMW i3 range removed from sale owners total cost of h i p extended vehicles. by 2035, however ; i m the bus p The paradox with we are still waiting iness ca acting se f PHEVs is that they further clarity from electric in the or should be charged government regarding short te as frequently as what vehicles qualify rm possible to ensure the as a PHEV for the crucial highest possible zeroperiod 2030-35. In the emission miles. However, BEV meantime, there was a mixed drivers often complain of PHEVs response regarding the role that “blocking” public charging infrastructure. plug-in hybrids will play in fleets. possible although the increasing electricity costs is putting this estimate at risk further. Fundamentally it is becoming clear that whilst some zero emission vehicles can achieve cost parity, becoming net zero by 2030 is going to require additional funding, particularly when you factor in the cost of the infrastructure.
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