The European leasing company Alphabet argues that the increased involvement in the EV market of brands such as Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, BMW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, VW and Ford is helping to increase the credibility of EV’s and drive the sector forward.
“From our perspective, the tide is certainly turning in favour of electric vehicles” said Paul Hollick, Alphabet’s Chief Commercial Officer. “The recent Autumn Statement (5th December 2013) launched a further £5m investment for public sector fleets to embrace EV technology, while driverless cars are also moving firmly up the agenda. In Norway, the top-selling cars in September and October were electric — the Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf respectively all of which suggests that we are reaching a crucial tipping point in terms of EV acceptance.”
Mr Hollick added that one of the key drivers for change has been the introduction of practical and desirable EV models from respected and trusted mainstream automotive brands. However, there is a still a way to go in terms of charging infrastructure in the UK. Despite this, many of the traditional barriers to EV ownership are now falling as costs come down and manufacturers invest in battery life and range.
“We’re confident that, with support from the corporate and public sectors, the adoption of EVs will more than double, from 4,200 to 10,000, over the next three years” Hollick said.
Alphabet lauched its industry-first EV fleet consultancy service, AlphaElectric in October 2013 at the Saatchi Gallery. This has allowed fleet managers to make informed decisions about their use of plug-in vehicles through a four-step process: analysis of current fleet usage to identify where it would be beneficial to replace combustion vehicles with EVs; Tailored vehicle selection; charging infrastructure for residential and workplace locations and add-on services ranging from access to the public charging network and flexible mobility to support journeys where electric transport is not appropriate.
Alphabet conducted a survey among fleet managers following the launch. The company found that all of the participants in the survey would consider adopting EV’s as part of their fleet with many of those planning to do so in the next two years. With the expanding range of plug-in vehicles on the market allied to a growth in the number of public charging points and further government investment, the company is confident that the UK corporate and public sectors will see strong growth in the adoption of EVs.
For additional information:
