Electric vehicles in business fleets are becoming more commonplace.
Not-for-profit organisation Climate Group’s EV100 initiative members – which include some of the biggest businesses around the globe – have reported they are now operating more than 400,000 electric vehicles – a 93% jump over the last 12 months.
Details of this growth in the number of electric vehicles in business fleets were revealed in Climate Group’s annual report published this week, which suggests that EV100 businesses will collectively transition over 5.75 million vehicles to electric as part of their commitment to making this mode of transport the new normal.
According to the report, the EV100 network has also already rolled out over 30,000 individual charging units across 72 markets worldwide, as well as committing to install infrastructure at over 6,000 sites globally by the end of the 2020s.
EV100 is a scheme looking to build momentum behind the switch from fossil fuels to electrification in commercial transportation. It also exists to lobby policymakers to build the relevant infrastructure for the transition.
Retailers such as Currys, Next, and Tesco have joined other big corporates including Deloitte, Lloyds Banking Group, and NTT Corporation, in signing up to EV100.
Climate Group said the speed at which businesses are transitioning their fleets from petrol and diesel to electric “clearly shows there is strong demand for affordable EVs supported by comprehensive, reliable charging networks”. It wants governments around the world to establish clear phase-out dates for petrol and diesel vehicles, and to implement measures such as zero emission vehicle mandates and CO2 standards, in order to provide businesses with more clarity.
Sandra Roling, director of transport at Climate Group, commented: “In the fifth year of EV100, it’s fantastic to see how much we have grown together.
“It’s not just about committing to transition to EVs, it’s making it happen. Our members are taking action today to take polluting petrol and diesel vehicles off the road, almost doubling the number of EVs within their combined fleets in last 12 months.”
She added: “More and more businesses are viewing a transition to EVs as a necessary part of their sustainability drive and EV100 members are at the cutting edge of this transition. We need their ambition to be matched by governments, carmakers and businesses across the globe. To limit global temperature rises to no more than 1.5 degrees, far more vehicles need to switch to electric.”
Anjalli Ravi Kumar, chief sustainability officer at India-based food delivery aggregator Zomato, a EV100 member, remarked: “We firmly believe that EVs can transform our business into one that’s green, safe, inclusive while enhancing livelihoods for our delivery partners.
“We are grateful to be working with nearly 20 start-ups and clean mobility firms that have helped thousands of our partners access EVs at affordable rates to undertake deliveries across 43 Indian cities.”
Zomato is calling on state and local governments in the regions it operates to support an orderly transition to high quality and safe EVs through policies that favour the development of a reliable and dense battery swapping and charging network, as well as overcome the hurdles of access to finance for delivery partners, and ensure all players meet rigorous safety standards.
Estee Lauder, Ingka Group, and Unilever are also EV100 members, committing to add more electric vehicles in business fleets over the coming years.
[Image credit: Currys]
