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Is 2017 The Year To Update Your Fleet to Hybrid or Pure Electric?
02 October 2017
Electric vehicles seem like a modern day advancement in transportation.
But electric vehicles are actually an age old technology — it was the early nineteenth century, over two hundred years ago, when the first electric car was built and hit the streets.
So the fact is electric vehicles, whether hybrid or pure electric, have been around a long time. It’s just it took until recently for them to become feasible and in high enough demand — what with the costs of running petrol and diesel vehicles rising, the scale of charging infrastructure expanding, and the concern over environmental impact growing.
This begs the question: with all these societal, political, and economic factors coming together, does this mean it could finally be the time for electric vehicles to shine? Is 2017 the year companies should move away from the antiquated and carbon-pumping combustion engine and upgrade their fleet to clean, quiet, and convenient electric?
Why Companies Are Choosing Hybrid Vehicles For Their Fleet
Many industry experts, car manufacturers, and leading businesses certainly think so. But as the charging infrastructure is still severely lacking and unable to support masses of new pure electric vehicles (charge rage is now a thing), companies are instead making the gradual transition via hybrid models.
In a recent poll of people asked what their next company car would be, the response of petrol hybrid was nearly as high as diesel. Fewer are expecting to stick with petrol, and a small but higher percentage than ever before are planning to move to pure electric.
This data lines up with the position of major leasing companies, who’re witnessing this shift toward petrol and petrol-hybrids and are adjusting their fleets accordingly. But the latest sales data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows diesel remains the dominant fuel type for fleets.
However, emissions continue to be a major issue for companies, with the UK government looking to update regulation to comply with the EU air pollution limits. Add that to the shift in focus from CO2 emissions to NOx, and deciding on the current and future makeup of your fleet is becoming ever more difficult.
The advice for companies and fleet managers is to find the best vehicle and fuel types for your particular driving cycles and applications. And that likely means, while the infrastructure for electric vehicles develops, diesel and petrol-hybrid vehicles will likely be the most practical option for fleets — particularly businesses that quickly rack up the miles.
What’s more, with hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles coming down in price — and current incentives of up to £4,500 off a zero-emission car and £2,500 off top plug-in hybrids (up to £60,000) — they’re becoming a more affordable option for smaller fleets. Hybrids offer small companies the best of both worlds: allowing them to curb emissions to comply with the new regulations while not having to rely on the limitations of electric.
If you’d like to find out more about our leasing service or our other fleet management options, leave us a comment or send us a message via our contact page.
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