EU speeds up zero carbon plans, while Fleet Alliance EV fleet continues growth

EU speeds up zero carbon plans, while Fleet Alliance EV fleet continues growth

Posted by

Kevin Blackmore

June 2022

The EU Parliament has voted to back a European Commission proposal for a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 with only zero carbon emission vehicles available from that date.

The plan includes a reduction to zero CO2 emissions for new cars sold in the EU by 2035, as the European Parliament seeks a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 compared with 2021 levels.

The European Parliament voted to require carmakers to cut their average fleet emissions by 15% in 2025, compared to 2021, by 55% in 2030, and by 100% in 2035.

The new target accelerates the previous ‘Fit for 55’ decarbonisation plan, which aimed for a 37.5% reduction by the end of the decade in a step toward “net zero” emissions by 2050.

The proposed legislation would also require all EU countries to install public charging points no more than 60 km (37.3 miles) apart on major roads by 2025 in a bid to boost EV adoption.

Helen Clarkson, CEO of the international non-profit Climate Group, said: “This is the sort of ambition we’ve been waiting to see from the EU, where it’s been lacking in recent years.

“The science tells us we need to halve emissions by 2030, so for road transport it’s simple – get rid of the internal combustion engine.”

“Members of our EV100 initiative have committed to adopting zero-emission fleets by 2030. Policies such as these set a clear agenda towards a zero-emission future and will help all businesses invest with confidence in zero-emission vehicles in order that the market develops in the right way.”

Fleet Alliance part of growing all-electric movement

Fleet Alliance is just one of more than 100 companies that are aiming to turn their business fleets all-electric by 2030.

Collectively, these businesses, which operate 4.8 million vehicles, have also committed to installing charging points for staff and customers at 6,500 locations globally.

Amongst recent newcomers are Coca Cola European Partners, Siemens, Sky and Zurich, while Fleet Alliance joined the EV100 during 2020 as part of its commitment to electrifying its managed fleet of 30,000 vehicles by the end of the decade.

As part of its EV100 commitment, Fleet Alliance became a member of the UK Electric Fleets Coalition – an innovative partnership also run by The Climate Group – that called for the government to bring forward the date for EV-only car and van sales to 2030 – a campaign that has ultimately proved to be successful.

Increase in EV orders

The drive to adopt electric vehicles is certainly gaining momentum with Fleet Alliance.  EVs took a record share of the Fleet Alliance order bank in the first quarter of 2022 as increasing numbers of clients switched to electric operation.

Up to the end of March, some 30% of new car orders were Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and 33% were Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), well ahead of the national market rate and a new record for the business.

Fleet Alliance expects to grow the electric element of its fleet still further this year through its salary sacrifice scheme, which is intended to allow small and medium-sized businesses to offer their employees low-emission electric cars at highly attractive rates.

The scheme provides cheap access to fully maintained, zero carbon-emitting vehicles at no extra cost to the business, and delivers significant cost-reduction benefits due to Fleet Alliance’s multi-bid funding solution.

This employs competitive tendering amongst a panel of funders to ensure that maximum value is delivered to employer and employee by selecting the lowest cost – a facility not normally available to smaller businesses.

Fleet Alliance CEO Andy Bruce, commented: “With almost two-thirds of orders either BEVs or HEVs, we are continuing to see significant growth in electric cars across our managed fleet, well ahead of the national rate, as more of our customers opt to go down an electric route.

“This is being helped by an ever-widening array of new electric models coming onto the market, as more manufacturers broaden their product line-ups to include both BEVs and HEVs.”

Bruce said that demand was being driven within existing clients as part of Fleet Alliance’s commitment to the EV100 movement.

“As an EV100 member, we plan to electrify our managed fleet of more than 30,000 vehicles by 2030, while at the same time, we have transitioned our own company cars to electric across the board.

“And we are now seeing growing numbers of our customers mirror our actions and make their own commitment to going electric,” he said.


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