Since records began in 2002, a total of 1,001,677 EVs have been registered in the UK. Driving much of this growth are fleet managers, who are among the earliest adopters of the technology. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, fleet and company cars accounted for more than three quarters (77%) of new vehicle registrations last year. A study by Drax Electric Vehicles also found that almost half (48%) of businesses have already installed EV charging infrastructure – a further third (33%) plan to do so within the next 12 months.
Despite the surge in demand, there’s still a long way to go before electric becomes the dominant powertrain. In January 2024, petrol accounted for 57.3% of new vehicle registrations. Meanwhile, battery electric vehicles (BEV’s) market share stood at 14.7% – an increase of 1.6 percentage points on January 2023.
Loosening petrol’s stronghold on UK road transport will be no easy feat, particularly at a time when many businesses are scaling back on high-investment sustainability projects. The next cohort of fleet managers are inherently more risk-averse than the early adopters and require additional support and assurance throughout the electrification process.
Get the thoughts of Adam Hall, Director of Energy Services at Drax on this topic
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