Seven major British companies, including the operators of some of the largest commercial vehicle fleets in the country (BP, BT, Direct Line Group, Royal Mail, ScottishPower, Severn Trent and Tesco) have come together to work to help accelerate the mass adoption of electric vehicles.

The seven companies, working together as the Electric Vehicle Fleet Accelerator (EVFA), have outlined a series of urgent actions needed from both industry and Government in a report.

EV Fleet Accelerator Findings and Recommendations notes that if the UK is £50bn of private investment ready to be unlocked with the right incentives and the right action plan, and in turn this could create substantial export opportunities.

However, the report notes: “As things stand, however, we look set to fall short. Van manufacturers point to a lack of charging infrastructure, the Charge Point Operators (CPOs) cite a lack of demand, and the fleet operators point to a lack of van availability and high connection costs at their depots. There is no large-scale UK manufacturer of electric vans, and so companies like ours who want to buy British today, can’t and are instead sourcing from France and Germany driving investment and green jobs overseas.”

The EVFA grew from the Government’s Build Back Better Business Council. It brings together CEOs of companies that own and operate some of the largest van fleets in the UK and companies involved with infrastructure, EV charging, retail and insurance and repair.

The report details how supportive Government policy could help unlock private sector investment of £50 billion in infrastructure and in electric fleets in the UK over the next five years. Moreover, if the Government delivers on this agenda, the EVFA members have committed to converting the fleets involved to electric vehicles by 2030 and to buying British - buying 70,000 British-built vans by 2030 or sooner.

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