Almost 700,000 company car drivers would chose an electric vehicle (EV) if they were given the opportunity by their employers, according to new research published by the Go Ultra Low initiative.
However, only a quarter of businesses currently offer EVs to their workers, despite significant commercial incentives offered by the government to do so.
The survey by Go Ultra Low, a joint scheme from the government and the automotive industry to promote wider use of EVs, found that only 25% of businesses make EVs available to their employees. Of those unable to ‘go electric’, 69% – 486,500 individual drivers – said they would be ‘likely’ to choose an EV as their next company car, if they were made available.
The incidence is higher among companies who do already offer EVs to their employees, with 86% of respondents (202,100 drivers) saying they would be likely to consider an electric car next time around.
Speaking at the report’s launch during the Future of the Car summit, Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “Fleets and businesses represent the lion’s share of the UK’s new car buyers, so have the potential to shape the market and accelerate the UK automotive market to be entirely ‘ultra-low emission’.
“As an industry, it is our collective responsibility to give businesses confidence to be bold and realise the multiple benefits that plug-in hybrid and pure electric cars can bring, including cost savings and a carbon footprint reduction.”
As well as offering number of incentives to support the purchase of EVs, the government also offers reduced company car tax and recently launched a £7.5 million workplace charging scheme to support the installation of charge points at UK businesses.
Transport minister John Hayes said: “Low-emission vehicles have enormous potential to usher in a new era for road transport, and we have committed £600m over this parliament as part of our plan to making them the natural choice for motorists.
“Businesses have a role to play in boosting the numbers of electric vehicles on our roads, and this survey shows that employees want to drive them. Gradually making fleets zero-emission would improve air quality, as well as helping companies reduce their costs.
“We want to make it easier for companies to adopt these cleaner cars.”
In the first 10 months of 2016, more than 30,000 electric cars were registered across the country, with approximately 70% going to UK businesses. Government data shows that 940,000 company cars are currently registered to businesses in the UK, which Go Ultra Low says highlights the significant potential for growth for electric cars.
Earlier this year, Go Ultra Low launched a Companies scheme to recognise firms that are committed to wider adoption of EVs.
As Go Ultra Low companies, the firms already use or offer them to their employees but have also pledged to ensure EVs make up at least 5% of their vehicle fleet by 2020. More than 75 organisations have achieved ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status since May, with Transport for London, University of Cambridge, Britvic and London Fire Brigade among those to have signed up.
