Vehicle leasing firm XLCR Vehicle Management has selected electric vehicle (EV) charger firm Go Zero to be its exclusive home vehicle charger partner.
Under the partnership, every customer who leases an EV from XLCR will be offered a home charger from Go Zero as part of the lease package, in an effort to encourage XLCR customers to choose an EV for their next lease. Around 55% of XLCR’s leases last year were for EVs, up from 52% in 2023.
XLCR Vehicle Management CEO Lee Duerden stated: “Our partnership with Go Zero Charge is a natural extension of our mission to deliver the best possible leasing experience. By including a reliable home charging solution as part of the lease, we’re helping to make EV driving as simple and stress-free as possible.”
Go Zero’s chief revenue officer, Andy Gray, added: “Our home charging solutions are designed to meet the needs of company car drivers and fleet operators, making them a perfect fit for XLCR’s customer base.”
Go Zero offers an app for home charging solutions, including features specifically for fleets and company car drivers. Drivers who charge their company car at home can now have their energy provider directly bill their employer, or generate an expense report for their EV charging directly in the app.
Gray added: “We also pride ourselves on taking an agile approach to our partnerships, developing customised solutions where appropriate. With XLCR, our technology teams have collaborated closely to develop backend solutions that streamline processes and reduce touchpoints.”
EV fleets on the rise
An ever-growing number of commercial firms are looking to electrify their vehicle fleet, presenting unique opportunities and challenges.
At the start of this year, UK telecoms giant BT Group made what it claimed was the largest ever order of EVs for a UK commercial fleet, announcing in January that it had ordered around 3,500 new EVs to be delivered between now and 2026. Once this delivery has been completed, BT Group will have almost 8,000 EVs in its commercial fleet, which the firm states is the largest EV fleet in the UK.
While BT’s fleet mostly comprises of vans, fleet sales for new electric cars have been breaking industry records. In 2024, EVs sold a record 43,656 units, with fleet sales increasing by 11.8% and accounting for 59.6% of all new EV sales.
The popularity of EV fleets is unsurprising, given the clear business case for EV driving. According to the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) report on commercial fleet electrification, fleet managers can expect to save about £1,500 annually per light commercial vehicle (LCV) driving 15,000 miles a year if charged at the depot or at home when compared to running petrol or diesel powered vehicles.
A recent entry in the Current± Disruptors blog series spoke to electric vehicle fleet management firm Omility; read it here.
