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In a new report from the UK, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) outlines the considerable barriers that are preventing fleets from adopting electric vehicles, or EVs, citing costs, accessibility and reliability as the three biggest. And while businesses overwhelmingly want to help reduce carbon emissions, the framework that would allow them to do this via electric vehicles is not yet in place.
We’ll look at the top three challenges that are illustrated in the FTA report.
Cost of upgrading to electric vehicles
The cost to purchase electric cars was described as ‘worse than expected,’ due in part to the high cost of new vehicles and the lack of a second-hand market. Used electric vehicles that are listed usually sell immediately.
Most fleet managers agree that the costs of upgrading can be offset by the fact that EVs are cheaper to run. However, a price difference of two to three times more than conventional vehicles is often impractical for smaller fleets, making cost a major hurdle.
Should operators be expected to bear the weight of this expensive initial investment? Some in the industry are calling for government grants, that provide the means for more fleets to go electric, to help mitigate costs.
Accessibility of EV services
With electric vehicles being a relatively new technology that is expensive to adopt, finding public charging facilities that are large enough for commercial vehicles is another obstacle. There are simply not enough charging stations to make widespread use of EVs viable just yet.
Infrastructure is a challenge to adopting an EV fleet. 90% of people polled by the FTA charged their vehicles at their own depots, but that solution comes with its own cost burdens. Those businesses often had to install or upgrade an electricity hub without any recompense from the government.
Electric vehicles are not yet reliable
Even when fleet managers have the means to purchase EVs, the limitations of their potential range often becomes another challenge. A standard battery can have trouble lasting the distances that business require to operate, especially in the US. EVs can also be inconsistent when it comes to mileage. Difficulties in this area causes many fleets who adopted electric vehicles to eventually return to conventional vehicles.
The full FTA survey findings can be accessed via the following link: fta.co.uk/evreport
How vehicle tracking can help
Companies who want to reduce their carbon footprint but aren’t prepared logistically or financially for an electric fleet, can turn to vehicle tracking to monitor emissions. Driving style analysis and comprehensive reports allow fleet managers to see where improvements can be made to speed, braking/acceleration and idling, in order to run a greener fleet.
About the FTA
FTA supports, shapes and stands up for efficient logistics. It is the only organisation in the UK that represents all of logistics, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods. FTA speaks to the Government on behalf of the whole sector to achieve great results for its members.
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