Businesses approaching ‘tipping point’ for electric vans, says leasing company

A leasing company says businesses have reached a ‘tipping point’ with a record number of fleets wanting to make the switch from diesel to electric. 

At one recent event, the 80% of van fleet enquiries received by Reflex Leasing included requests for information about plug-in cars and vans. 

The company says demand is driven by the impending government ban on the sale of fossil-fuelled cars and vans, which will be phased in from 2030, and soaring prices at the pumps.This has created a ‘tipping point’ as fleets and drivers move from interest in EVs to actively procuring them. 

Reflex is deploying a fleet evaluation tool called EV:IE (Electric Vehicle Information Exchange), that provides detailed wholelife cost comparisons between fossil fuel fleets and their electric equivalents.Total cost of ownership analysis includes recharging costs and compares EV range to current mileage patterns, based on fleet and telematics data. It has revealed that some companies could already transition their entire fleet to EVs, based on current usage and range of available models. 

Lisa Spong, Reflex Vehicle Hire sales director, said: “While diesel continues to be the mainstay of many of the van fleets that we provide vehicles to, interest in electric vehicles has reached a tipping point, with soaring demand driven by government policy, and rising fuel costs.“We are working closely with fleet customers to ensure a smooth transition strategy without impacting their core business operations.”​​