UK 'most suitable' market for EV transition in Europe: Geotab

Connected transportation and telematics solutions firm Geotab Inc. has claimed that two-thirds of cars and vans operated by private and public sector organizations in the United Kingdom are ready to go electric, contrary to increasing industry and media pessimism around electric vehicle adoption in the country.

In its latest report titled 'Taking Charge: On the Road to an EV Future', the company has found that fleets switching to EVs could reduce 2.2 billion gallons of fuel from conventional vehicles while avoiding approximately 19 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over the next seven years.

The study has analyzed driver data from 1.3 million vehicles across seven countries over 12 months. Based the analysis, the UK market has been singled out as by far the most 'EV suitable' market in Europe, according to Geotab. 

UK's EV suitability of 66 percent based on a typical seven-year replacement cycle for a fleet vehicle compares favorably to other markets covered in the report, which includes Canada (with an EV suitability of 50 percent), Spain (4 percent), the United States (38 percent), Germany (35 percent), Italy (28 percent), France (20 percent).

The report notes that prolonging the replacement cycle of fleets to 10 years would increase the percentage of cars and vans in the country ready to go electric to 73 percent, based on the fact that EVs have a longer usable lifespan than their petrol and diesel counterparts thanks to service, maintenance and repair (SMR) savings.

"The idea that the UK is not ready for mass EV adoption is a fallacy," said David Savage, Vice President for the UK and Ireland at Geotab. "On the contrary, it's time for British businesses to 'double down' on fleet electrification - not just for the good of the environment and our collective climate goals but for their bottom line. A visionary CEO of a business operating a vehicle fleet could effectively pay their own salary by going electric, thanks to EVs' financial savings."

Geotab's study delves into real-world telematics data to understand the feasibility of transitioning from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs within light-duty fleets, and the potential financial and CO2 savings available. The numbers were calculated using Geotab's proven EV Suitability Assessment (EVSA) tool, which helps fleets transition to e-mobility. 

By going electric, British private and public sector organizations could reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) per vehicle by £13,279 over a seven-year period, equating to a saving of £876,414 on a large fleet of 100 vehicles, according to the report. 

When evaluating the suitability of replacing an ICE vehicle with an EV, Geotab claims to have considered two essential factors - the availability of range-capable electric model that can meet the existing daily driving requirements and the economic sense to make the switch to EV. 

Driving patterns can have a major impact on fleet electrification potential as they determine whether a suitable replacement vehicle is available that satisfies the vehicle's range needs while saving money, the company opines.