Finding your path to a greener commercial fleet with the LEXperts

To help you, Lex Autolease has created the LEXperts video series: four fact-filled episodes featuring its team of commercial fleet professionals who share their expert knowledge, in-depth insights and advice for anyone transitioning their commercial fleet to electric.  

In the driving seat for Episode 1 is Principal Consultant, Chris Chandler, who discusses the benefits of going electric and the importance of having a plan. 

Why get moving now? 

“2035 is important,” Chris begins. “It means that we now have a firm deadline that we must meet. And rather than leaving everything to the last minute and panicking ─ and probably incurring extra costs and stress as a result ─ it makes sense to develop a good strategic plan for being compliant by that time. Cars are fairly easy, but commercial vehicles provide a few more challenges.” 

Of course, fleet managers and decision makers will already understand that there are differences between a car fleet and light commercial vehicles (LCVs), but the finer details of how that will affect the move to electric require attention ─ starting with something as basic as understanding which vehicles can go electric now and which will have to wait. 

Start with easy wins 

“With smaller commercial vehicles,” Chris continues, “there’s a fair amount of choice in the market at the moment, but for the larger or specialist commercials, there are some areas in the market where there just isn’t an electric product available yet. So, you’ve got to look at which vehicles in your fleet can transition first and then which are the slightly tougher ones. 

“Start with the easy wins. Look at vehicles where there are already good electric alternatives, look at where there’s good charging infrastructure, look where you’ve got employees who are interested in making the change and, you know, have an environmental interest.” 

The good news is taking quick wins like this now means you’ll gain big benefits even before your fleet is fully transitioned. 

These include: 

• Cash incentives: for LCVs at the moment, there are a number of grants available both for the vehicles themselves and for installing charging infrastructure ─ plus scrappage schemes for older ICE vehicles. Details can change quickly, so it’s worth keeping an eye on official government guidelines for the latest grants available for LCVs. 

• Operational savings: Electric vehicles typically need less maintenance, which gives you greater uptime ─ an important factor for commercial businesses. Electric vehicles (EVs) also don’t pay to access congestion zones and clean air zones. Depending on where you operate, that could soon add up to big operational savings. 

• Competitive edge: more and more tenders for business services ask about the environmental credentials of potential suppliers. A demonstrable commitment to fleet electrification is a big tick in the box, boosting your brand and helping you win more business. 

• Environmental benefits: while it’s great to know that going electric makes sense for the business, it’s also fundamentally the right thing to do for the environment too. That’s got to feel good! 

Plan to win 

Every commercial fleet needs a bespoke strategic plan to make the most of these quick wins, avoid common pitfalls and reach 2035 as a compliant and competitive part of the businesses they serve ─ ready for whatever comes next. 

Going on that journey is so much easier if you’re travelling with someone who knows the way. 

Watching LEXperts, you’ll see that our team at Lex Autolease understands the specific needs of commercial fleets on their transition to electric. We can provide you with the insights and analysis needed to keep your fleet running in the most efficient manner during and after the transition. 

To learn more and watch the full LEXperts series visit: www.lexautolease.co.uk/lexperts 

Published On: 26/10/2023 12:00:17

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