Leasing company Arval UK says the number of EVs on its fleet has increased by 102% during the past year.
This includes a 98% increase in electric cars on the fleet, and also a 249% increase in electric van numbers, although the latter make up a far smaller proportion of the fleet.
In total Arval now has 22,630 EVs on its fleet, accounting for 12.2% of its vehicles, up from 6.4% at the same time last year.
Arval UK commercial director Joel Lund said: “During the last couple of years we have concentrated heavily on promoting the advantages of EVs to existing and new fleet customers, and are now really beginning to see the results in terms of absolute numbers.
“Our consultancy team have worked hard at constructing both mainstream fleet and salary sacrifice schemes that meet the needs of employers and employees, helping them to transition to electrification in a manner that maximises benefits and minimises disruption.
“Despite availability challenges with all vehicles including EVs at the moment, we have been successful at opening up our choice of manufacturers, securing supply of several major models and are currently registering percentages of electric cars and vans far in advance of the SMMT’s ‘true fleet’ figures.”
Lund said that when fleets and drivers decided to electrify, they generally wanted to do so quickly.
He said: “Being able to provide vehicles within a reasonable timeframe is a significant advantage. We’ve also been advising [fleets] to open up their choice lists in a structured fashion to make the most of available supply.
“This desire to electrify quickly is especially apparent when it comes to drivers who want to reduce their BIK taxation levels at a time when the increased cost of living is a major concern.”