The BVRLA has called for UK local authorities to match its members’ commitment to electrification.
The rental and leasing industry body has published a new Fleet Friendly Charging Index, designed to show the progress made on electrification by each local authority.
Its findings include that 40% of authorities are yet to engage with the fleet sector when considering EV charging needs, and 63% are yet to publish an EV strategy.
The index has been published alongside an updated version of the BVRLA’s Fleet Charging Guide, designed to help authorities understand the EV charging needs of fleets.
The documents were launched at a reception at the Houses of Parliament, where BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney called on authorities to work with the organisation and the industry.
He said: “We’re very keen to work with [local] authorities in terms of sharing our understanding, our needs, and also what we see as best practice from other local authorities around the country we have worked with.
“We understand the job that needs to be done better than anybody else. We need more collaboration, more active collaboration, and more at a granular level now throughout the country.”
Keaney said that the industries his organisation represented had proved their commitment to electrification in financial terms.
He said: “There’s no doubt this sector, BVRLA members and the fleet sector, are totally committed to the net zero strategy, and have completely bought into it.
“There’s no better demonstration of that than . the billions of pounds that this sector has tied up today in electric vehicles in terms of residual values exposure and funding.
“We’re well beyond targets and deadlines, we are in high execution mode. We are totally committed with our wallets in terms of delivery of the strategy.”
The reception was hosted by Ian Levy MP, who highlighted the economic reasons for improving charging infrastructure.
He said: “Improving EV infrastructure is not just the right thing to do for the environment, but it is also important for the economy.
“A comprehensive charging infrastructure network is vital to support growth of the [automotive] industry and ensure its success.”
The reception was also addressed by Department for Transport minister Jesse Norman MP, who said BVRLA members were, in the view of the government, a “critical partner” in the transition to zero-emission vehicles, and that the organisation’s Plug-in Pledge to register 400,000 battery electric cars and vans each year by 2025 would be: “An incredible boost to the environment, and also of course to the car industry.”
He also gave an update on the progress of the government’s ZEV mandate, set to see manufacturers legally required to meet targets for a proportion of their sales being zero-emission models, which would be increased annually.
Norman said: “We are working on the ZEV mandate. I’m not going to put a timetable on it, but certainly we’re hoping to do better than the ‘Treasury Spring’, which ends in July.”