FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
ELECTRIC FLEETS
Another increasingly important consideration for FM suppliers is the introduction of electric vans into their maintenance fleets. Mitie, for instance, has announced that 20 per cent of its fleet now comprises electric vans. However, the option of a wholesale switch to electric vans remains dependent on the commercial vehicle manufacturers coming up with suitable vehicles.
Says Benbow: “The problem we have at the moment is that consumer electric vehicles sell in more volume than commercial, and at a higher rate, so when you are developing battery technology, it’s better to put it in the halo cars than it is to put it in a run-of-the-mill van. In terms of mainstream manufacturers, there is a limited number of viable vans on the market, all with ranges most suitable for inner-city driving. For a mass commercial fleet uptake the commercial vehicles need to develop beyond the city – they have to be fit for purpose.
“By contrast, commercial vehicles like buses have more space for batteries and well-defined routes, so it can be easier to customise the vehicle to the customer’s requirements.”
With the government using both a carrot and stick to incentivise individual drivers and car fleets to move to EV, we can expect the uptake of electric vehicles and the charging points needed to support them to increase exponentially over the next few years.
Phil Russell, Marketing and Sales Director at VINCI Facilities, says VINCI is responding to what its customers want as well as looking at ways to embrace the EV revolution among staff and within its own fleet. “The investment is tied into so many factors which are beyond purely financial. It’s around sustainability, being green and around your workforce benefits. All this has an invasive effect. This is why we ourselves are looking to upgrade our EV fleet, and we’re also waiting for our staff to purchase EVs; once the demand is there, the infrastructure will follow.”
VINCI will provide any consultancy required for clients supported by VINCI Facilities, says Russell. “It’s important to us that we have Actemium as a subcontractor as part of our portfolio, and that trickles down to the FMs within the contracts. We’re increasingly finding that with most of our contracts, there are discussions around EV charging.”
As an EV driver since 2012, Benbow agrees. “In terms of the facilities management side of things, I can’t see the direction of travel going any other way, especially when you look at the incentives and benefits such as low BIK [benefit in kind] and salary sacrifice schemes. It’s such a simple argument to put forward to a company car driver that they can save three to four thousand pounds by choosing an electric car.
“The infrastructure won’t be one solution, it will have to be diverse. But the point of mass adoption will be quicker than anyone is anticipating at the moment.”
OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) is offering a workplace charging scheme that provides support towards the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points for eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations(7). The scheme is voucher-based and offers a contribution of £500 for each charge point. There’s also a plug-in car grant and home charging grant.
The enhanced capital allowance (ECA) scheme enables 100 per cent of installation and equipment costs to be written off against corporation tax in the first year. (An ECA allows a business to write off the whole cost of an asset against taxable profits in the year of purchase.)
REFERENCE NOTES
(2) www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-launches-un-climate-summit-in-the-uk
(3) www.zap-map.com
(4) www.theccc.org.uk/tackling-climate-change/reducing-carbon-emissions/how-the-uk-is-progressing
(5) www.smmt.co.uk
(6) www.theccc.org.uk/2014/11/11/going-electric/
(7) www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-low-emission-vehicles
