FOCUS INTERVIEW
hours while you’re at work. People assume
being futureproof requires fast chargers, but in
my opinion we will inevitably have many electric
vehicles on the road, so the most futureproof
solution is one that can charge the greatest
number of vehicles simultaneously. This
approach can reduce the inconvenience to the
driver and the business, as well as the wasted
time of sta members managing their charging.”
In addition to designing a charging array in
line with the current business requirements,
Actemium considers future expansion. “The
expansion could be more chargers, or even
better, increasing utilisation of the existing
asset through so ware which can alter driver
behaviour to encourage more considerate usage
of the charging station.”
In terms of cost, Benbow says that as a rough
guide, in a typical workplace he will consider
three to five per cent of parking spaces for EV
charging, with average capital expenditure
of £10,000 to £20,000. There are financial
incentives for businesses interested in installing
EV chargers(7).
The other frequently asked question is how
to pay for the power used, given that the end
users might range from a director with his own
car whose company picks up the tab, a sta
member who pays, and a pool car which is
invoiced directly.
“We don’t want FMs to have to run around
figuring all this out,” says Benbow, “so we make
the system as self-administering as possible,
with mechanisms for charging users via smart,
intelligent charging stations. These include a
physical interface connected to a so ware suite
that can identify drivers and charge the right
people.”
26 MARCH 2020
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 sta 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 e ect. This is why we ourselves
are looking to upgrade our EV fleet, and we’re
also waiting for our sta 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.”
REFERENCE NOTES
(1) www.smmt.co.uk/2020/02/uk-new-car-market-falls-7-3-in-january-as-
sector-demands-clear-plan-for-2035-ambition
(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/o ice-for-low-emission-vehicles
/how-the-uk-is-progressing
/pm-launches-un-climate-summit-in-the-uk
/www.zap-map.com
/uk-new-car-market-falls-7-3-in-january-as-sector-demands-clear-plan-for-2035-ambition
/www.smmt.co.uk
/
/office-for-low-emissions-vehicles
