- Vehicle leasing provider, Ayvens, published its annual mobility guide this summer, packed with information about the rate of EV adoption amongst fleets around the world, providing important information about the state of UK uptake, too.
- With the report listing Norway, The Netherlands, and Finland ranking top three, in that order, for the most EV ready countries, the United Kingdom could learn a thing or to about fleet EV adoption, which came notably behind this trio – coming in at 10th place, out of 47 countries ranked.
- The wider majority of EVs registered in the UK come from fleet buyers, indicating a large opportunity to grow EV sales in the country further.
Recommendations for the UK
In Ayvens’ study, the rankings have come from several key indicators: The market share of EVs, the number of EVs on the market, the level of charging infrastructure, any EV-related taxes or incentives, total cost of EV ownership compared to ICE, and finally, how sustainable the energy grid itself is. The UK is still regarded as ‘developed’ when it comes to EV maturity, the same category as EV leading nations such as Norway. However, the country still has some way to go, as its EV maturity score is just 63/100, compared to Norway’s 82/100, for example – a country where EVs now outnumber the total number of pure petrol cars on the road.
Norway topped the chart for several regulation-related reasons. Firstly, the country is working towards a goal in which all new passenger cars in the country by 2025 should be zero-emission, whilst BEV purchases are VAT exempt up to a value of 500,000 Norwegian Krone (£35,350). The UK, meanwhile, has no such tax exemption – and in 2025, will start charging EVs the separate road tax, having previously been exempt from the charge.
Tim Laver, Managing Director at ALD Automotive | LeasePlan UK, has given several recommendations for the UK to follow on the back of this, to bring the UK into line with its close Northern European neighbours. This includes reintroducing financial incentives, to encourage fleet buyers to go EV, with less worry when it comes to initial cost, alongside the addition tax exemptions, such as those mentioned above, and a more comprehensive charging network, nationwide.
Tim also commented on the current uncertainty regarding upcoming EV taxes:
“Despite several financial incentives available, there continues to be a degree of uncertainty around certain incentives such as VED rates, which are set to rise from April 2025 and will be equalised across all cars including electric vehicles. There’s also the need for clarity on incentives like whether the Plug-in Van Grant will continue beyond March 2025. Without this, businesses will see switching to EVs as a less attractive option and slow down their transition to electric vehicles.”
