Zenith sits at the centre of fleet decision-making. What are the biggest misconceptions you still see from businesses transitioning to electric vehicles?
One of the most common misconceptions we still see is how they approach early adoption and trialling.
At first glance, it may seem like a safe, low-risk option to assign electric vehicles to drivers with the lowest mileage. In reality, this approach can hold your transition back. Lower mileage delivers fewer operational savings and prevents you from truly understanding how far you can go and how quickly both from a financial and environmental perspective, particularly when transitioning cars and LCVs with certain operating cycles.
In 2026, the average new electric car offers a WLTP range of around 300 miles, up from 235 miles in 2024, with some models now exceeding 500 miles on a single charge. Our EVXperience data, released in March 2026, also shows a clear shift in driver sentiment, and proofs that range anxiety is declining, while confidence in public charging is increasing. Our survey showed that 70% of EV drivers feel confident using their vehicle for longer journeys, and 79% report confidence when using public chargepoints. Additionally, 81.5% expect charging infrastructure to improve over the next three years.
Ultimately, by limiting EVs to low mileage use cases, businesses risk missing the very benefits that make electrification such a compelling opportunity.
From your perspective in consultancy, how has the conversation with corporate fleets evolved over the past three to five years when it comes to EV adoption?
The conversation around fleet electrification has expanded well beyond traditional fleet management teams. It now includes a broader set of stakeholders, particularly within sustainability, reflecting the growing importance of fleet decarbonisation as a core part of wider corporate net zero strategies.
At the same time, energy has emerged as both a key challenge and a significant opportunity. As fleets become increasingly reliant on electricity, organisations must navigate new complexities around how energy is sourced, managed and optimised. This shift is also prompting businesses to rethink their energy strategies in a more integrated and sustainable way.
As a result, the fleet conversation has become more complex and more strategic. Securing the right charging solution is now just as critical as selecting the right vehicles. For businesses, this means taking a more holistic approach, balancing operational efficiency, cost considerations, and energy access to ensure EV adoption delivers maximum value.
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is often cited as the tipping point. Where do you see the biggest gaps in understanding or confidence among fleet operators?
On confidence and understanding, two key issues persist. Firstly, when it comes to understanding, the biggest gap lies in energy strategy, with how and where vehicles are charged now having a significant impact on cost.
An EV charged at home on an off-peak overnight tariff can cost as little as 3ppm rising to 6ppm post the introduction of eVED in 2028 with varying costs for using day home charging rates, and public charging rates. By comparison diesel and petrol can cost seven times as much with greater recent volatility in pricing. Understanding how vehicles will be charged is a big determining factor of how TCO compares to petrol or diesel equivalents.
When it comes to confidence, policy-driven market imbalance continues to create uncertainty. The ZEV mandate is accelerating vehicle supply, with grants supporting some new vehicle sales but the policy to introduce eVED creates cost pressures for the fleet operator or users, affecting confidence in residual values which impact leasing costs.
Closing these gaps requires a more joined-up cross industry approach, bringing together government departments with a cross section of industry representatives to ensure a single, cohesive strategy.
We are working closely with industry partners to raise government awareness of the impact that current policy measures are having on our sector. As part of this effort, we have recently been engaging with government stakeholders to discuss the implications of the ZEV Mandate and advocate for meaningful changes that support both the automotive industry and motorists. Our aim is to ensure that the transition to zero-emission vehicles is delivered in a way that is practical, sustainable and beneficial for drivers, businesses and the wider economy.
As Product Development Director, how are you shaping Zenith’s offering to better integrate vehicles, charging, and energy into a single customer journey?
With vehicle provision now increasingly intertwined with the procurement of ancillary products and services, it is essential that we truly understand our customers and their drivers rather than make assumptions about their needs. As a result, our product roadmap includes a broad range of solutions, particularly across charging and energy infrastructure, designed to support both fleet operators and drivers as they continue their transition to electric vehicles.
In practice, this means providing fleet operators with access to a single source of high-quality consultancy, delivered through our own capabilities and partnerships. This enables organisations to build their EV ecosystem through one joined-up conversation. Too often, EV transition becomes challenging because businesses are required to piece together multiple providers and solutions.
For drivers, the priority is simple. They want a portal journey which helps them understand their choices and support for charging, whether at home or on the public charging network. Ensuring easy access to charging solutions is critical to creating a seamless EV experience.
Late last year, we launched our used car salary sacrifice scheme in response to growing customer demand for more affordable electric vehicles. The programme gives employees access to high-quality refurbished EVs at a lower cost, helping to remove one of the key barriers to EV adoption. It has also enabled us to unlock value from vehicles entering a second lease cycle, expand our customer base and support a more sustainable approach to vehicle use.
What are the most common operational challenges fleets face once they’ve gone electric, and how can they be better supported?
Operational challenges are more often linked to infrastructure and planning than to the vehicles themselves. Many organisations have trialled EVs without investing in adequate charging solutions, resulting in poor outcomes that are often misattributed to the vehicles.
Another key issue is the lack of detailed utilisation data and driver profiling, which can lead to a mismatch between vehicle capability and operational requirements.
Fleets can be better supported through a consultative, data-driven approach that assesses use cases, charging opportunities and operational impact. The most successful transitions are built on this foundation, helping organisations identify where zero-emission vehicles are viable. Targeted trials across use cases play a crucial role, setting deployments up for success, building stakeholder confidence and creating a clear pathway for wider adoption.
Looking ahead, what does a “fully optimised” electric fleet look like to you, and how far away are we from that reality?
In many ways, a fully optimised electric fleet is no different to that of a fully optimised ICE fleet because they both require data driven decisions on acquiring the right-sized vehicles that are cost efficient to operate. The only difference is that more thought and consideration needs to happen to align journeys and charging to minimise downtime and running costs.
All the constituent parts are there to make this happen, but optimisation for fleets for the next few years will really be about how they optimise both ICE and EVs and transition to the latter at a pace that works for their business.
Thanks to Claire for taking part in our EV Leaders interview series. Discover more of our recent interviews from individuals across the EV and automotive space, here.
