Van fleets urged to go electric to reduce costs

Van fleet operators are being urged to cut costs by making the switch to electric models.

Ahead of the Commercial Vehicle Show, home charging specialist Ohme has highlighted the potential time and money savings offered if van operators switch to electric and support home charging.

The electric van market is growing rapidly and sales of new electric vans are up 14.7% compared to 2023 but Ohme’s director, Peter McDonald, says fleet managers could be missing out on the full potential of electric vehicles.

He commented: “A switch to electric will equal substantial savings for any fleet manager and fitting chargers to the homes of their drivers will increase those still further.

“Charging at home will always be the cheapest option all round. First, the price per kWh of the current domestic standard variable tariff is less than half a typical rapid charging public charger. Second, if the driver knows they can charge at home, they won’t have to hunt for a public charging station, so it adds valuable time to their day. The savings in employee time alone could potentially be even greater than the charging savings.”

The best EV-specific electricity tariffs cost as little as 7.5p/kWh compared to the standard variable rate of 24p/kWh and public charging costs that can reach 85p/kWh. Ohme estimates than an average car driver could save nearly £400 a year using the cheapest at-home tariff, with even bigger savings for higher-mileage vans charged at their driver’s homes.

Earlier this year, charging software company Rightcharge announced new technology to allow employers to directly cover the cost of home charging for staff. The system greatly simplifies the process of reimbursing staff who charge a work vehicle at home rather than at a depot or public charging device.

A new study by telematics specialist Geotab also identified the UK as the best positioned country in Europe for businesses to switch their light vehicle fleets to electric. The study found that two thirds of cars and vans operated by public and private organisations could be replaced with electric equivalents, saving operators more than £13,000 per vehicle over an average seven-year lifecycle.