UK companies ready to switch to electric vehicles, VW study finds

Research conducted by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has found that 70% of van drivers agree that an EV would be suitable for their business.

According to the research, just one in eight (13%) remain sceptical that a zero-emission powertrain could meet their daily business needs.

Electric vehicle consideration has increased by 40% since the pandemic, according to the results from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ annual survey of 1,000 UK van drivers. In 2019, half of van drivers (50%) reported that an electric vehicle would be suitable for their business, compared with as many as 70% by 2023. Indeed, just 13% of respondents now believe an electric vehicle is unable to meet their business’s needs, compared to almost a quarter of respondents (24%) in 2019.

The London scrappage scheme provides financial assistance of up to £7,500 to eligible enterprises, which have vehicles registered in London, to replace their internal combustion engine van with a fully electric model.

Rob Holdcroft, Head of Network Sales at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “Our research shows that there is clear appetite for electric vehicles, and the new scrappage scheme is a great opportunity for London-based businesses to benefit from significant reductions while reducing on-road emissions and improving London’s air quality. We think it will drastically accelerate the switch to electromobility in the LCV sector.”