3 Sustainability Shifts for a Greener Fleet

QV Team| 01 June 2021

A major influence on the development of the fleet industry is sustainability. Across Europe, multiple factors are combining to push the industry into a more environmentally friendly direction. 

Here are three sustainability shifts to look out for when considering changes for a  green fleet.  

Legislation

In January 2020, new emissions targets came into force in the European Union, establishing new rules for CO2 output and vehicle safety. In the EU, manufacturers will now need to meet stricter targets for the fleet-wide average emissions of new cars and vans in a calendar year. These new emissions targets also provide benefit-in-kind tax bandings which incentivise the uptake of electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles.  

In the UK, a similar incentive is beginning to take place. All over the country, cities are producing plans to develop Clean Air Zones (CAZ). A CAZ is an area where action is taken to improve the air quality, by reducing the amount of vehicle emissions in that space. Vehicles allowed to operate in the CAZ are typically determined by the Euro standard of the vehicle, and also provide a huge incentive to begin utilising an electric or similarly greener vehicle.

The Rise of Electric Vehicles 

By 2025, the BVRLA is aiming to be responsible for 75% of battery electric vehicles  (BEVs) on UK roads. They are aiming to see 400,000 BEVs registered by the same year. 

Battery and electric vehicles are becoming more popular, and with that popularity comes accessibility. National and local authorities are already putting pressure on drivers to reduce fleet emissions. Twenty four European cities are set to ban diesel vehicles by 2030, while VAT incentives are being discussed to further promote the use of electric vehicles. 

There is also growing evidence that electric vehicles make more economic sense. An International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) report found that electric vehicles are significantly less costly to own and maintain than those running on diesel or petrol.

While electric vehicles still make up a small share of the overall market, their growth has been impressive, with 30x more electric vehicles on the road now than eight years ago.

Efficient Sustainability 

Efficient savings associated with a greener approach transport is another large incentive to create a more sustainable fleet. 

There is also strong impetus for fleets to scrutinise driving behaviour, promoting a more eco-friendly to performance behind the wheel reduces costs across fuel and maintenance. 

As sustainability rises in social and commercial importance, fleet managers will need to integrate systems that can track and share data across emissions and driver performance, as well as providing the flexibility they need to allocate vehicles on-demand.

Change on your terms 

Accelerate is the cloud-based fleet management platform that can help you transition to a greener fleet. Built on a single codebase, you can choose the features you need and integrate them into your existing technology stack. 

• Centralise, track and leverage your fleet data to drive efficiency and performance improvements.
• Automate manual tasks to save time, increase your product margins and focus on value add work
• Quickly assess and close deals with automated soft search and credit check functionality to spot issues in advance and improve conversions. 
• Connect seamlessly to the rest of the finance ecosystem, including driver licence checks and risk management.

To find out how QV Systems can position your business for the future of mobility, get in touch with one of our experts today.