Fleet operators could cut their fleet running costs by an average of £486,000 if they replaced ten per cent of their vehicles with electric models, according to a study by the Transport Research Laboratory for British Gas.
TRL analysed data from 201 fleets, totalling 221,000 vans and 263,000 cars and found that the move would also save 1,650 tonnes are carbon dioxide a year.
A 50 per cent conversion to electric vehicles would lead to an average annual saving of £2.43m.
British Gas is the preferred supplier of electric vehicle charging systems for a number of major manufacturers including Nissan, Renault, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, Toyota, and Vauxhall.
The study found that not only is electricity cheaper per mile, but electric vehicles need less frequent servicing. Other advantages include: reduced taxes, lower VED and no London congestion charge.
Colin Marriott, general fleet manager at British Gas, said: “Electric vehicles offer us so many benefits as a business that we’re introducing them into our own fleet and aim to have 1,400 by 2015 as part of our drive to reduce fleet carbon emissions by 25 per cent.”
