ACCORDING to the latest research from leasing provider Arval through its Mobility Observatory Barometer, environmental considerations are pushing fleets towards electric vehicle uptake.
This time last year when the question was asked, 31% of fleets said environmental reasons were responsible for driving EV uptake. This year it has ticked up to 32%.
No doubt Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies are behind the environmental push, although attractive driver benefit in kind taxation rates is another key driver, a fact also borne out by the research.
In second place for EV adoption was lower fuel expenses, named by 31% of respondents against 29% in 2025.
John Peters, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “Environmental impact was also the top response when this question was asked last year. The key reason for electrification is obviously for transport to play its part in carbon dioxide emissions reduction and our results show fleets remain keenly mindful of that fact.
“It’s also notable that fuel costs are so prominent in the research. This has clearly become a much more urgent issue in recent months and fleets are increasingly aware of the day-to-day savings possible through electric vehicle (EV) adoption compared to petrol and diesel.”
Several other factors mentioned by fleets in answer to this question have shown substantial increases on last year’s responses.
- Adopting EVs to fulfil employee requests is up from 20% to 30%;
- taking advantage of tax benefits, up from 23% to 28%;
- improving company image through EV, up from 24% to 30%;
- and the ability to drive in low emissions zones up from 20% to 24%.
Peters added: “All of these, in one way or another, are reflective of growing awareness among fleets and their drivers of advantages provided by electrification. These vehicles offer lower tax, can be used in a wider range of urban areas, and project a positive image of your organisation to customers.
“It’s especially interesting that there has been such a sharp rise in employee interest. There is quite a lot of both formal research and informal feedback that few drivers who switch to EVs would want to go back to petrol or diesel, and this is perhaps evidence that message is spreading.”
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