- Pictured above at the i247 Group organised round table are (L-R): Claire Miller – Independent Advisor, Mobility & energy; Edmund King OBE – AA; Chris Horbowyj – Targa Viasat UK. Photo: Alastair Hilton.
A GROUP of automotive experts gathered for a round table discussion on ‘Fleet sustainability – beyond EV’. The key takeaway from the event, which took place on 12 March 2025, was that a radical review of fleet management is needed.
i247 Group organised the event to help drive real change in fleet sustainability, reinforcing its commitment to the industry’s greener future. Hosted by Enso Tyres, a tyre technology company that makes EV tyres that extend range and reduce tyre pollution, at London’s County Hall Sustainability Centre, the 11-member panel debated how fleets can go beyond electrification to achieve deeper decarbonisation.
The independently chaired discussion included panellists such as Edmund King OBE, President of the AA, Catherine Bowen, Head of Decarbonisation and Future Mobility at the BVRLA, and Paul Hollick, Chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals and Philip Wilbraham, who is Managing Director Pendragon Vehicle Management amongst other notable panellists.
The round table identified critical areas for more sustainable fleet management including: fleet right-sizing, the importance of driver education, embracing technology, and collaborating with supply chain partners to revisit existing fleet management approaches.
Fleet Right Sizing
Optimising the number of fleet vehicles and maximising utilisation were identified as quick wins to reduce environmental impact. The panel highlighted that both fleet operators and drivers need to understand the impact of travel on the environment and business costs:
Why have we still got the same number of journeys now as we did before Covid when more people are working from home? I think there is a broader, higher-level transportation and logistics question we need to address. Not enough is being done about the purpose of the journey and I think for individual consumers as well as fleets, that is a big question.
Edmund King OBE, AA
Maximising Technology – The Role of Telematics and AI in Sustainable Fleets
Utilising new technology was identified as key to supporting more efficient fleet operations. Telematics can provide valuable insights into fleet utilisation and vehicle health, enabling businesses to measure performance and identify areas for improvement according to James Hopkins, Strategy Director, Enso Tyres:
“Even if you decarbonise a vehicle at the tailpipe, there are still all these things you can do to reduce the environmental impact. For example, ENSO is focused on helping EV fleets address the issue of particulate matter pollution from tyres. And those core principles hold true, whether it’s an internal combustion engine or EV fleet. Good processes and practices are key, which takes us to telematics data, education and driving behaviour.”
Les Kerjenski, Technical Director, i247 Group also believes that embracing AI is core to sustainable fleet practices:
“I believe there’s a massive part for AI and telematics technology to play in predicting when a vehicle might need a repair and being more proactive in that advice. Understanding that a vehicle is not performing optimally or has a certain component that will potentially fail in the near term is critical fleet information. Using that data will mean more efficient vehicles on the road which also drives commercial benefits through increased fleet uptime.”
Driver Education and Training Will Improve Fleet Sustainability
A lack of driver understanding and the impact of driving behaviours was highlighted as an issue for fleets. As an example, almost a decade ago, AA telematics identified that its patrol vans were regularly left idling – raising awareness of that behaviour and driving styles saved the business over £1 million in fuel in the following year and reduced its carbon emissions.
Whilst many fleets and drivers think going electric ticks the sustainability box, the BVRLA’s Catherine Bowen commented on the importance of going further:
Part of the BVRLA’s role is to educate our members and their fleet partners. The government is focusing on energy security and considering vehicle to grid (V2G) solutions, where fleets will again play a critical role. We have to ensure that works for fleets and drivers alike. Education is so important. We’ve seen a lot of gamification in the energy space to promote smarter use of energy, but there is more we can do to bring fleet drivers on the decarbonisation journey. How can we make it fun and creative?
Catherine Bowen Head of Decarbonisation and Future Mobility for the BVRLA
Cross Sector Collaboration
A more holistic approach across the entire supply chain was identified as crucial – looking at the whole operation, from glass through to tyre choice and maintenance. Managing Director of Pendragon Vehicle Management, Philip Wilbraham’s view was that collaboration will be vital to a greener future for the sector:
“If we’re not creative enough as an industry, we risk missing a huge opportunity. Let’s be bold and challenge ourselves to explore new ideas. Some may not work, but the ones that do can drive real impact. That’s why sharing success stories across the industry is so valuable—when we get it right, we not only advance sustainability but also create meaningful progress.”
David Legg, Director at i247 Group, explains why the round table output is so important:
“i247 Group is delighted that the round table was such a success. Bringing the breadth of the fleet industry together to debate sustainability is so important right now as we’re going through a historic period for our sector. My thanks to the panellists for sharing much needed insight for fleets as we move towards lessening their future environmental impact.”
A report of the key findings from the round table is being created by i247 Group and will be available shortly. The report will be made available on the i247 Group website and is designed to support businesses and small fleets with practical advice on creating sustainable fleet strategies. The business is also considering holding future events.
The Editor of FleetandLeasing.com, Ralph Morton, chaired the round table.
Panel Participants At The Round Table On Fleet Sustainability
- Edmund King OBE, President of the AA
- James Hopkins, Strategy Director, Enso Tyres
- Paul Hollick, Chair, Association of Fleet Professionals
- Chris Horbowyj, Commercial Director, Targa Viasat UK
- Claire Miller, Independent Advisor, Mobility & energy
- Samantha Harrison, Autoglass, Head of Commercial B2B
- Philip Wilbraham, Managing Director, Pendragon Vehicle Management
- Patrick Cresswell, Managing Director, ClearWatt
- Emma Courtney, Motability Operations, Head of Insurance
- Catherine Bowen, Head of decarbonisation and future mobility, BVRLA
- Les Kerjenski, Technical Director, i247 Group
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