When do I need to transition to an electric fleet?
What the LEXperts say
Government deadlines for zero-emission transition remain clear (2030 to 2035) but fleet managers are earning financial and reputational benefits by acting sooner.
Current government targets
Fleet managers can choose to follow the UK government’s example by aiming for a full transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2027 — the target the government set for its own fleet in 2023. The incumbent Labour party continues to support this policy and these dates.
For the wider UK new vehicle market, the government has set a deadline of 2030 for zero-emission EVs to constitute 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans. This will rise to 100% of all vehicles by 2035, as set out in the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate.
The end-of-sale deadlines for new cars align the UK with similar mandates in Germany, France, Sweden, and Canada.
What do fleet managers think?
Given that the switch to EVs is legislated in British law, it’s no surprise to learn that every fleet manager (100%) surveyed in our Future of Transport report said their fleet will ultimately be fully electric.
Given the lack of current government incentives for individual car owners to go fully electric, the onus is on fleet managers to show the way. Siemens Group is a leading voice in this respect. In the past, a lot of the benchmarking for a fleet purchase would have only been “about cost” notes Wayne Warburton, the group’s Head of Mobility Services, whereas now “the focus is more about Co2 levels.” Warburton’s stakeholder group welcomes data around carbon reduction and clean energy.
Benefit-in-kind taxation on company EVs has helped incentivise this early uptake as has the sustainability benefits: Almost two thirds (65%) feel that the transition to EVs will be important in helping the UK reach net zero, while over half (55%) say it is important that the vehicle they drive helps them reduce their environmental impact as much as possible. Reduced running costs (35%) were also cited as a key incentive.
Why wait?
Waiting until 2030 might meet the minimum compliance standard, but it misses the strategic opportunity. Fleets that delay could face a more rushed, reactive transition.
Not every vehicle in a fleet will be ready to switch on day one. Most start by identifying the vehicles that are easiest to electrify. From there, a phased plan based on cost, operational needs, and infrastructure readiness.
By building a strategy now, and starting the transition in phases, fleet managers can secure buy-in, test what works, and prove how EVs can deliver operationally, financially, and sustainably.