We’ve been speaking to experts ABB on the future of EVs within the company fleet and lease sector…

Q. You have plans to completely replace your fleet of over 500 vehicles to an E-Fleet by 2025, with plans announced last autumn, what led to this decision and how are you progressing with this?

At ABB, we are very proud of our green credentials and we offer a number of products to help our customers reduce their carbon footprints. We have similar goals and for ABB in the UK our business mileage is the second highest contributor to our overall carbon footprint.

By switching to a fully electric fleet, we expect to reduce this by around 20%. To the end of June, we have electrified 119 vehicles, with another 59 vehicles on order, so we are well on track for our 2025 target. Having only launched the policy at the end of last summer, we are delighted with the progress we have made so far.

Q. ABB has been working on electric car charging infrastructure for over ten years, how has this progressed since then and how has it enabled further uptake of electric vehicles?

Ten years ago, chargers for public use were typically delivering around 50 kW. There is still a use case for this type of charger, outside supermarkets, shopping centres and other car parks with a high turnover of vehicles, as well as companies with fleets of commercial vehicles. Motorway (en-route) charging has got faster, with chargers delivering 150 kW+.

When combined with a vehicle with an 800 V battery, like the Porsche Taycan and the soon-to-be-launched Hyundai and Kia models, our 350 kW chargers can now charge a car’s battery to 80% in under 20 minutes and we can see this dropping to as little as ten minutes in the not-to-distant future.

We have also introduced DC chargers to our range that can charge two vehicles in parallel and offer pantograph chargers for buses. Add in our AC range for domestic and workplace charging and we really do offer solutions for any use case. From the deployment of our first 50 kW charger in Europe less than 11 years ago, there are now over 20,000 of our DC chargers installed in 86 countries all over the world.

Q. What are the main considerations for firms choosing between purchasing and renting electric vehicles?

In many respects, the consideration are the same as they are when choosing petrol and diesel cars. However, the market is fast moving at the moment, with new models being released on a regular basis. This may tempt firms to go down the leasing route to remove the fear of missing out on newer technology in a quickly evolving market.

Q. How has your work at ABB supported the further development of electric vehicles, particularly with regards to your research and developments programmes?

We are founding members of the CHAdeMO and CCS bodies, which develop and harmonise charging standards. We also work with a number of major OEMs for buses, trucks and cars which mutually benefits both parties, with our knowledge of charging standards and technology and their development of EVs with larger batteries and longer ranges, capable of faster charging.

Installing new EV chargers at homes and premises are a key part of this, what are the opportunities for the supply chain on projects such as these? The opportunities are numerous and large. Changes to the building regulations, which are expected to be published by the end of this year, will mandate the installation of EV chargers in most new residential and commercial buildings.

This means there will be more work for installers and wholesalers of EV chargers, as well as manufacturers and Charge Point Operators (CPOs). Of course, it is not just the chargers themselves that will be bought and installed. Peripheral products will be needed, such as distribution boards and protective devices, earth rods, cables and ducting etc.

Q. What are the key messages ABB is sharing at the Key Steps & EV Charging Opportunities for Fleet & Lease EV?

You may feel that you are not yet ready to move to an e-fleet. Maybe you think the range of current EVs is insufficient or that there is not enough access to reliable chargers. Our aim is to use our own experience as a working example of how things might be done, to reassure you that it is not as daunting as you might think and we can help to arrive at a model that works for you.

A number of my colleagues, who are not directly involved in EV charging, have contacted me to say how they were reluctant to drive an EV, but now would not go back to a car with an internal combustion engine; or that they were nervous about travelling long distances and being left miles from home without access to a working charger, but now they have done it and found a number of networks that they can rely upon, they have confidence, and pride, in driving their EV.

And finally, for those firms that have already made the moral decision to switch, but are concerned about the financial impact, the total cost of ownership of an EV is already less than for an ICE car. There are tax breaks for firms who switch, as well as savings on company car tax for the EV driver, so everyone wins.