Fleet Charging Guide 2022

The fleet industry is the lifeblood feeding the vital organs of the UK economy and society. It is the trucks taking parts to our factories and stock to our supermarkets; the vans delivering parcels to our SMEs and plumbers to our houses; the cars delivering key workers to their place of work and holidaymakers to their destinations.

These fleets – BVRLA members and their customers - are leading the transition to zero emission road transport. They operate in every town, city and region of the UK and many of them will convert all their vehicles to electric well ahead of the 2030 phase out target for banning the sale of new diesel or petrol cars and vans.

Access to fast, affordable, reliable, accessible and secure charging infrastructure is the biggest concern that organisations and drivers face when planning for their electric future. Fleets operate a wide range of vehicles in a wide variety of ways and there is no one-size fits all charging solution.

Getting the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time will require close collaboration between everyone in the electric vehicle ecosystem, including drivers, fleet operators, charge point operators (CPOs), distribution network operators (DNOs), local authorities (LAs) and national government.

To facilitate this process, the BVRLA’s Fleet Charging Guide provides a high-level overview of how and where fleets charge and makes some recommendations on where the collaboration should focus.

Matching types of provision to emerging gaps in infrastructure

• The Government should conduct a regular review on whether private CPOs are filling gaps in public charging provision
• LAs and DNOs should work with the private sector to explore ways of mutualising the cost of grid connections
• The Government should provide national guidance for LAs and CPOs on how different vehicle ‘dwell times’ impact charge point requirements

Building trust in the reliability of infrastructure

• LAs should encourage the installation of more than one or two charge points in busy locations where reliability or redundancy is a key factor
• LAs and CPOs should set enforceable service level agreements
• LAs should require CPOs to provide dynamic data on charge point status and performance

Ensuring consistent ease of access

• Government funding should only be available for charge points that are secure and accessible for a variety of vehicle types
• The Government should provide LAs with guidance on specific requirements for charge point users with disabilities
• Government funding should incentivise charge points that support contactless or fuel card payments

Creating a future framework for decisions based on user need

• LAs should have an obligation to engage with fleets on future as well as present charge point provision
• LAs should work with DNOs, CPOs, fleets, regional transport boards and other stakeholders to promote regular engagement and sharing of data
• LAs should endeavour to establish a ‘whole organisation’ (planning, sustainable transport, economic development, parking, etc) view of charging requirements across their region

The BVRLA is aiming to ensure as many policymakers as possible read and consider the findings of the Fleet Charging Guide. To help, members can use the below tools to spread the word to their own local authority contacts. 

Write to your Councillor

Asking your local councillors to share the report with the council is an effective way to engage with the local authorities on the charging infrastructure needed in that area.

The following sets out how to write to your councillors about this issue:

• You can find the details of your local councillor/s and how to contact them by entering your business' postcode on the Write To Them website.
• Personalising your letter is a great way of showcasing your knowledge and passion about the topic. You could include some examples of charging challenges your company has experienced in the local area.
• We've produced a template letter you can use to write to your councillor/s below. Please make sure you complete any blanks and add your personalisation. 
• Please let us know if you have written to your councillor as it will help us with our own outreach work to local authorities too. You can do this really simply by forwarding a copy of the email you have sent to your councillor to the BVRLA Policy and Public Affairs Team (policy@bvrla.co.uk)

Template Councillor Letter