“Thank you for listening, thank you for responding, but there is still a LOT of work to do.” That was BVRLA Chief Executive Toby Poston’s message to Government as he opened the association’s annual Fleets in Charge Conference in Westminster last week.
The annual conference brought together over 200 industry professionals, stakeholders and BVRLA members. Across keynotes, panels and networking opportunities, they were able to explore the positive steps in decarbonisation over the last 12 months, while exploring the remaining solutions that are sought.
As part of the event, Toby discussed some of the key challenges members are facing with Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for the Future of Roads. In response, the Minister emphasised that the Government has heard the views of the sector, that efforts are ongoing and progress is being made.
Following the launch of the latest edition of the Road to Zero Report, a host of expert voices took to the stage to discuss the respective policies that are influencing the new and used markets. Thomas McLennan of the BVRLA, Maria Bengtsson of EY, Steve Young of ICDP, and Ben Nelmes of New AutoMotive looked at global tariffs, local policies, how the two can coexist and where they risk creating turbulence.
Panels, chaired by Katie Lacey of Autotrader and Gerry McCaig of Nexus Vehicle Rental, then delved into hard-to-reach user groups and used BEVs respectively. Across cars and vans, the panels looked at how the UK market compares to other regions, where early adoption has been successful, and where lessons could be learned to enable further uptake.
Lisa Brankin from Ford Motor Company joined Toby Poston to look at the role of OEMs in supporting fleets in the transition to zero-emission and connected vehicles. As vehicles get better connected, where the responsibility lies for keeping them on the road and maintained effectively is an increasingly hot topic, with some of the implications tabled during the conversation.
Bringing proceedings to a close at this year’s Fleets in Charge Conference was a spotlight on skills. Chaired by Vincent St Claire of Fleet Assist, a selection of sector experts explored how the aftermarket is evolving in line with the car parc.
That session followed a keynote from Dr James Richardson of the Climate Change Committee. His data-led presentation looked at what can be done at a household and business level to reduce carbon emissions and support the Road to Zero.
The 2025 Conference was supported by The AA, Autotrader, Fleet Assist, Octopus Electric Vehicles, and Nexus Rental. Details of activity for 2026 will be shared with members in due course. If you are interested in being part of the programme in 2026, contact [email protected].
View photos and video from the Conference on the BVRLA’s Flickr channel: BVRLA Fleets in Charge Conference 2025.
