Seven major British companies, – bp, BT, Direct Line Group, Royal Mail, ScottishPower, Severn Trent and Tesco – have come together to form the Electric Vehicle Fleet Accelerator (EVFA), which will work to help accelerate the mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the UK.

The EVFA has released a report outlining a series of urgent actions needed from both industry and Government to deliver the targets.

The EVFA grew from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Build Back Better Business Council. It brings together CEOs of companies that own and operate some of the largest van fleets in the UK and companies involved with infrastructure, EV charging, retail and insurance and repair.  

The report details how supportive Government policy could help unlock private sector investment of £50 billion in infrastructure and in electric fleets in the UK over the next five years.

If the Government delivers on this agenda, the EVFA members have committed to converting the fleets involved to electric vehicles by 2030 and to buying British - buying 70,000 British-built vans by 2030 or sooner.

They hope this clear statement of intent will act as a stimulus and help spur the investment decisions needed to develop EV van manufacturing in the UK.

The EVFA members believe this electrification of fleet vehicles can have much wider benefits beyond their businesses, catalysing the mass adoption of EVs in the UK.

The upgrading of the grid and expanding national charging networks will build wider confidence in using EVs. And, as fleets and businesses account for 60% of new vehicle registrations, their electrification will also build and drive an active second-hand market – the main vehicle market for most consumers.  

If the infrastructure and frameworks are put in place to enable this, the companies believe wider customer demand can shift towards EVs sooner than is currently expected.

The report's recommendations focus on four key areas: Future-proofing the electricity network infrastructure; Enabling the UK-wide rollout of charging infrastructure; overcoming demand obstacles; and Expanding the supply of UK-made vehicles.

Bernard Looney, chief executive, bp: “Government and businesses working together can act as a catalyst to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles throughout the UK. This report from the EVFA highlights the points where Government policy can unlock private sector investment to deliver the necessary charging infrastructure, overcome fleet demand obstacles and create vehicle manufacturing capacity.

“bp is committed to playing our part. We are growing our bp pulse charging network across the UK, aiming to double its size by 2030. Working closely with Government and partners, we can support and enable the transformation of transport in the UK.”