According to the leasing giant, the involvement of brands such as Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, BMW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, VW and Ford in the EV market is helping to support credibility and driving interest in the sector.

Paul Hollick, chief commercial officer at Alphabet, commented: ‘From our perspective, the tide is certainly turning in favour of electric vehicles. The recent Autumn Statement (5th December 2013) launched a further £5m investment for public sector fleets to embrace EV technology, while driverless cars are also moving firmly up the agenda. In Norway, the top-selling cars in September and October were electric – the Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf respectively*; all of which suggests that we are reaching a crucial tipping point in terms of EV acceptance.

‘One of the key drivers for change has been the introduction of practical and desirable EV models from respected and trusted mainstream automotive brands. There is still a way to go in terms of charging infrastructure in the UK; however, many of the traditional barriers to EV ownership are now falling, as costs come down and manufacturers invest in battery life and range. We’re confident that, with support from the corporate and public sectors, the adoption of EVs will more than double, from 4,200 to 10,000, over the next three years.’

His comments follow the launch last October of Alphabet’s EV fleet consultancy service, AlphaElectric.

Hollick continued: ‘Following the AlphaElectric launch event at the Saatchi Gallery, 100% of those surveyed said that they would consider adopting EVs as part of their fleet, with many of those planning to do so within the next two years. With the expanding range of plug-in vehicles on the market, a growth in the number of public charging points and further government investment, we’re confident that the UK corporate and public sectors will see strong growth in the adoption of EVs.’

*Opplysningsraadet for Veitrafikken (OFV)

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