The switch to EVs is working smoother than expected by fleets, with less impact on vehicle incident management than anticipated.

The report uncovers that over half of non-EV fleet managers expected increase in vehicle downtime due to accidents, yet only a quarter of EV fleet managers saw an increase

A survey by AX of 151 UK fleet managers has revealed that businesses yet to begin the electric vehicle transition anticipate greater effect on vehicle incident management than is realised by businesses which have already electrified.

Highlighted within AX’s white paper on fleet EV adoption, the research uncovers that over half (51.9%) of non-EV fleet managers said that they anticipated an increase in vehicle downtime due to accidents with the introduction of EVs into their fleet. In contrast, just 24.2% of EV fleet managers said that they had realised that increase.

The study also showed that 44.2% of non-EV fleet managers expected an increase in cost of maintenance. However, only 20.2% of fleet managers that had already started EV uptake said the cost of maintenance had risen.

AX said the initial concerns over the effects of EV on incident management among fleets yet to go electric may explain why over a third of UK businesses (34.4%) surveyed by AX haven’t started the process.

Scott Hamilton-Cooper, managing director of AX Automotive, said: “There is clearly a significant discrepancy between the expectation and reality of electrification. Yet, the discrepancy we have identified in our white paper suggests that if businesses are fully informed of how the switch to electric is likely to affect them, then their EV transition journey will be smoother than anticipated.”

AX itself is working to streamline the switch to electric; in November 2021, it launched its AX Motor Assist to provide a new, technology-driven end-to-end accident management service for fleet and leasing companies and their customers. This includes electric vehicle support for fleets making the transition; the company says it was historically the first provider to guarantee EV for EV in the case of a non-fault accident.

To access the AX white paper on ‘Fleet EV Adoption 2022: Are UK businesses adapting to the accelerated electric vehicle revolution?’, please click here.