A free advice service that could help SMEs save thousands of pounds by switching to electric vehicles has gone live in the North East.

The Fleet Revolution programme offers a free advice service for SMEs looking to switch to EVs

Dubbed Fleet Revolution, the support programme is available to SMEs that are registered in County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland, and predicts that each firm could make annual fuel savings of £2,000 per fleet vehicle.

The initiative is being run by Urban Foresight as part of the Go Ultra Low NE initiative led by the North East Joint Transport Committee. It’s funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), and will provide eligible SMEs with up to 12 hours of dedicated support, tailored to their specific needs from a selection of workshops, roadshows, fleet reviews and bespoke consultancy advice.

Councillor Martin Gannon, chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee, said: “We are seeing more and more businesses make the switch to EVs and it comes as no surprise considering the money saving incentives on offer.

“The Fleet Revolution support programme is designed to educate local SMEs, no matter how big or small, in the options available for their business, guiding them through the possibilities EVs can bring, not only to their business, but to their employees.”

For more details on the Fleet Revolution programme, please contact fleetrev@urbanforesight.org or call 0191 495 7350.