BT Group PLC (LSE:BT.A), BP PLC (LSE:BP.) and Royal Mail PLC (LSE:RMG) are among a group of major UK companies have banded together to call on Downing Street to support a switchover to more electric vehicles in corporate fleets.
Also including Direct Line Group PLC, Severn Trent (LSE:SVT) PLC, Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO) and ScottishPower, the group says more supportive measures from the government could lead to 70,000 British-made electric vans being bought by 2030.
This one of the conclusions from a report commissioned by the group, which calls itself the Electric Vehicle Fleet Accelerator (EVFA), saying that its recommendations “could unlock private sector investment of £50bn in infrastructure and fleets over next five years”.
The group has called for action government actions including price controls and funding measures for the electricity network infrastructure, fast-tracking EV charging infrastructure in the planning system, increasing capital support for grid reinforcement costs, introducing minimum standards for reliability, safety and interoperability, and expanding the supply of UK-made vehicles.