630,000 electric vehicles deployed by EV100 companies

630,000 cars and vans have been switched to electric across 71 global markets by EV100 organisations, a new report has revealed.  
 
The report from the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, which aims to drive the demand for EVs by getting some of the biggest fleet owners in the world to commit to the transition, outlines that over the last 12 months, 231,000 vehicles were switched to EVs. This is a jump of 57% from last year, showing that the 128 EV100 members continue to match their ambition with action.
 
In a further sign of commitment to the future of road transport as electric, members of the corporate initiative have installed over 35,000 EV chargers at 3,442 different locations worldwide, with 5,000 coming online in the last year alone. This means over half of charging units the businesses have committed to installing are already operational.
 
EV100 members have committed to run 5.45 million EVs by 2030. To meet the scale and speed of their demand, Climate Group urges automakers to increase the variety and availability of affordable EVs for company fleets.
 
To speed up the transition, support from policymakers is vital, Climate Group said. Governments worldwide need to urgently build out public charging networks, and work in partnership with pioneering businesses who are already running EVs, to ensure investment in infrastructure is targeted at locations of greatest need.  
 
Other measures, like clear phase-out dates for petrol and diesel vehicles and implementing measures such as zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandates and CO2 standards, will further allow businesses to invest with confidence in fully electric options.
 
Now in its sixth year, EV100 has grown from an initial group of 10 businesses in 2017 to a group of 128 EV pioneers, continually raising their ambition on the way to going fully electric by 2030.
 
Sandra Roling, Director of Transport, Climate Group, says: “Businesses continue to lead the EV charge. Year on year, we’re seeing more ambition and it’s translating into real change, with more EVs deployed in the last 12 months by EV100 members than across any other.  
 
“Yet there’s more work to be done to make the transition truly global, despite our network spanning 71 countries already. We’re seeing ambition rapidly translate into action in leading countries where the right policy context has been created. But companies still face challenges in less advanced markets where EVs are difficult to obtain and charging infrastructure is lacking.”
 
Matt Helgeson, Head of Sustainability, Siemens USA, adds: "We're encouraged by the results of the Climate Group's report and the progressive transition to electrified transportation. Along with our partners at EV100, Siemens has committed to electrify our fleet across the globe by 2030.
 
“With so many others setting similar goals there is a significant need to ensure the infrastructure is in place to support this transition, so we are also investing in manufacturing EV chargers and technologies to advance the future of accessible and interoperable electrified transport."