69 per cent of company car drivers would go electric, research suggests

A majority of company car drivers in the UK would consider going electric if their employers offered plug-ins, according to new research from Go Ultra Low.

The survey of UK company car drivers commissioned by Go Ultra Low found that employers have the potential to significantly boost the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), with 69 per cent saying they would be ‘likely’ to choose an EV for their next car if given the option.

Based on HMRC data that shows there are currently 940,000 company car driver sin the UK, Go Ultra Low has suggested this amounts to up to 700,000 potential EV drivers.

However, the research also found that only 25 per cent of businesses currently offer EVs to employees. Among these businesses that already offer EVs, employees were more likely to consider an EV, with 86 per cent saying they would be likely to go electric for their next vehicle.

Go Ultra Low launched its ‘Go Ultra Low Companies’ initiative earlier this year to recognise and read businesses taking steps to reduce fleet emissions and is encouraging more UK businesses to offer EVs to their employees.

Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “Fleets and businesses represent the lion’s share of the UK’s new car buyers, so have the potential to shape the market and accelerate the UK automotive market to be entirely ‘ultra-low emission’. As an industry, it is our collective responsibility to give businesses confidence to be bold and realise the multiple benefits that plug-in hybrid and pure electric cars can bring, including cost savings and a carbon footprint reduction.”

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