The economic benefits of switching to electric
According to the data, fleet managers in Europe can expect an average saving of € 9,508.47 per vehicle (owned) over a 7-year time period. A figure that in Italy can reach 12,035 euros, net of considering the savings deriving from government incentives.
In fact, the report shows that government incentives, such as discounts on the initial purchase price, can be crucial to allow companies to switch to electricity in a cost-effective way. However, it should be considered that such initiatives can vary greatly from country to country, so much so that ten members of the European Union do not envisage them.
Overall, at the European level, 60% of vehicles in the fleets surveyed could replace current vehicles with fully electric ones at a lower total cost of ownership, for an overall saving of € 261 million over a period of seven. years.
Autonomy is not a problem for light vehicles
The analysis highlights that some electric fears are not so real. In fact, with current batteries, electric vehicles are able to meet most of the requirements in terms of range. In the European countries considered by the analysis, in fact, 86% of vehicles are able to guarantee autonomy in at least 98% of the journeys made. This demonstrates how range anxiety, long seen as a factor against the adoption of electric vehicles, is now much less of a concern for the management of light commercial vehicle fleets.
Furthermore, even a small discount can make a big difference: with an incentive equal to an average discount of € 6,500, profitability for electric vehicles in Europe would increase by 9 percentage points.