ROME – According to a new study by Geotab, in Europe 60% of fleets composed of light commercial vehicles could switch to electric vehicles, saving over 156,000 tons of CO2 and more than 260 million euros. The analysis of the global leader in the field of IoT and connected vehicles estimates the impact of the transition to electricity in Europe in environmental and economic terms. The results were obtained using Geotab’s “Electric Vehicle Sustainability Analysis” (Evsa) tool, which anonymously analyzed the driving patterns of 46,000 vehicles connected with internal combustion engines in 17 countries, including Italy, France, Germany , Spain and the United Kingdom. The study, “The value of sustainability: the potential of electrification in European fleets”, examined the operating costs and environmental impact of traditional petrol and diesel light commercial vehicles (passenger cars, SUVs, minivans and Lcvs), comparing them with similar battery versions. Assuming an average life of electric vehicles of 7 years and considering that the combustion of 1 liter of fuel produces about 2.3 kg of CO2, the study shows how the electrification of fleets in Italy would lead to a reduction of over 7 tonnes of CO2 for each vehicle replaced, compared to the European average estimated at over 5 tonnes of exhaust emissions per vehicle less. Furthermore, the total emissions avoided by all vehicles analyzed in Europe would lead to savings of over 1 billion liters of fuel (32,000 tank trucks). According to the data, fleet managers in the Old Continent can expect an average saving of € 9,508.47 per vehicle over a 7-year period. An amount that in Italy can reach 12,035 euros, even without considering the savings deriving from government incentives.
The study also highlights that government incentives, such as discounts on the initial purchase price, can be decisive in allowing companies to switch to electricity in a cost-effective way. Overall, at European level, 60% of vehicles in the fleets examined could replace current vehicles with fully electric ones at a lower total cost of ownership, saving € 261 million over a period of seven. years. “The transition to electricity is a process that has now begun – explained Franco Viganò, director strategic channel development of Geotab and country manager of Geotab Italia – but it is important for companies to fully understand its potential: for this reason, through our research we have wanted to quantify the real benefits, illustrating how these can translate into an important return on investment and at the same time contribute to concretely achieve the objectives in terms of sustainability. The data also showed the important positive impact that government incentives can have on the electrification of fleets. Italy fits precisely in this context: despite the general delay on the electricity market compared to other countries, as shown by recent Unrae data, the approval of the so-called ‘Aid-bis’ decree which has extended eco-incentives also to fleets companies can represent a further push towards the adoption of electric vehicles “. Finally, it should be noted that thanks to the analysis of driving and use patterns, Evsa identifies which existing vehicles are suitable for switching to electric, suggests the best models to replace them with and quantifies the savings for the company in terms of both costs, both of potential reduction of carbon emissions.