When researching the status of electrification progress for UK organisations, Drax asked respondents about the information they were basing decisions on. Their findings suggested that valuable information’s in short supply and that organisations are keen to allow others to test the water before taking the electrification plunge themselves.
Only a quarter of surveyed organisations have appointed a provider to help them with electrification planning, fleet conversion or charging infrastructure implementation.
Recognising the challenge but not the solution
While professionals within UK businesses seem to have a good understanding of the benefits electrification can bring, very few are confident enough to commit to investment.
The research found a significant EV-adoption knowledge gap and a perception of limited support content. Many prospective adopters cited a lack of valuable information as a contributing factor to their fear of commitment.
Information gathering
The perceived lack of valuable information doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a shortage of content. Respondents referenced the lack of accredited guidance from central sources of knowledge, suggesting decision makers weren’t sure what advice to trust.
Although several government schemes and incentives exist, the research from Drax also found a lack of awareness or understanding among respondents regarding available support and its potential benefits.
Seeking guidance from early adopters
Driven by their fear of commitment, many organisations are turning to early electrification adopters for guidance. These early adopters – whether they’ve offered advice or not – act as ‘influencers’ for other businesses to learn from, creating a community-driven framework for navigating the EV transition.
Certain respondents were positive about how supportive other fleet professionals had been – but others spoke of a need for more information sharing. Findings showed a definite preference to wait for other organisations to open up and talk about electrification challenges rather than take unnecessary risks.
Low levels of provider engagement
Specialist EV providers – such as charge point installers and fleet transition partners – can help with electrification planning as well as tangible progress.
However, according to the research, only a third of UK businesses said they’d started reviewing providers. Only a quarter said they’d appointed one.
Other cited support
Amongst responses, it was found that fleet professionals are also using other means to gather relevant information and make electrification decisions. These included:
- Setting targets
- Recruiting or designating an internal electrification team
- Attending fleet industry conferences
- Consulting associations
- Carrying out small-scale trials
As it stands, though, word of mouth seems to be the biggest channel for information sharing.
The report, “Driving change: The state of fleet electrification in the UK”, goes into more detail on what’s influencing electrification decisions. It also explores the level of EV transition, the state of the market, what’s motivating fleet professionals and the barriers these professionals face.
It’s based on the results of 405 online surveys and eight in-depth interviews, and you can download your free copy here.
