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'Future is positive for EVs' in fleet: Hitachi Capital responds to Deloitte survey

By / 13 years ago / Latest News / No Comments

In the Deloitte survey of 4,760 European consumers, it was found that only 16% see themselves as potential first movers to buy or lease an electric vehicle, while 53% say they might be willing to consider it, and 31% say they are not likely to consider purchasing or leasing an EV.

However, Hitachi Capital has responded by drawing a distinction between consumer interest and corporate interest in EVs.

The leasing and fleet management firm says that with a lack of household charging infrastructure nationwide and the high purchase price, it’s understandable that only 16% of consumers could see themselves as potential EV owners.

But it adds that for companies considering EV fleets, the future is looking much brighter.

Phil Peace, director of sales, said: 'To quote the results of our own EV-related research, 43% of the delegates who completed the post-event survey following our recent Customer Forum said that they are currently considering adding electric vehicles to their fleet. It might just offer a snapshot of opinion of EVs across UK fleet, but from our perspective we’re prepared to say the future is positive.'

He added that manufacturers are committed to electric vehicle technology and we will see range increase and charging times decrease as the technology continues to receive investment.

And Mr Peace also said that leasing providers have an important role to play in encouraging take-up by offering solutions that make electric vehicles an affordable option.

He commented: 'One option is to work with customers to drive down costs by dual branding vehicles, and therefore subsidising cost. “Range anxiety” is as much a concern for fleets as it is for consumers, and we’re working to address this with our own customers by developing a solution in which electric vehicle drivers could have access to a low cost fuel-powered car for a few weeks a year.'

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