Utility firm EDF is accelerating the shift to pure electric vehicles on its inhouse fleet under a new ‘EV First’ campaign with Arval.

EDF’s EV First campaign is designed to highlight the advantages of choosing an EV over a PHEV

Back in 2017, the French energy giant committed to switching to its entire car fleet to electric vehicles by 2030 under the EV100 initiative and in Q2 2020 it introduced a new policy for its 400 company cars in the UK, providing a range of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to support this.

However, its new EV First campaign pushes even harder towards pure EV adoption, encouraging employees to seriously consider an EV at the first replacement opportunity.

The campaign was conceived by Paul Limbrick, fleet transport manager, who explained: “We could have met our EV100 commitment simply by continuing with the new choice list, but after its introduction, EDF introduced a new company purpose ‘Helping Britain to Achieve Net Zero’, while the Government also stated that accelerating the shift to zero emissions vehicles was part of its new plan for a green industrial revolution, so we decided to go a step further.

“EV First is designed to highlight the advantages of choosing an EV over a PHEV, from both a driver Benefit-in-Kind taxation and an environmental point of view.”

The campaign includes a range of material for drivers to make the benefits as clear as possible, including information about improved EV ranges and the growth of the charging network, including workplace facilities at EDF locations.

It’s expected to have a big impact on driver EV awareness and company car choices.

“Analysis of the orders placed over the last year revealed a fairly equal split between EVs and PHEVs, with the latter being slightly ahead, but with the launch of EV First, we expect this to really start skewing towards EVs,” continued Limbrick.

“Reaction from our drivers to their EV and PHEV choices has been very good. They are enthusiastic about the vehicles and they certainly appreciate the savings that are possible from reducing their BIK, which for some drivers equates to thousands of pounds every year.”

The EV First campaign also incorporates Arval’s ‘One EV for One Tree’ initiative, where the company commits to plant a tree for every EV added to the fleet.

“It’s a really good initiative and, in addition to achieving our own electrification commitment and company purpose, it’s satisfying to know that Arval is very much on the same page as EDF from a corporate social responsibility perspective,” added Limbrick.

The new campaign is the latest work by EDF and Arval under the firms’ ongoing partnership.

Arval UK commercial director Paul Hyne said: “Our team has been working collaboratively with EDF for the last four years, providing advice to support the company’s objectives and their journey to zero-emission mobility. We’ve shaped the construction of the new low-emissions choice list together, as well everything from helping create new policy documents to providing support to the EV First initiative.

“It’s a long-term partnership which will ensure that EDF is several steps ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel engines.”