Features
6 Feb 19

EV100: 31 multinationals commit to going electric

EV100 has convinced 31 major corporates to electrify their fleets, a first report states. Initiated by The Climate Group, EV100 aims to electrify 2 million vehicles by 2030.

The Climate Group is a global non-profit organisation working with business and governments to address climate change. In September 2017, it launched EV100, an initiative to make EVs the ‘new normal’ by 2030, specifically aimed at big corporates as the engines for change. “The technology is ready”, Sandra Roling (EV100) recently told Fleet Europe.

 

 

$500 billion
Published this weekend, The Climate Group’s first report on EV100 reveals the 31 companies that have made EV commitments. The 31 major companies represent a combined annual revenue of more than $500 billion. Together, they have committed to electrifying 215,000 vehicles across their operations by 2030.

When realised, these commitments will prevent the emission of more than 7 million metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of the carbon footprint of 2 million European households. At present, just 10,000 vehicles have already been switched to EVs (either full-electric BEVs, PHEVs, extended-range EVs or hydrogen fuel-cell EVs).

High-profile names
Based in Europe, India, China, Japan, the U.S. and New Zealand, the 31 companies include such high-profile names as Baidu, Pacific Gas & Electric, HP,  Deutsche Post, Vattenfall, IKEA, Unilever, EDF and Heathrow Airport. 

Thanks to LeasePlan’s commitment to electrify not just its own employee fleet (by 2021) its customer fleets (of 1.8 million vehicles in total), EV100 boasts the ambitious target of electrifying a total of 2 million vehicles by 2030. 

Transport is a rapidly growing contributor to climate change, with emissions increasing by 2.5% per year, the report states. As a consequence, 93% of children worldwide are breathing toxic air.

Greenhouse gas
Of the 23 members cited in the report, 95% said greenhouse gas reduction was a major driver for their EV commitment, with 80% mentioning the fight against air pollution as a motivation. Other drivers: reputational and financial benefits, plus the chance to be a leader in the energy transition. 

No less than 82% of EV100 members are already using renewable energy for their EV charging. However, the companies also identify some barriers to electrification, notably the general lack of EV charging infrastructure. 

Nevertheless, the shift to electric mobility is speeding up, with more than 3 million EVs worldwide on the road in 2017, up 50% over the previous year. More than a dozen countries have pledged to phase out the sale of new fossil-fuel cars, and the number of EV models is expected to double by 2022. 

Battery pack
Further acceleration is expected by then. At that point, battery pack costs, which have already fallen by 85% since 2010, will have dropped further, leading to cost parity between EVs and fossil-fuel vehicles. 

Via EV100, member companies have made commitments that will give access to EV charging to over 630,000 of their employees by 2030. "I encourage business leaders around the world to make the switch to electric vehicles,” says LeasePlan CEO Tex Gunning. “This is one of the simplest things we can all do to help tackle climate change."

Authored by: Frank Jacobs