Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or PHEVs can be a great choice for lowering emissions and reducing fleet costs if full electric is not an option right now. There might not be the right make/model EV available for your business use, or the required charging support in the areas you intend to use the vehicle.

Doing a total cost of ownership (TCO) comparison between your current petrol/diesel fleet use and a switch to EV might show there are no additional costs, so that’s worth doing first. If the higher purchase price of today’s EVs against petrol/diesel equivalents is a concern, don’t forget the lower costs or running and maintaining an electric vehicle.

There may be benefits beyond cost. As public pressure increases and economies around the world continue to de-carbonise, customers may favour businesses that have the foresight to adopt EVs early.

Some of the steps we recommend a business thinks about when switching from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs include:

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  Identify your goals and set a strategy that aligns to them
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  Understanding your current fleet activity
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  Plan your transition
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  Implementation of EVs and infrastructure
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  Track the impacts to adjust and improve

LeasePlan’s EV consultancy framework can help your business, no matter what stage of your transition to EV journey you are on.

A TCO comparison looks at all expenditure associated with each vehicle. Comparing ICE to EVs means different charging types and costs, as well as different service requirements – so it’s not apples to apples. How do you compare costs for KWh to costs for litres per 100km? We recommend some expert advice to help you establish a framework for consistent comparisons and informed choices. LeasePlan’s Start Electric consultancy framework can assist.

Yes – definitely. Drivers will need to understand the new technology in EVs – from starting, acceleration, regenerative braking, new instrument clusters, how and when to charge. LeasePlan and our dealer partners can help you with this. It’s also a great way to make sure your drivers are enthusiastic about the change and help your business successfully switch.

Right now, EV availability in New Zealand is largely limited to passenger vehicles. But wider choices are coming. Global carmakers have electric light-commercial vehicles (LCVs) and even utes with heavy towing capacity in production – led by Tesla’s bold Cybertruck. Even heavy-duty trucks are on an electric pathway, with Daimler, Volvo, Nikola Motors and Tesla among those committed to variations of electric trucks.