Electric vehicles (EVs) can benefit your company in so many ways. As zero-emission vehicles, EVs can help significantly reduce particulate levels in your workplace. They can certainly fast-track your organisation’s carbon emissions reduction targets.
Financially, EVs can also benefit your company’s bottom line. They can help save you a lot of money on petrol and diesel fill-ups. You also won’t have to worry about regular oil changes and maintenance.
Here are 7 advantages to using electric vehicles for your company:
1. It’s economical to own an electric vehicle
One of the biggest challenges for early EV adopters was the high price of converting to electric vehicles. At the time, there just weren’t enough sellers offering EVs to consumers and businesses. This kept prices from becoming more competitive. Today, many still think of EVs as being expensive luxury vehicles.
But recent developments in EV technology have made it more affordable to buy electric vehicles than before. Now, companies and individuals can switch to a fleet of EVs without breaking the bank.
The money that you invest in electric vehicles today will help you save more in the long run. For one, EVs are cheaper to drive than traditional ICE cars. In Australia, refuelling an ICE vehicle can cost upwards of $100 each time based on a typical cost of $1.50 for a litre of petrol. Recharging an EV, on the other hand, will only cost you a fraction of a dollar using power from the electricity grid.
Want to take the cost-saving benefits up a notch? Try adding a renewable energy system to your workplace. It will let you charge your electric vehicles without worrying about a ballooning power bill. You can install solar panels or even a solar roof. Electricity generated by the renewable system can also power your wider business operations.
2. EVs are cheaper to maintain than petrol vehicles
Unlike petrol and diesel vehicles, battery-operated EVs don’t need oil to run. They also have fewer moving parts. That means you won’t have to spend a fortune on regular oil changes and maintenance. That can result in significant savings, especially if your company operates a large fleet of vehicles.
3. Electric cars are easier to drive with far less noise
Many people find it easier and more pleasant to drive an electric vehicle than a petrol or diesel model. This is because EVs don’t need gears. No gears means that EVs ride more smoothly and can accelerate more quickly than any traditional, geared vehicle.
Need proof? Just check out how some coal mining professionals reacted to driving an EV for the first time.
The electric motors on EVs also don’t generate loud noise or heat like petrol or diesel engines do. That means quieter, cooler and more pleasant job sites for your entire operation, especially in underground or other closed environments.
4. You can enjoy various tax credits for owning EVs
With the UN’s Race to Zero campaign underway, countries around the world are more sensitive about their carbon emission levels. To help meet their emissions targets, some governments have introduced tax credits to help convince people to switch to renewables. One such incentive is for owning and driving electric vehicles.
In Australia, the federal government provides a lower Luxury Car Tax on fuel-efficient vehicles including EVs. For most other vehicles, the threshold is set at $69,152 for the 2021-22 financial year. But for electric vehicles and other fuel-efficient cars, the threshold is over 15% higher at $79,659.
State governments also offer their own incentives for using fuel-efficient vehicles. In the Australian Capital Territory, for example, people who buy brand new EVs pay $0 stamp duty for their initial purchase. New or used electric car owners also get to register their vehicles for free for two years.
Meanwhile, in Queensland, electric and hybrid vehicle owners pay lower stamp duty compared to other car owners.
In the UK, people who drive fuel-efficient cars are given a cleaner vehicle discount for the London Congestion Charge. The incentive is offered to those whose vehicles meet Euro 6 standards and do not emit more than 75g/km of CO2. Their cars must also have a minimum 20 miles zero emission capable range. Plans are in the works to change to policy to make it exclusively for owners of battery-operated EVs.
5. Driving an electric vehicle is better for the environment
This one is simple. EVs don’t produce carbon emissions. This makes them a green choice compared to petrol or diesel engine vehicles.
This goes beyond just the fuel your EV isn’t burning. Since electric vehicles don’t rely on fossil fuels, they also help cut well-to-wheel emissions or upstream emissions. These refer to the air pollution produced during the process of extracting oil and refining it into fuel. Well-to-wheel emissions also factor in the pollution from the transport of fuel products to gas stations.
6. Switching to EVs fast-tracks your company’s emissions targets
World governments aren’t the only ones taking part in the UN’s Race to Zero campaign. Private companies are also doing their part in helping reduce carbon emissions in their workplaces.
If you’ve set your emissions targets, using electric vehicles can help you meet these goals a lot quicker. Having a fleet of EVs instead of petrol or diesel engine cars can significantly cut emissions from your day-to-day operations. You and your workers can make the daily commute without worrying about adding to the air pollution.
You can also fast-track your targets even further by using renewable sources of energy to power your EVs. Having a network of wind- or solar-based energy capture systems will reduce your reliance on the electricity grid.
7. Having a fleet of electric vehicles is great for your brand
Let’s face it: electric vehicles are just cool to look at and fun to drive. This isn’t just about the aesthetics of the vehicles. If you see a person drive up with an EV, you know that they take the issue of carbon emissions seriously. They’re doing their part in helping reduce carbon emissions and air pollution by switching to zero emission vehicles.
Imagine what that kind of commitment can do for your organisation. That positive reputation from being an environmentally friendly brand multiplies, depending on the number of green technologies you’re using. You might even think of having your company become a B Corporation, a new kind of business that balances the “triple bottom line” of people, planet and profit.
Make the switch
Using electric vehicles is just one of the many ways you can turn your company greener. You can also do a lot of other things to create a positive impact on the environment.
By committing to renewables, you’re committing your organisation to the ideals of net zero. Not only are you making the current world more liveable, but you’re also helping create a better future for the next generation. At the same time, you’re providing a better, safer work environment for your employees right now, while saving thousands on fuel and maintenance costs.
If your business currently relies on a fleet of light vehicles, contact VivoPower today. Our Tembo line of Electric Cruisers and Electric HLXs are perfect for mining and other rugged industrial applications. They are 100% battery-operated EVs with the same power of diesel engines but without the harmful carbon emissions.
We also have a full suite of sustainable energy solutions (SES) to help you achieve your emissions targets.
