Electric vehicle adoption: overcoming the barriers part 3 – Choice

Change can be scary, particularly when we don’t feel like we’ve got a choice. For some drivers, the move to electric vehicles can be difficult to accept in the face of government mandates. Like it or not, change is coming. So what can you do to give your employees a sense of control over the move to EVs? Part of the answer is choice. And the good news is, there’s more choice on the market than ever before.

EMPLOYEES NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE WIDE RANGE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

In the past, EV choice was limited. There was the Nissan Leaf – not everyone’s cup of tea – or more expensive makes and models that were out of reach for many drivers. Today, virtually every car manufacturer is focussed on developing models for the electric market. Which has resulted in hundreds of different makes and models of electric vehicles.

Whether your staff want to drive SUVs, sports cars, estates, hatchbacks or smaller cars, there are multiple electric versions available. One website lists over 200 brands featuring 700 electric vehicles!

Helping employees understand the wide range of EVs on offer is key to putting them back in control of their driving experience. And makes them feel confident that there’s something for them.

To translate car choice from the marketplace to your employee car benefit scheme means working with a provider with a large selection of cars. Fail to provide enough choice and you could make the move to an electric fleet only to find your staff aren’t on board.

COMMUNICATION PUTS STAFF IN CONTROL OF EV CHOICE

A wide choice of cars is not sufficient to put your employees in the EV driving seat. Education and communication are also key. Research shows that although 4 out of 10 could name Tesla as an EV brand, the next best known was BMW was listed by 18% of respondents. Other brands struggled to get above 15% recognition.

There’s also a wider lack of knowledge about EVs: in the same survey, only 53% of people knew you could charge an EV from a normal plug socket.

This lack of basic understanding is compounded by the fact that EV technology is moving so fast. It’s hard for people to catch up, let alone keep up, making communication a core component of any organisational move to greener driving.

At Tusker, we’ve launched thousands of car benefit schemes over the years and we recommend:

1. Explaining the context – EVs are going to become a requirement, not a choice; by going electric now, employees can start to make significant savings.
2. Working with a provider who has an easy-to-use online car catalogue staff can search for options that will fit their wallet and lifestyle.
3. Getting your provider to hold a car benefit roadshow – this gives staff the chance to see EVs up close, explore cost, range, charging and anything else they need to know.
4. Creating a plan for ongoing EV communication – the best suppliers will support you with materials to keep the conversation going. By keeping your staff up to date, they’ll have everything they need to make an informed decision when it’s time for them to take up a new car.
5. Including links to useful content in your communications
6. Providing real-life examples – early EV adopter case studies are a fantastic way to showcase the benefits of these cars.

Electric vehicle adoption requires more than board level buy-in: your employees also need to feel confident about EVs. By arming your employees with all the information they need, they’ll feel empowered to make the right choice and will continue to feel engaged by your employee car benefit programme.

If you found part 3 helpful, see below the links to our other chapters:

Part 1: Overcoming the barriers: Cost

Part 2: Overcoming the barriers: Range

Part 4: Overcoming the barriers: Charging

Part 5: Overcoming the barriers: Performance