{"id":133368,"date":"2019-09-16T12:21:11","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T11:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chrisw92.sg-host.com\/?p=133368"},"modified":"2024-04-24T21:54:41","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T20:54:41","slug":"eco-cars-electric-vehicle-charging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/realbusiness.co.uk\/eco-cars-electric-vehicle-charging","title":{"rendered":"The rise of eco cars: Why SMEs should consider electric vehicle charging"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Eco-friendly vehicles such as electric cars are on the rise, not only among consumers but among businesses. Indeed, the government has forecast that by 2025 there will be <\/span>three million<\/b><\/a> electric vehicles on roads in the UK. And, across Europe, an impressive 67% of vehicles sold will be electric by 2040.<\/span><\/p>\n

?Demand for electric cars, both hybrid and fully electric, is growing,” says James Turner, head of propositions at Total Gas & Power. There are a few things that will speed up that growth. One of the most important of these is the government’s sustainability goals. By 2040, the UK government wants all new cars to be electric vehicles, and is under pressure to bring this forward. <\/span><\/p>\n

To support this growth, businesses and consumers alike will need a network of charging points in offices, homes and retail environments in order to charge on the go. There are currently over <\/span>25,000<\/span> electric vehicle charging points in the UK. By <\/span>2025<\/b><\/a>, that number is expected to be around three million.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are electric vehicle charging points?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Charging points, quite simply, top up the battery in electric vehicles. There are two types of charging point, running either on alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). AC charging points typically take between three and six hours to fully charge a car. DC charging points are more expensive, but can take between 10 and 40 minutes to charge a car. <\/span><\/p>\n

AC chargers are likely more appropriate in the workplace because vehicles will probably be parked for most of the day. In retail environments such as service stations, however, the speed of the more expensive DC chargers will prove useful.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the benefits of electric vehicles for small businesses?<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are a few reasons SMEs should consider using eco-friendly vehicles such as electric cars. First up is cost. Whether you have a fleet of vans or simply a few company cars, tax breaks from the government can make it more cost-effective to use electric vehicles. Plus running vehicles on electricity is much cheaper than petrol or diesel. You can find government grants, to support wider usage of electric vehicles, from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, electric vehicles help your company’s sustainability agenda. Electric charging is one way of decarbonising business operations. If your fleet is electric, then around 30% of the electricity is from low carbon sources already” thanks to clean energy sources across the UK and that percentage is growing. Electric charging is therefore greener than using diesel and petrol,” says Turner.<\/span><\/p>\n

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