World EV Day 2021 - driving change

World EV Day, a celebration of all things electric mobility, is taking place today (Thursday 9th September).

The global movement made its first appearance in September 2020 as an annual event that asked businesses to share how they support the shift towards sustainable mobility. 

In recent years, as the climate crisis has been launched front and centre, people have looked to businesses as leaders for change. What World EV Day aims to do is offer those businesses the platform to raise awareness, engage and educate consumers on how everyone can work together to move towards clean air and net zero emissions.

Of course, there are many ways in which we can change our individual habits to help meet these goals, from walking and cycling to using public transport where possible. Some major changes we can make together as a society that directly relate to World EV Day are encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles and sustainable transport and advocating Clean Air Zones.

The concept of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) was introduced to UK cities to meet the government's Air Quality Standards. Areas are specifically chosen where air quality requires improvement, and the source of pollution needs to be immediately addressed. Clean Air Zones typically target larger cities with particularly high air pollution from transport.

In the West, Bath has already implemented a CAZ, with Bristol due to put its CAZ in place in 2022. Ahead of the CAZ coming into force, Business West and major players in the EV industry (Edwards, Good Energy, Right Charge, TLT, Co-Charger and Elmtronics) are collaborating on the #DrivingEVolution Action Net Zero campaign. Action Net Zero provides information and the tools needed to help residents and the business community to make positive choices around pollution prevention. 

Nina Skubala, Head of Climate Strategy at Business West says: “Transport needs to rapidly decarbonise to meet both carbon and pollution targets. Electrification will play a major role. Joining forces with a wide range of partners with EV expertise and experience through #DrivingEVolution means that we can give businesses the insights, advice and support that they will need to make the transition to EV.”

Dan Martin, Elmtronics CEO said, “When looking to install EV charge points at the workplace, there can be a lot of overwhelming and confusing information to take on board. The #BristolsDrivingChange Action Net Zero campaign aims to take away the complexity and offer simple solutions that suit the requirements of the business.”

Another key area to consider when faced with the topic of clean air and sustainable transport is the UK van and fleet market. According to figures from commercialfleet.org, the UK’s largest fleets across 10 industry sectors operate 250,865 vans and there are a total of 3.3m LCVs on the road.

Dan also added, “If we are hoping to meet government targets of becoming net zero by 2050 then it is vital that we successfully tap into the larger polluting vehicles market. UK fleets face a huge challenge and we wish to both encourage and support the move towards electric vehicles within this industry.”

With government grants and various options available, including electric charge point leasing and finance plans, the transition is becoming easier for businesses. The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) from the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV) provides financial support towards the cost of purchasing and installing EV charge points. Eligible organisations such as businesses, charities and public sector organisations can apply to receive up to a total of £14,000.

For those businesses looking to make the switch to electric, there is an ever-growing knowledge base around electric vehicles and the EV charging market that is readily available to tap into. The Action Net Zero #DrivingEVolution is there to help bust the myths and lead the way to change.

World EV Day intends to be a day to inspire, inform and encourage the transition to sustainable mobility, but let’s help keep the momentum going long after the 9th of September.

Elmtronics is a partner in the Action Net Zero #DrivingEVolution campaign and are experts in sustainable transport and EV charging. They provide businesses with the knowledge and guidance they need when introducing charging infrastructure into their workplace. They are advocates for transitioning to sustainable mobility and believe that the support they provide will help #DriveChange.