Why ULEVs make sense for almost any organisation

Today, the benefits of greener cars and vans are so compelling, if you don't consider them, you risk seriously missing out.

Here's why this is the perfect moment to look into leasing ULEVs.

Ultra Low Emission Vehicle. A vehicle that produces less than 75g of CO₂ for every kilometre it travels.

100% Electric Vehicle. A vehicle that runs on electricity alone.

A petrol engine running alongside an electric motor.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. This uses electric power until the battery runs down, when a petrol engine kicks in.

Range extended electric vehicle. Has a plug-in battery pack and electric motor, as well as an internal combustion engine (ICE).

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

An internal combustion engine burns petroleum-based fuel to generate heat, to drive the vehicle's transmission and wheels.

The average UK car trip is just 8.4 miles. Many modern EVs can cover over a hundred miles on a single charge.

With every generation ULEV distances are getting longer. And with Tesla releasing their patents as an open-source to allow other automotive companies to utilise their tech innovations we should be seeing more better, stronger, greener vehicles coming our way in the next few years.

These days, most alternatively fuelled vehicles look like - well, vehicles. Often really handsome ones at that. And the list of big names going ultra low is growing all the time:

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  Audi
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  BMW
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  Citroen
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  Hyundai
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  Jaguar
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  Kia
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  LandRover
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  LEVC
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  Nissan
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  LEVC
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  Mini
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  Mitsubishi
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  Peugeot
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  Polestar
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  Porsche
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  Renault
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  Smart
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  Tesla
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  Toyota
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  Volkswagen
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  Volvo

We're now at the stage where vehicle manufactures are starting to treat electric and hydrogen as just another engine option, alongside petrol and diesel. When it comes to picking the right ULEVs for their needs, organisations are increasingly spoilt for choice.

Getting the most from an ULEV means driving it right. And manufacturers offer driver training. Organisations can currently also get subsidised EV driver training sessions from the Energy Saving Trust.

There are over 20,000 public charging points across the UK, with the vast majority of these chargers either 'fast' or 'rapid'. Though frankly, if you charge your EV at home, overnight, you might never need to use them.

You can find the very latest EV infrastructure facts and figures here.

Some of our most popular ULEVs are vans and commercial vehicles. And reliability - alongside lower costs - is a big part of the attraction.

While the technology in today's ULEVs is increasingly sophisticated, they're mechanically very simple, meaning:

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  Fewer things to go wrong.
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  Lower risk to your organisation’s daily operations.
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  Less time and money spent on repair.

ULEV technology continues to evolve at a blistering pace - which means, if you're looking to buy a vehicle outright, you'd want to think carefully about the resale value before you take the plunge.

With leasing, however, that resale value sits with your leasing provider - and that's a good thing.

And if you choose to upgrade your vehicle at the end of your lease's term, the leap in performance will be even more spectacular.

Today, emissions are a hotter topic than ever - and the legislation is arriving to prove it.

All large UK companies are now required to participate in the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), accounting for their total energy consumption across buildings, production, and transport.

Transport for London (TfL) has made central London an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). If your vehicles don't meet its exhaust emission standards, you'll have to pay an additional charge to drive through the heart of the capital.

Clean Air Zones (CAZs) are going to be introduced up and down the country, from Leeds and Bristol to Oxford and Southampton. Some of these CAZs will be non-charging, but others will impose charges on the most polluting vehicles. This won't be a problem if you're running on electricity.

It's true that ULEVs are rarely the cheapest option on the forecourt. But when it comes to the whole-life costs, they can now compete (and often beat) a petrol or diesel vehicle hands-down.

That's because you stand to save on:

A full charge for 100 miles costs around £2 to £3 compared to £9 to £13 in fuel if you're driving a petrol or diesel car.

Pure EVs are currently exempt from vehicle tax, and there's a range of additional tax incentives for businesses adding ULEVs to their fleets.

With fewer moving parts, EV maintenance costs are typically lower than those of conventional vehicles.

Drive an ULEV, and you don't have to pay the congestion charge - saving £11.50 every time you pass through London. Some towns and London boroughs are now charging premiums for diesel vehicle parking.

The UK's plug-in car grant scheme offers financial assistance to those buying Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. And if you're leasing your vehicles, you'll also experience a saving (some restrictions do apply).

The day of the ULEV for fleets is dawning, whether it's as a company car or a working van. The impressive numbers of miles-per-charge are here, the infrastructure is in place, the tax breaks and cost savings are increasingly impossible to ignore.

Even better, when you lease your PHEVs, your E-Revs or your 100% EVs, the speed of technological development becomes your friend, and the risk of depreciation becomes someone else's problem.

All this means now is the time to consider ultra low emission vehicles as part of your organisation's fleet. We've created a workbook to help simplify that evaluation process ? read on to hear from a customer who has successfully implemented ULEVs as well as complete its five, practical exercises to find out if ULEVs are right for you.

Get your copy here and get on the road to a smarter, greener fleet.