Practise what you preach: How E.ON became a leader in electric vehicle adoption
Jarrod Smith from E.ON’s fleet vehicle team on how this energy company now has one of the most advanced electric vehicle fleets – and what we learned on the way
Back in late 2019, when we were given the deadline by our board of directors to electrify E.ON’s entire vehicle fleet by 2030, I remember thinking “we’ve got a decade, that should be manageable.”
At the time, I’ll admit it felt risky and the early days weren’t smooth sailing. Drivers were understandably hesitant, and initially people were unsure about range, infrastructure, and they felt the choices of models were limited – just a few Nissan Leafs, Renault Zoes, and some Teslas.
But while many companies played it safe with hybrids, E.ON’s UK board made what I would call a very bold and brave decision to leapfrog hybrids entirely and go full-electric from the off.
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Added to that bold decision, the second turning point came in early 2020 when EV company car tax rates hit rock bottom. That incentive was a game-changer when it came to inspiring our colleagues to make the shift away from petrol and diesel vehicles. That tax incentive gave us a compelling carrot and it still plays a key role in our offering today.
Fast forward to today and our UK business has close to cracked it when it comes to cars – five years ahead of schedule. More than 90% of the company cars on our books are now fully electric, and those left are either hybrids or older vehicles coming to the end of their lease agreements.
It’s a transformation that took bold decisions, a few growing pains, and a lot of determination. But the results speak for themselves, and our contracted lease partner, Lex Autolease, has dubbed us one of the most advanced companies in its entire fleet for company car electrification.
Our story is not just one of environmental responsibility, it’s one of deliberate, practical innovation. We didn’t just wait for the market to shift. We made early decisions, learned through challenges, and stuck to our values. Today, we’re reaping the benefits and showing that large-scale EV transformation is possible. Now, not later.