More than half of UK councils have yet to implement an EV transition strategy for their fleet or do have a transition strategy they have yet to start.
The data comes from a freedom of information request, sent in November 2021 by net zero consultancy Smart Cities Connections, to which 295 local authorities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland responded. A further 88 councils did not provide data.
Almost one-in-five of the councils that did respond (19%) said they have no EV strategy planned, with a further 104 councils (37%) having transition strategies planned but not started.
The councils that responded collectively operate some 67,234 vehicles and, of that total, 8,231 belong to local authorities that have no EV transition strategy in place.
Andrew Merritt-Morling, chief executive of Smart Cities Connections, said: “Understandably, local authorities are at the forefront of leading public awareness of the growing urgency of the climate emergency.
“But a significantly large proportion representing 160 councils – or more than 54% of respondents – either do not have any plans in place to transition their own fleets or who have rudimentary plans but no firm implementation timetable.”
Based on data provided to Smart Cities Connections, council fleets operate 39,700 cars and LCVs collectively. The rest of their fleets comprise trucks, buses, coaches, specialist equipment and two-wheel vehicles.
According to Smart Cities Connections, this is in stark contrast to the majority of company fleets, which are more commonly weighted to cars and light commercial vehicles.
Local authorities have a wide range of transport requirements; ranging from pool cars and light delivery vans, to dust carts and road-sweepers, through to specialist passenger transport.
Nearly nine out of 10 of all the vehicles operated by councils were diesel fuelled (56,379, or 83.85%). Only 3,762 vehicles (5.6%) were pure electric, while 564 (0.84%) were hybrid.
Alexandra James, head of research at Smart Cities Connections, said: “It is clear – as is true for businesses – there are leaders and laggards.
“More than two-fifths of councils still have not published plans for how they will make the transition from petrol/diesel to EV in line with the government’s timetable, and we are now only eight years away from the first deadline.”
Smart Cities Connections recently released a guide setting out important considerations organisations need to bear in mind as councils and those from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors get ready to switch to net zero.
“Now is the time for organisations to start thinking about their individual journeys,” said Merritt-Morling. “No one size fits all, but the earlier they – including councils – start the process, the better the benefits to the council, the local taxpayer and the environment.”
