AFP committee to ease EV shift

A new committee to help fleets move to electric vehicles has been established by the Association of Fleet Professionals.

The Electric Vehicle, Low Carbon and Alternative Fuels Committee is the first of seven planned by the AFP, the others being Light Commercial Vehicles; Covid-19; Government Bodies and Trade Associations; Road Use and Planning; Risk and Compliance; and Future Mobility Steering.

The committee will be led by AFP deputy chair Stewart Lightbody and vice-chaired by Paul Hollick, AFP co-chair. It includes Denise Lane of Capita, Chris Joyce of the AFP, Steve Cuddy of Close Brothers, Eric Bristow of Schindler, Ken Needham of Foxtons, Simon King of Mitie, Dale Eynon of DEFRA and Lorna McAtear of National Grid.

The committee will look at support from central and local government, and the treasury; home charging policies, employee reimbursement and usage; electric highway charging; best practice for EVs and PHEVs, and alternative fuel vehicles beyond EVs.

Lightbody said: “Clearly, EVs, low carbon and alternative fuels are very much front-of-mind for fleets at the moment and we’re looking to generate industry-leading thought and discussion across a wide range of relevant areas where fleet managers are looking for guidance and information.

“The calibre of committee member we’ve been able to attract is very impressive and we’re planning to serve as an incubator for ideas that will ultimately affect not just fleet strategies but policy and action across manufacturers, government, the HMRC and the DVLA.”

The AFP was formed in March from the merging of the Association of Fleet Operators (ACFO) and the Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM) – and the new committees are part of the infrastructure being created around the new organisation.