Car rental companies plug into electric

♦car rental and leasing firms have pledged to increase their fleet of plug-in vehicles from the current 50,000 to 720,000 by 2025.

The commitment was made by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) on behalf of its 900 members. The sector is responsible for one in eight cars on UK roads, according to the trade body.

The target to make at least half of new car sales ultra-low emission by 2030 was included in the Government’s recently published Road to Zero Strategy. The BVRLA warned that its pledge on hybrid and electric cars depends on ministers providing more support for adopting the technology.

This includes bringing forward plug-in company car tax incentives from 2020.

Gerry Keaney, the chief executive of BVRLA, said: “Fleets are ready to make a large-scale transition to zeroemission motoring, providing that the Government can match their ambition with a supportive tax regime and more help with charging infrastructure.”