GUEST COLUMN
WHY IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN EVs TO DELIVER GREENER MOBILITY
By Paul McCorkell, AVP global strategic sales EMEA, Enterprise Mobility (published 22 November 2024)
Reducing emissions is high on the business travel agenda. Almost every ground transportation discussion or tender with travel buyers and managers will include some requirement to deliver greener and more sustainable business mobility.
While a discussion on electric vehicle use is essential – as they are now central to some corporate car fleets – challenges remain around the experience for business travellers who may not be familiar with them. Businesses may be concerned about whether EVs are the right choice for every single business trip, locally and internationally.
This is why it is vital to explore the many other options that exist to help cut emissions. In some cases, thinking more innovatively about employee mobility – and adopting creative solutions – can have as great an impact on CO2 as electrifying an existing fleet.
Understand the journeys
A better understanding of business journeys – and the ability to shift between different modes of transport to ensure the most efficient choice is made, supported by the right technology – is essential to help organisations on their journey to more sustainable business travel.
Travel managers might not be aware of journeys that are unmanaged, especially if they involve people using their own personal cars for work and claiming mileage reimbursement.
Unless there is a company-wide review and analysis of all business travel, the challenge of this ‘grey fleet’ is the hidden mass of the iceberg of business travel, concealing the full picture of how employees make business trips.
Businesses might have pool car fleets that are older and aren’t being managed properly or used efficiently, and this is a Europe-wide problem. People might be making unnecessary trips, leading to higher mileage. A lack of on-site travel options might be encouraging people to commute by car when alternatives like public transport or active travel are viable.
To add another layer of complexity, business travel sits across many departments, from travel and fleet managers to expense management and HR, making this hard to manage.
It’s also possible that businesses haven’t revised their travel policies to reflect the needs of hybrid and remote workers. People working at home need mobility more than ever. Do they have access to authorised and sustainable options? Does their new working pattern mean a trip into the office is now business travel rather than a commute?
EVs can help, but the first step has to be to understand the broader picture of employee ground transport needs and to manage the unmanaged.
Putting the user and trip at the centre of the journey-mapping process is essential to implementing more sustainable travel options and driving long-term positive changes in employee travel behaviour.
The good news is that rental and shared vehicles produce lower emissions on average, compared to privately-owned vehicles. When shared vehicles can be accessed where employees live and work and close to other modes of transport, this offers greater choice and flexibility, resulting in better compliance of reimagined travel policies.
Employee needs drive decisions
A great driver experience lies at the heart of encouraging employees to make more sustainable transport choices.
Grey fleet travel is used because it’s easy and convenient. That is what sustainable travel has to compete with – so these options need to be accessible, flexible and enjoyable as well.
An employee that has only ever driven a petrol or diesel car may struggle if they are allocated an EV for an ad hoc business trip, and this could lead to an unpleasant driver experience. Similarly, an employee obliged to travel by train when they have lots to carry may feel it’s not the right choice for them. A female employee might not be comfortable having to wait on the street at night for a taxi or rideshare.
Even if a solution is ideal for a trip, it has to work for the employee. Travel managers will need to balance getting the best results with ensuring business travellers are supported and feel safe.
Find your perfect match
Many ground transport providers are working together to provide more sustainable options, combining cars, trains, taxis, walking, cycling and every other transport mode to create a broader business travel ecosystem of integrated and complementary options.
Travel managers may need to be just as creative about how they approach their travel requirements. If they give providers scope to innovate and offer mobility consultancy, they may be able to develop futureproof transport strategies. Many have already looked to integrate daily rental with an on-site car club, for example, to provide access to a broader range of vehicle options.
To have better control over emissions, businesses can plan and match their travel needs with solutions that better fit those requirements. They will be able to see more clearly where electric vehicles are the right choice, and where other options combined may yield even better results.
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