Road to Zero

Reflex Vehicle Hire has pledged its support to help fleets through the transition to alternative fuels once the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans ends.

The commitment comes as a coalition of 27 companies has called on the government to bring forward a proposed ban to 2030.

Members of the UK Electric Fleets Coalition include Anglian Water, BT, Centrica, Dixons Carphone, DPD UK, ENGIE, E.ON, Fleet Alliance, Foxtons, Heathrow, Hitachi Capital UK, Iberdrola (Scottish Power), Ingka Group (IKEA), LeasePlan, Lime, Mawdsleys, Mitie, NatWest Group, Octopus Energy, Openreach, Orsted, OVO Energy, Severn Trent, SSE, Tesco, Tusker and Unilever.  

Under current government proposals, the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrids, would be stopped as early as 2035.

Speaking to national fleet industry newspaper Fleet News, Lisa Spong, Sales Director of Reflex Vehicle Hire, said:

“Our fleet customers are leading the way in adapting their fleets to support the Government’s Road to Zero ambitions.

We are working with our business customers to help with this transition by providing an extended range of fuel options for our specialist vehicles, not just standard vans.

If our customers need to switch, then we will invest in the relevant technology on their behalf. We have a range of hybrid vehicles and have also operated pure electric vehicles. We are ready to support the switch to electric or hybrid fleets.”

Reflex Vehicle Hire was named Fleet Supplier of the Year at this year’s Fleet News Awards in recognition of its high customer service levels.

To support the shift to zero emission transport, Reflex Vehicle Hire is calling for an accelerated programme of infrastructure development, particularly for commercial vehicle fleets.

Spong said:

“Currently, there’s hesitation because there’s not enough infrastructure, or the technology isn’t there for commercial vehicles.

As it becomes available, we will support the transition.”

A government consultation on bringing forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, including hybrids, from 2040 to 2035 is due to report its findings in the coming weeks.

To learn more about the range of environmentally friendly vehicles available from Reflex Vehicle Hire, visit our Road to Zero insights page.