Europcar: Could the EV Transition be in Trouble?
Electric vehicles (EVs), alongside a switch to low-carbon energy, have the potential to significantly reduce emissions around the world.
They could be an important part of meeting the UKâs goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% from 1990 levels by 2030.
However, Europcarâs 2025 sustainability report shows that EV adoption may be off target.
Demand for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) has continued to grow, but there are still challenges to overcome.
âThe governmentâs announcement on 6th April 2025 to relax ZEV mandate requirements as well as allow the continued sale of new hybrid and plug-in hybrids until 2035, plus some categories of petrol and diesel vans, will do nothing to improve that picture,â says Tom Middleditch, Head of Electric Mobility at Europcar Mobility Group UK.
“Added to which, confidence is still lacking in switching to electric.
“Helping make the change from ICE to electric, through a mind-shift in terms of ownership and driving behaviour, is our central focus.”
Consumer attitudes to EVs
The biggest barrier stopping consumers from switching to an EV is cost, according to the report.
This includes costs across purchasing, maintenance and finance options.
Just under half of consumers surveyed cited a lack of charging infrastructure as a barrier to adoption, and around 20% reported a lack of understanding about ownership.
In those driving for work, barriers cited were similar but with the addition of around 14% citing resistance from employers or employees.
This grew across 2024 from just around 12% to 15%.
EV charging signage
A lack of clear signage for where drivers can find suitable charging locations may be part of the problem, Europcar says.
More than 90% of EV drivers and 80% of non-EV drivers agree there should be a universal symbol to indicate EV charging facilities.
A quarter of EV drivers and 15% of non-EV drivers would rely on spotting signs for EV chargers on a journey, and 89% of EV drivers feel there should be more charging signage on A roads and motorways.
More than half of people who would consider an EV as their next car want charging stations to have clear pricing signs, similar to petrol stations.
Challenges with commercial vehicles
On top of the barriers faced by car drivers, those driving vans for work face additional challenges the report says.
More than half of van drivers have plans to switch to electric and 38% said lower purchase costs would encourage them to switch.
Improved battery range to accommodate vehicle payload would help 31% of van drivers surveyed.
The biggest barriers cited were availability of charging points, purchase costs, insurance costs and reduced productivity due to charging stops.
How Europcar is looking to boost EV adoption
Today, 14% of the Europcar fleet is BEVs or PHEVs and 93% of its B2B customers have access to EV rates.
From January to December 2024, BEV utilisation more than doubled as the company focussed its efforts to encourage customers to choose EVs.
It has a trained network of Certified Electric Vehicle Ambassadors to support customers at vehicle handover and a partnership with Zapmap to give customers easy access to EV charging information.
Europcar has also smashed the 25% national figure for onsite EV charging facilities at rental branches with an impressive 65%.
To help educate and inform consumers, Europcar launched a unique digital EV guide and Knowledge Hub in 2024.
The most popular models on its EV Showroom Page were:
- Tesla Model 3 with 37.8%
- Mercedes EQA with 22%
- Mercedes EQE with 13.4%
- Jeep Avenger with 8.1%
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