For fleet operators, depot operations managers and finance directors still weighing up the case for electrification, this is not a projection or a policy aspiration. It is reported data from HMRC, drawn from real fleets across the UK.
The transition is happening. The question is whether your organisation is ahead of it or catching up.
Perhaps the most striking headline from the HMRC data is this: fully electric vehicles now account for 51% of company car benefit recipients, representing 467,000 drivers in 2024/25. That is up from 342,000 the previous year.
To put that in context, in 2011/12, zero emission company cars did not register in the statistics at all. Today they represent the majority.
The Department for Transport's new vehicle licensing statistics reinforce the trend. In Q1 2026, 150,000 zero emission vehicles were registered for the first time, an increase of 12.9% on the same period in 2025. The AA's head of roads policy Jack Cousens noted that EV uptake has been "spurred on initially by the pump-price shock earlier this year and then the enduring trauma of the petrol and diesel cost rollercoaster."
Diesel, meanwhile, has effectively left the building. Once accounting for around 80% of company cars, it now represents just 7% of the fleet.
For CFOs and financial decision-makers, the numbers that matter are in the tax incentives. Electric company cars currently attract a Benefit-in-Kind rate of just 4% in 2026/27, rising gradually to 9% by 2030. Petrol and diesel vehicles, by contrast, attract rates of up to 37%.
That gap represents a significant cost to the business and to employees. It is one of the reasons the total number of company car recipients grew by 80,000 in 2024/25 to reach 920,000, reversing years of decline. Salary sacrifice schemes in particular are driving uptake, giving employees access to EVs at substantially lower personal cost.
A recent EY report found that fleet electrification could cut operating costs by up to 64% for company cars in the UK. Even on public charging, drivers can save up to £1,400 per year compared to petrol. At a managed depot rate, the savings compound further across the life of the vehicle.
For businesses with commercial fleets including vans, HGVs and coaches, the Government's Depot Charging Scheme offers up to 70% of eligible installation costs, capped at £1 million per organisation across multiple sites. The scheme forms part of a £170 million multi-year programme running from April 2026 to 2030.
The first application window runs until 30 June 2026 and is assessed on a first-come, first-served basis. A second window opens in October 2026. Grant rates are expected to reduce over time as infrastructure becomes more affordable, so the current terms represent the most favourable conditions available.
This funding directly addresses what has historically been the biggest practical barrier to fleet electrification: not the vehicles, but the infrastructure to charge them reliably on site.
Procuring electric vehicles is the visible part of the transition. What determines whether that transition actually works is what sits behind the chargers: grid connections, load management, site-specific electrical design and ongoing support.
Every depot is different. Vehicle numbers, charging patterns, grid capacity, operational schedules and energy usage all need careful consideration before a single cable is laid. Organisations that treat charging as an afterthought tend to discover this the hard way.
The fleets that are navigating this well are the ones working with infrastructure partners who assess the site before recommending hardware, design for scalability, and remain accountable after installation is complete.
The HMRC data confirms what many fleet operators are already experiencing on the ground: electrification is no longer a future consideration. It is the present reality for the majority of company car fleets, and it is moving into commercial vehicles at pace.
For operations managers, the priority is ensuring the infrastructure exists to keep vehicles charged, available and operating to schedule. For CFOs, the priority is accessing the funding and tax incentives available now, before grant rates reduce and BIK advantages narrow.
For both, the right infrastructure partner makes the difference between a transition that works from day one and one that creates operational problems down the line.
EVC Solutions works with fleet operators, depot managers and businesses across the UK to design, install and support EV charging infrastructure built around your specific operation. From initial site assessment and load management planning through to installation and ongoing charge point management via EVC Connect, we are with you at every stage.
Call us on 03300 904030 or contact Adrian Cooper directly to arrange a conversation to see whats possible for your fleet.
See What's Possible.
