It ’ s no surprise that when both consumers and businesses consider switching their internal combustion engine ( ICE ) vehicles for electric counterparts that the cost is a major factor driving their decisions . Peeling away from a century of fossil-fuel-burning vehicles is no mean feat , as can also be seen in areas like technology where digital transformation is still unfolding today .
The idea of change is what allows businesses to come to the fore and reduce their impacts on the planet , but do the benefits outweigh the risks ? The Sustainability LIVE conference at the Business Design Centre , London , played host to some professionals in the industry with truly applied examples of how electrification can impact everyone , but also enable a number of commercial benefits if considered correctly .
One of the key themes of this topic was cost , but with two references – the monetary cost to the owner and the physical cost to the planet . With that said , the Sustainable Transport Forum covered EVs and mobility as a general trend , which is influenced by the sheer diversity of requirements of businesses and their fleets .
As explained early in the panel discussion by Martin Kochman , VP , Customers and Industries at Hitachi , EVs are “ clearly part of the jigsaw and it also depends what targets we ’ re talking about . In terms of where we will meet certain targets , EVs play a role . In metropolitan areas , I ’ m sure EVs will be a significant force . Perhaps outside of metropolitan areas , less so .”
70 [ Nov 2023 ] EVMAGAZINE . COM