By Antony Page, Director at helloEV
Oxfordshire has set a trailblazing target to be at the forefront of energy innovation in the UK to foster clean growth. And rightly so. It is well documented that we are in a global climate crisis and radical action is required.
Earlier this year, Sir David Attenborough warned we face 'irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies'. But there is still hope, he said, if dramatic action to limit the effects is taken over the next decade. A recent report from the UN further-warned countries will now have to increase their carbon cutting efforts five-fold if the world is to avoid warming by more than 1.5C.
So, it was encouraging to discover the ambition of the Oxfordshire Energy Strategy launched by OxLEP which is designed to support the county in addressing climate change.
It challenged Oxfordshire to commit to reducing emissions by 50% (compared with 2008 levels) by 2030 and set a pathway to achieve zero carbon growth by 2050, or sooner. This is ambitious, but achievable and presents an excellent opportunity for this wonderful county to lead the way in the UK on this critical global issue. It requires serious buy-in and action from the business community to hit the targets.
The Oxfordshire Energy Strategy aims to respond to the Government’s ‘clean growth’ challenge via the use of smart, modern and clean energy infrastructure. Oxfordshire already has some fantastic low-carbon initiatives and a growing green movement, which makes a significant contribution to the county’s economy and strengthens our ability to reach emission reduction targets.
Oxfordshire has become a UK hotspot for Science, Innovation and Tech and transformations created here will play a crucial role in our ability to meet the clean energy goals. Key to change will be embracing the various new innovations that are coming out of the county to support improved global sustainability. From Low Carbon Hubs and the Zero Emissions Zone through to Oxford Bus Company’s ride sharing service PickMeUp there are plenty of movements that collectively will make a big difference.
There are some key areas in which businesses can make quick and simple changes to support a low carbon and sustainable way of living. This includes energy efficient and low carbon offices and embracing smarter ways to travel.
At helloEV we specialise in helping organisations make the transition to having an electric vehicle (EV) fleet. The benefits are vast – environmentally, operationally and economically and if Oxfordshire businesses embrace EVs it will make a significant contribution to achieving the county’s energy objectives.
One benefit of introducing EVs to your fleet is it will demonstrate your organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Increasingly employees and customers are assessing how their employers and suppliers are behaving. Converting to EVs will mean you will have directly contributed to your community’s collective drive to reduce emissions.
A lot has been written about the range of EVs and the number of charging points in the UK. Technology has rapidly improved and range now varies depending on the vehicle from 80 to 350 miles. Considering most journeys fall within this mileage the range is already suitable for most motorists. Additionally, there are ever increasing charging points across the UK (now over 28,000 ) and government support to install them at your business.
Electric vehicles do have a high upfront cost. But when examining the whole life cost approach to owning, operating and maintaining an electric vehicle compared to a diesel or petrol alternative the savings are significant.
Charging a car with electricity is vastly cheaper than filling it up with petrol, or diesel. The Energy Savings Trust calculate charging for 100 miles of range costs between £4 and £6, compared to £13 to £16 using petrol or diesel. Additional savings can be achieved by using smart meters and solar panels. Also, there are fewer moving parts in an EV, meaning service, maintenance and repair cost are 70% less, on average, than with diesel or petrol vehicles. EVs are also exempt from Ultra Low Emission Zone, or Zero Emission Zone charges.
Congestion is a major issue here in Oxford and alongside encouraging more people to use public transport car-pooling and sharing is also likely to grow. Car sharing is a great way to utilise a vehicle better. At helloEV we have developed an EV car sharing app which enables organisations to manage shared EV via a keyless booking application. It can for example allow four stand-alone vehicles be replaced by one shared one, if utilised correctly.
The global climate crisis and the challenge to reduce our emissions on a local level may both seem overwhelming. But if we all introduce small changes to our daily lives it will collectively make the difference. We can help organisations go electric, from analysing your fleet, understanding the benefits, unlocking grants to completing the switch and managing an EV fleet.
Embracing EVs and EV sharing is one way in which Oxfordshire can champion world class innovation, pioneer modern energy and drastically improve the sustainability of our environment.
Antony Page will be a panellist at our next Q&A, ‘Connectivity in Oxfordshire – what does the future hold?', taking place on 28 January
