Corporate fleets already dominate vehicle purchases in Europe, accounting for around 60 percent of new car sales, roughly 90 percent of vans and nearly all newly registered trucks in the EU. A recent analysis by Eurelectric, an association of electricity producers and suppliers across Europe, and consultancy EY (Ernst & Young) focused on corporate-owned cars, vans and trucks, which account for the majority of new vehicle registrations across the EU. With six out of ten new vehicles now sold to fleet operators, corporate purchasing decisions are set to play a decisive role in determining the pace of transport electrification across Europe.
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According to the study, battery electric vehicles are already showing economic advantages over conventional models across a range of fleet segments. Operating costs are estimated to be around 20–50% lower than for internal combustion engine vehicles, depending on vehicle type and usage.
Corporate fleets could unlock EV demand
Operating expenditure accounts for a significant share of lifetime costs, particularly in commercial transport. For trucks, it represents around 60–75% of total costs, compared with roughly 45–65% for vans and 25–40% for passenger cars. As electricity replaces diesel and petrol in fleet operations, these cost structures are likely to shift further in favour of electric alternatives. Eurelectric estimates that electrifying corporate fleets could add around 100–120 TWh of electricity demand by 2030.
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Nevertheless, structural barriers continue to slow fleet electrification, including high upfront costs, uncertainty around residual values, fragmented policy frameworks and grid connection constraints. The report points to the need to accelerate the rollout of depot and workplace charging infrastructure tailored to fleet operations.
Fleets as strategic entry point to electrification
In 2025, battery electric vehicle registrations in Europe increased by around 30 percent and, in the EU, surpassed petrol vehicle sales for the first time. With new EU rules for corporate vehicles under discussion, company fleets are emerging as a practical entry point for the real-world scaling of electric mobility. (TF)
You can read the full report from Eurelectric and EY here.
