The delivery is part of the sustainability strategy announced by LeasePlan in 2017, which included making its own company fleet electric by 2021. LeasePlan now puts that strategy into action.

Johan Portier, Managing Director LeasePlan Belux: “We want to set an example and raise overall awareness for EV by transitioning our employee fleet to electric vehicles by 2021, while we are also aiming for net zero emissions from LeasePlan’s entire fleet by 2030. By setting this example we want to get consumers, companies and politicians engaged in the transition to electric drive. We will give the needed guidance and hand-holding about how to live with EVs, from charging options to service and maintenance. We hope many other companies and consumers will follow our example.”

LeasePlan Belux staff have taken an intensive training course to facilitate the switch from a traditional combustion engine to an electric one and to eliminate the insecurities and preconceptions with regard to electric driving. Electric mobility expert Bart Massin coaches LeasePlan Belux in the realization of its electric ambitions: “90 to 95% of the power requirements for the commute to and from work are covered by charging the vehicle at work or at home. It‘s true you’ll have to plan your holiday but an app can easily signal where a fast charge point is available to help keep time loss to a minimum. Also, electricity is often considered expensive but in reality it is only half as expensive as fuel for ICEs. Moreover, drivers tend to be more aware because they have to make do with the available charge so they actually drive less.”

**Fear of empty battery a thing of the past ** Every other parking spaces at LeasePlan Belux’s head office in Zaventem will be equipped with charging infrastructure. In addition, Allego, a provider of charging solutions, will make charge points available for LeasePlan Belux staff and customers, both at work and at home. Suitable for all electric cars , the charge points use load balancing technology (the charging post monitors the overall electricity consumption in the home and adjusts the car’s charge rate accordingly) and the electricity costs are processed automatically. LeasePlan e-drivers also receive a charge pass that is accepted at more than75,000 charge points across Europe. This will go a long way to curing e-riders of any lingering ‘range anxiety’ or fear of an empty battery.

Convincing driving experience The LeasePlan Belux staff have mainly been won over by the driving experience their new ride has to offer. Tania Claessens, Account Officer at the Customer Engagement Center of LeasePlan Belgium, has been working for LeasePlan for eighteen years and will be handed the keys to one of the e-Golfs. “When LeasePlan gave me the option of driving a petrol car or an electric one it was really an easy choice. The driving experience in an electric car has thoroughly convinced me. The car uses very little energy and what electricity I do pay is only half as expensive. There are no driving sounds, you drive more conservatively and therefore safer. I haven’t had to compromise on power and the car anticipates and brakes automatically, a true luxury. This car makes me feel completely zen.”

Work with the industry to accelerate zero-emission mobility LeasePlan has joined the Global Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Challenge to accelerate the transition to electric mobility. This is a new international coalition set up by The Climate Group and C40. The goal of the ZEV Challenge is to create a coalition of countries, regions, cities, businesses and NGOs to send the automotive industry a clear signal with regard to the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs). As one of the founding partners, LeasePlan will use its customer relations and its impact on policy to promote the introduction of electric vehicles at major companies. More than half of all cars currently on our public roads are company vehicles, making company car fleets a natural starting point for the transition to green cars.

Just last year LeasePlan threw its weight behind the EV100 initiative, which encourages companies worldwide to switch to electric cars. Moreover, the EV100 members make a commitment to replace all petrol and diesel cars by electric vehicles by the year 2030.