What are the key steps to successful fleet greening?

In France, road transport is responsible for nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Company vehicle fleets account for a significant portion of these emissions.

Since 2019, to address climate issues, the government has established a regulatory framework aimed at accelerating the energy transition of company fleets by relying on several measures requiring companies to rethink their mobility and initiate the greening of their fleets .

Reminder of current regulations concerning the greening of vehicle fleets

The LOM Law

Adopted in 2019, the Mobility Orientation Law (LOM) requires companies with a fleet of more than 100 vehicles to include a quota of low-emission vehicles (LEVs) when they are renewed. Starting in 2021, the Climate and Resilience Law (published in the Official Journal on August 24, 2021) reinforces the objective of greening fleets.

The imposed quotas evolve in stages:

• 40% in 2027
• 70% in 2030

These quotas apply to fleets owned, on long-term lease and made available during the calendar year.

The vehicles taken into account in these quotas are:

• Vehicles of category M1 (passenger cars)
• Vehicles of category N1 (light utility vehicles)
• Vehicles with a total authorized laden weight of less than or equal to 3.5 tonnes

Penalties for failure to comply with ultra-low emission vehicle quotas

Since the adoption of the Finance Act on March 1, 2025 , a new tax has been in place. The annual incentive tax on the acquisition of low-emission light vehicles (TAI). This new tax now penalizes companies that do not meet the following objectives:

The amount of this tax is progressive. From March 1, 2025, it will be calculated on the basis of a unit amount (€2,000 in 2025, rising to €5,000 in 2027), multiplied by two factors:

1. The number of vehicles missing to achieve the target of integrating low-emission light vehicles (15% in 2025).
2. The annual renewal rate of the company's high-emission light vehicles

Practical case for a company with 1000 thermal vehicles in its fleet.

For a fleet of 1,000 100% thermal vehicles, renewed by a third each year, we estimated the total amount of penalties over the period 2025-2027, according to four scenarios.

Scenario 1	Scenario 2	Scenario 3	Scenario 4
0 VFE introduced	50 VFE/year	100 VFE/year	150 VFE in 2025 30 VFE in 2026 70 VFE in 2027
749 100 €	285 600 €	23 000 €	0 €

The optimal scenario, allowing penalties to be avoided, would consist of deploying:

•  150 VFE in 2025
• 50 in 2026
• 125 in 2027

This trajectory must, however, remain realistic, preserve operational continuity and guarantee the well-being of employees.

The challenge is not to rush, but to approach it strategically in order to successfully achieve the energy transition in a controlled and sustainable manner.

What are the key steps to successfully greening your vehicle fleet?

Many companies view electrification as simply acquiring electric vehicles. In reality, it's a comprehensive transformation that affects the fleet, its daily management, energy supply methods, and sometimes even the operational organization of activities related to vehicles.

Without rigorous preparation, this transition can quickly turn into a cost center and a source of constraints and dissatisfaction for employees, rather than a lever for performance, energy transition and budget optimization.

To make your greening plan and make it a real strategic asset, certain steps are essential.

1. Carry out an audit of the electrification potential of the vehicle fleet

Many companies believe that integrating electric vehicles is not a good fit for their business needs and that it risks becoming a burden rather than a positive development.

However, a detailed analysis of daily journeys as part of an audit makes it possible to identify vehicles whose uses are compatible with the autonomy of an electric vehicle. It is also possible to estimate the necessary charging times, particularly roaming recharges required during long journeys.

To ensure reliable audits and define scenarios that are truly adapted to the needs of your business, several essential criteria are analyzed:

• The average real autonomy threshold to consider depending on the types of vehicles already present in your car policy
• The frequency with which this threshold is exceeded during the year by each of your vehicles
• The number of recharges that would be carried out while roaming by each vehicle, assuming that it were replaced by an electric vehicle
• The time wasted on those emergency refills
• The operational impact of switching to an electric vehicle on employee activity

This analysis isn't limited to simple estimates; it's based on your actual usage data. By leveraging fuel card transactions, route schedules, and even electronic toll data, it's possible to achieve sufficient accuracy to identify vehicles that are truly compatible with electrification.

Reality often shows, despite preconceptions, that the distances traveled daily are compatible with the autonomy offered by electric vehicles available on the market.  

This audit may also highlight the incompatibility of assigning an electric vehicle to an employee. Frequent long-distance travel requirements can also impact operational activity and lead to a decrease in profitability, particularly due to roaming charging requirements. For these vehicles, other options may be considered, such as alternative energy sources.

2. Rethinking Car Policy

At the same time, it is necessary to develop an electric car policy that is in line with the project. Among the criteria to consider when choosing models, we note in particular:

• Real autonomy consistent with the travel needs identified previously;
• Charging performance, in terms of power, adapted both to the infrastructure made available on sites or at employees' homes and to any potential rapid charging needs when roaming;
• TCO optimization factors that make fleet electrification economically relevant: eco-rated vehicles, consumption, maintenance costs, etc.

Of course, the models selected will also have to meet the operational needs linked to the type of activity: volume, payload, comfort, etc.

3. Size the need for charging stations (IRVE – Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure)

A fleet electrification project must necessarily include charging options at the vehicles' usual parking locations. Indeed, relying primarily on charging while roaming makes the economics of electric vehicles irrelevant. This also results in significant time losses, whereas charging stations at the parking location save time compared to refueling internal combustion vehicles.

The cost of installing charging stations is a significant item in a fleet electrification project, often borne by general services or buildings rather than by the fleet. This is why it is essential to anticipate it and size the installations in line with the needs before any deployment.

This involves assessing:

• Actual fleet usage : number of vehicles to be recharged per site, simultaneity of charges, average duration of stops, vehicle rotation schedules, seasonality and activity peaks.
• The power actually needed : avoid costly oversizing, define the optimal power of the charging points, ensure consistency between the power of the terminals and the power accepted by the vehicles, find the right balance between slow terminals (AC) for long recharges and fast terminals (DC) for occasional needs.
• The electrical capacity of the sites : available power, internal network constraints, possible reinforcement needs, or creation of new delivery points (PDL). These points can have a significant impact on the final cost and installation time.
• Compatibility with fleet developments : 3, 5 and 10-year projections, anticipation of the increase in the number of electric vehicles, modularity of the infrastructure and anticipation of possible civil engineering work to avoid additional costs later.
• Optimization solutions : smartcharging to smooth out power demands, energy storage to reduce consumption peaks, scheduling charging during off-peak hours to reduce the cost per kWh and relieve the grid, self-consumption of solar energy.

Taking these parameters into account not only ensures operational continuity, but also preserves the overall profitability of the greening project, while avoiding future bottlenecks.

4. Plan the energy transition of your vehicle fleet

The transition to electric vehicles cannot be improvised. It requires a multi-year plan that moves forward at the same pace on three fronts: compliance with the objectives of the LOM law, the deployment of electro-compatible vehicles, and the gradual installation of charging infrastructure.

This coordinated approach allows:

• To calibrate the number of electrified vehicles per site and per year based on regulatory quotas, actual uses and operational constraints;
• To anticipate the equipment in charging stations and anticipate the installation of future stations by pre-equipping your parking lot;
• To control the TCO of its fleet over time;
• To maintain the balance between sites, taking into account specific constraints and testing feasibility in a multi-site context.

5. Train and involve drivers

Employee buy-in is one of the key success factors for a fleet electrification project. However, this change can cause hesitation: we often imagine that an electric vehicle involves endless charging, more frequent and longer stops, and a driving style that is difficult to rethink. Diving into the unknown can sometimes generate natural apprehension.

In some companies, the vehicle is also a benefit in kind, or even a strategic tool for team loyalty. There is therefore no question of compromising employee well-being or creating a feeling of loss.

Involving stakeholders from the project launch helps minimize reluctance and address questions. By relying on actual data on usage and distances traveled, the frequency of necessary roaming recharges, and including exceptional journeys, you can, thanks to the audit carried out upstream, provide concrete evidence that electric is compatible with the activity, and reassure on the operational impact.

The transition to electric vehicles also requires the acquisition of new reflexes. Simple actions can be incorporated into training to maximize efficiency and reduce obstacles:

• Practice eco-driving: adopt a smooth driving style, limit sudden acceleration and anticipate braking to optimize autonomy.
• Plan your routes: identify in advance your roaming charging needs and the terminals available along the route.
• Charge smart: Estimate the charge level needed to reach the target and avoid charging to 100% when it's not necessary, especially if on-site charging is planned. This reduces waiting time, costs, and preserves the battery over time.
• Manage charging times: take advantage of planned downtime (meetings, breaks, returns to the usual parking spot) to optimize charging and limit business interruptions.

To encourage the smooth adoption of electric vehicles, you can opt for a gradual implementation, starting with volunteers or ambassadors (managers, HR, influential profiles). This allows you to set an example and create a positive ripple effect, while maintaining employee satisfaction and engagement.

Get support from a fleet manager specializing in greening

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