AGL commits to transition 100% of its 400 car fleet to EV by 2030

AGL has made a major announcement today, becoming the first Australian company to commit to joining EV100. This is a global initiative that sees businesses commit to transition their large vehicle fleets to electric vehicles (EVs).

While individual consumers trading in their ICE vehicles for electric vehicles is important, it’s a fairly long road to see the number of EVs rise. What will accelerate that transition is moving from 1 at a time, to hundreds at a time.

Energy provider AGL will transition its fleet of 400 corporate vehicles to 100% electric by 2030, up from a commitment of just 10% today.

This is great, this is real progress and I really hope this commitment is repeated by many other Australian businesses who contribute significantly to emissions from their vehicle fleets.

While EVs do have a larger up-front cost, the dramatic reduction of ongoing expenses, often result in the total cost of ownership, over the life of the vehicle, being lower and businesses are starting to realise that.

Recharging an electric vehicle is often done at a cost of around 1/3rd the price of a refueling a combustion vehicle.

AGL Chief Operating Officer, Markus Brokhof said AGL was proud to be the first Australian company to join the global initiative.

“As part of our Climate Statement we have set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. We know in order to meet this commitment, we need to be investing in smart and clean technologies.

EVs present a simple and effective solution as part of a cleaner energy future, with the transportation sector currently responsible for up to 19% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The market fundamentals for EVs continue to grow and an initiative like this presents a big opportunity for industries to take the lead in helping to reduce Australia’s carbon footprint.

It is the right time to transition our fleet to help reduce our own emissions, as well the subsequent noise and air pollution.

EV technology and manufacturing are at a point where the vehicles themselves are no longer just for early adopters, and we will begin to see prices fall into line with that of petrol/diesel equivalent vehicles.

AGL’s commitment under EV100 is part of our growth strategy and our commitment to embrace innovation and technology to ensure we are not only achieving the best solutions for the environment but also for our employees, customers and shareholders.”

AGL Chief Operating Officer, Markus Brokhof

Internationally this movement is really accelerating, with AGL joining more than 80 companies around the world including Ingka Group (formerly IKEA Group), PG&E, Heathrow Airport, Air New Zealand, HP and Unilever.

Jointly, EV100 members have committed to transition more than 4.7 million vehicles by 2030. If it wasn’t immediately clear before now, moves like this show that having the necessary charging locations at home, at the office and in public locations are critical for the future of transportation.

“Their commitment demonstrates the continued growth of the campaign into new markets, helping to grow demand and accelerate the EV transition around the world.

We call on other Australian companies to follow AGL’s leadership and commit to EV100.”

The Climate Group, Corporate Partnerships Director, Mike Peirce

It is not yet known which brand or model of EVs will make up the 400 vehicles, but I’d anticipate a mix, unless an enterprising EV manufacturer was keen to offer a bulk discount.

In the past, we know AGL had a BMW i3 back in 2018, but I’d expect a mix of the cheaper Hyundai Konas and Nissan Leafs. Hopefully, there’s also scope for them to stretch to a Tesla Model 3 or eventually Model Y in the future to investigate autonomous driving benefits to keep employees safe (and more productive) on the road.