This project will deliver the first free, finance-ready, EV/energy investment assessment tool for small businesses empowering businesses to explore the total life cost benefit of EVs and renewable energy.

Many larger UK businesses have already committed to switching their vehicles to fully electric. It's not just that their customers want them to switch, but dedicated fleet managers are aware of the cost savings of electric fleets, particularly when they can be charged with off-peak energy or rooftop solar.

Smaller businesses and sole traders can also benefit from a switch to an electric vehicle, but they often lack the expertise and time to check what a leap to electric mobility would entail. What range would work? How much 'stoppage' time would they need for charging using the public network? How much charging could be done in 'downtime' on-site and off-peak?

This project aims to cut through the complexity for SME owners who want to explore going electric. The project will deliver a free-to-use digital service that provides SMEs with answers based on their own journey patterns. The service consists of an app to track journey patterns, which will provide data that will aid business owners to better understand the cost benefits, as well as highlighting the practicalities around charging for their everyday journeys. By offering a free-to-use service, we reduce the risk of businesses making the wrong decision.

The cost per mile of a petrol or diesel depends largely on the price at the pump. In contrast, the cost per mile of an EV depends on when and where it is charged. Rapid public charging is the most expensive charging option, but off-peak charging or charging with rooftop solar makes every mile driven significantly cheaper and lower carbon. This is why our illustrations of a switch to electric need to examine the charging patterns and also the energy profiles of the businesses themselves and the potential for clean energy generation and use.