Our fleet of over 150 electric vehicles now travels more than 1 million miles a year, supporting the transition from combustion to electric.
As car ownership changes, fuel prices continue to rise – and with manufacturers filling the forecourts with new EV models fresh off the production line, now is the time to make the switch to electric power.
In 2012, EZOO founders Lash and Charnjit Saranna made that very same switch – bringing with them 30 years of automotive experience that included building and growing Europe’s largest independent Porsche centre.
From day one, the goal has been to bring awareness and education around the switch from combustion to electric, to create what EZOO prides itself on today – affordable, flexible, and customisable Pay As You Go electric car subscription service – built to make the shift to electric power as easy as possible.
This piece has been written by Barnaby King, a sustainability consultant who has been commissioned by EZOO to support our overall journey to Net Zero.
Tailpipe emissions
EZOO has grown significantly in the past three years. Our fleet has grown from 18 vehicles in 2021, to 155 vehicles today. The more vehicles we have, the more we can support others to transition to electrified transport, and ultimately the more carbon emissions can be saved.
In the financial year 2022-23, our customers travelled over 1.3 million miles in electric vehicles leased from us. Reducing tailpipe emissions* by nearly 350 tonnes of CO2e (compared to an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle).
To give you an idea, 350 tonnes of carbon emissions saved annually is equivalent to:
- Carbon sequestration by 18,500 mature oak trees, covering an area of approximately 22 football fields.
- The energy saved by using 4,800 solar panels, covering an area of approximately 10 football pitches (in the UK in 2023).
Of course, not every business has space to install solar panels or land to grow trees.
Most businesses rely on petrol or diesel vehicles for part of their operations, be it for logistics, maintenance, or staff commuting. By switching these vehicles to electric, they can significantly reduce their carbon footprint.
*Tailpipe emissions are those emitted at the point of use. They include emissions from the combustion of petrol and diesel in combustion vehicles. The carbon emissions resulting from the electricity consumed in EVs are not tailpipe emissions.
What about the electricity used to charge EVs?
A medium petrol or diesel vehicle emits a staggering 280 grams of carbon for every mile travelled. Electricity for EVs is responsible for just 77 grams per mile, less than 30% of a petrol or diesel equivalent (assuming they are charged from UK grid electricity), according to the UK Government’s emissions factors report for 2023.
The carbon intensity of EVs can be reduced further, or even removed entirely by installing solar panels and intelligent EV charge points and/or purchasing electricity from a green energy supplier.
What about the emissions used to manufacture EVs?
EVs indeed require more carbon to manufacture. However, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)** overwhelmingly concludes that the carbon savings across the life of an EV offset the additional carbon required in manufacturing.
Greencap recently published the LCA for 62 petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles. The results show that EVs always have lower life cycle carbon emissions than equivalent petrol or diesel vehicles.
**Life Cycle Analysis is an academic calculation methodology which considers the carbon emitted throughout the vehicle’s entire life. Starting with supply chains for rural materials and ending with the recycling of the vehicle.
EZOO reduces carbon emissions today, not tomorrow
We all know how critical the climate emergency is, the warning signs are everywhere. In 2023 the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said this about the latest IPCC report:
“This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”
EZOO enables companies and individuals to switch to electric vehicles today, not tomorrow. Slashing carbon emissions and local air pollution while making the process as convenient and low-risk as possible, so companies can get on with running their businesses and people can get on with their lives with complete peace of mind.
Why is it so important to take action today?
A lot of the focus on the climate emergency is placed on ‘point-in-time’ targets. I.e. The UK has committed to cut annual emissions by 78% by 2035. However, these targets do not accurately communicate what is needed.
Carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere year after year, increasing the greenhouse effect and warming our planet. 2035 is no more important than 2034 and so on. The carbon budget is a far better metric to track progress.
The carbon budget sets a limit on the total cumulative carbon emissions that can be emitted, while keeping the global temperature below a certain level.
According to an analysis by the Global Carbon Project, to keep global warming to below 1.5 Degrees (we now only have a 50% at doing so) we have just 9 years of 2022 global emissions left in the budget.
That means, if global emissions remain at the highs we saw in 2022, in 9 years we will have spent all the carbon budget and the 1.5-degree threshold is likely to be exceeded.
Acting as soon as possible is critically important when it comes to keeping within these carbon budgets.
For example, let’s say a business has a fleet of 100 diesel vehicles which travel about one million miles a year and emit about 300 tonnes of CO2 annually.
The company has set a target to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030. As part of their action plan, they want to replace all their vehicles with electric equivalents. If the company waits until 2030 to switch to electric vehicles, they will have technically met their target.
However, 1,800 tonnes of CO2 will be added to the atmosphere between 2024 and 2030 and these emissions make a dent in the carbon budget. If they decide to make the switch in 2024, the majority of these emissions can be avoided.
So what are you waiting for?
Reduce your carbon footprint today and go electric with EZOO’s Pay As You Go Electric. The steps are simple:
- Choose your car.
- Choose your term.
- Delivered to your door.
Our system is built to remove long waiting times. We make the switch to EV straightforward, so we choose to deal with the insurance, maintenance and road tax ourselves, saving you the hassle.
Our system is run online – but if that’s not for you, or you’re not sure what the subscription entails, or perhaps you just want to learn more about electric cars, a member of our expert team will always be on hand to guide you.
EZOO is a family business, which means we understand the values of trust and honesty, which is why we’ve driven every car in our fleet, to ensure we know every car inside out.
To get in touch with us, drop us an email at [email protected], or don’t hesitate to pick up the phone on 0845 833 3200.