Sustainable Fleets: Lower Costs, Greater Efficiency
Discover how sustainable fleets reduce costs and increase efficiency. Learn more about tax incentives and efficient management of electric vehicles.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What are sustainable fleets?
- Benefits of transitioning to electric vehicles
- Tax incentives for purchasing electric vehicles in Portugal
- How to implement efficient electric fleet management
- Conclusion
1. Introduction
The transition to sustainable and electric fleets is gaining momentum in Portugal, especially with the increasing accessibility of electric vehicles. Over time, the Portuguese Government has introduced a set of tax benefits that make this choice more attractive and affordable. In this article, we will explore how companies can take advantage of these benefits and optimise their fleet with electric vehicles.
What are sustainable fleets?
A sustainable fleet is composed of electric or hybrid vehicles that reduce environmental impact and operational costs. Fleet electrification is the most effective solution to achieve this goal, enabling more eco-friendly mobility aligned with global sustainability targets.
Benefits of transitioning to electric vehicles
Adopting electric vehicles brings a range of competitive and financial advantages to companies. Beyond the evident reduction in fossil fuel costs, switching to electric vehicles contributes significantly to corporate sustainability, aligning the company with environmental policies and global CO2 emission reduction targets.
Advantages of integrating electric vehicles:
- Lower operational costs: electric vehicles have lower maintenance and charging costs compared to fossil fuels.
- Sustainability: a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint, helping the company meet sustainability goals.
- CO2 emission reduction: transitioning to electric vehicles significantly reduces pollutant gas emissions, helping to achieve more ambitious environmental objectives.
Tax incentives for purchasing electric vehicles in Portugal
To boost electric mobility, the Portuguese Government provides tax incentives that make the transition more advantageous for companies:
- Vehicle Tax (ISV) exemption: companies purchasing 100% electric vehicles are exempt from paying ISV.
- Single Circulation Tax (IUC) exemption: electric vehicles are also exempt from IUC, reducing annual fleet costs.
- Autonomous Taxation exemption: 100% electric vehicles with an acquisition cost of up to 62,500 euros are exempt.
- VAT deduction: full deduction for vehicles up to 62,500 euros (excluding VAT).
How to implement efficient electric fleet management
For the change to be successful, companies should consider some essential steps:
- Analyse fleet needs: assess the type of journeys the fleet makes and the range required to choose the most suitable vehicles.
- Invest in charging infrastructure: ensure the installation of internal charging stations or partnerships with public charging networks.
- Progressive fleet renewal: plan the phased replacement of combustion vehicles with electric ones, thereby taking advantage of tax benefits and adjusting the budget.
- Staff training: teach best practices in driving and charge management to optimise the performance of electric vehicles.
6. Conclusion
Transitioning to electric vehicles is a smart strategy for companies seeking to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve their ecological footprint. However, to ensure this change is efficient and profitable, companies must continuously monitor fleet performance.
Using KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) allows the evaluation of different aspects, such as:
- Energy efficiency: monitoring energy consumption to optimise charging costs.
- Operational costs: analysing maintenance and vehicle usage expenditure.
- Preventive maintenance: ensuring vehicles remain operational and reducing unexpected breakdowns.
- Accumulated cost per vehicle: controlling the total costs of each vehicle over time.
- Ratio of kilometres driven/kilometres contracted: evaluating compliance with leasing contracts and avoiding additional costs.
With the support of technological solutions like FleetMax, companies can manage their fleet centrally, with access to real-time KPIs, enabling more informed and strategic decisions, ensuring greater operational efficiency.
By integrating electric vehicles into your fleet, your company will be contributing to a more sustainable and economically advantageous future.