Beyond the vehicle, the real barriers to electrifying your fleet

Electrifying your fleet isn't just about switching out diesel vans for electric ones, if only it were that simple. While headlines focus on vehicle range and government grants, the real barriers to EV adoption often sit elsewhere: infrastructure, mindset, and operational complexity.

At Amphos, we work with organisations across Europe navigating these very challenges. Here’s what’s really holding fleets back, and how forward-thinking operators are moving past it.

1. Infrastructure isn’t one-size-fits-all

Public charging networks are growing, but fleet charging requires precision, not proximity. Most businesses need a blend of depot, destination, and home charging, tailored to their operating model.

Challenges include:

• Limited space or power capacity at depot sites

• Long lead times for DNO upgrades

• Lack of access to off-street parking for employees

Without a clear infrastructure strategy, even a well-spec’d EV fleet can grind to a halt. That’s why we always begin with a feasibility audit, analysing site readiness, route logic, and usage data before procurement begins.

2. Change fatigue & cultural resistance

Drivers are used to diesel. Managers are used to fast fuelling. Finance teams are used to short payback periods. Electrification disrupts all of that.

We often hear:

• “Charging takes too long”

• “The vans won’t do our routes”

• “It’s too expensive to switch right now”

  
  

Some of these concerns are valid. Many are not. But either way, they need addressing. That’s why education and internal engagement are critical. The most successful fleet transitions are the ones that bring people with them, not force change upon them.

3. Data Blind Spots

You can’t electrify what you can’t measure. Many operators lack visibility on key data like:

• Dwell times and idle locations

• Route overlaps and return-to-base behaviour

• Actual cost per mile (including maintenance and downtime)

This makes it hard to identify which vehicles or routes are “EV ready.” It also risks wasted investment, or missed opportunity. At Amphos, we use diagnostic tools to model electrification readiness and simulate total cost of ownership before a single vehicle is ordered.

4. Procurement Complexities

Leasing electric vehicles isn't like leasing diesel. Supply chains are tighter, lead times are longer, and upfitting options (especially for LCVs) are more limited. Add in charger installation, grid upgrades, and grant applications, and it's easy to see how projects stall.

Having a single partner to coordinate all moving parts, vehicle sourcing, charger deployment, finance, and training is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity.

Fleet electrification isn’t just a vehicle project, it’s a business transformation project. It touches operations, finance, property, HR, and sustainability all at once.

The good news? You don’t need to solve it all alone. With the right partner and a phased, data-led approach, you can move beyond the headlines, and make electrification work for your business, your drivers, and your bottom line.

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Amphos delivers full-spectrum fleet transition support, from strategy to infrastructure and beyond. Because getting the vehicles is only half the battle.