Aurélien Fleurot, edited by Ugo Pascolo 6:22 a.m., October 28, 2021

Following in the footsteps of the French car fleet, car rental companies and company fleets are increasingly offering electric vehicles.

Between underlying trend and rise in power, the use of these deemed "clean" vehicles is becoming more and more widespread. 

This is a still weak trend that is gaining momentum in recent months.

While the electrification of the vehicle fleet is progressing in France (9% of the new market for 100% electric in 2021 over the first nine months of the year and 41% if we take into account hybrids and plug-in hybrids ), short-term rental companies and corporate fleets are also starting to pick up the pace.

Customer reluctance, the first obstacle to development

Proof of this is with the record order placed by Hertz at the start of the week: 100,000 Tesla electric cars.

However, electric cars only represent 5% of the fleet of these companies.

Because the problem remains above all the reluctance of customers.

According to figures from the National Council of Automobile Professionals, electric cars are only used at 38%, which is two times less than their thermal equivalent.

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A rise in importance for corporate fleets

On the other hand, the evolution is more encouraging on the side of the business fleets, with a real rise in power. "It is now extremely well anchored in the decisions of our customers with regard to hybrid vehicles and in particular plug-in hybrids", confirms at the microphone of Europe 1 Férréol Mayoly, CEO of ARVAL, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas and number one long-term rental.

"We are proposing to rent electric vehicles for much shorter periods in order to check whether the theoretically identified use corresponds to that of an electric vehicle before committing to longer periods."

And the trend will intensify on January 1, 2022, since the mobility orientation law will impose on companies with a fleet of more than 100 vehicles a quota of 10% of low-emission models.