Each year UK magazine Company Car Today runs a review of the top 100 cars that cover UK business car needs. From that shortlist they then crown winners across 20 fleet categories, as well as an overall 2022 Car of the Year. Selection criteria include the key business metrics of excellent running costs, efficiency, practicality as well as overall appeal.
Under these criteria, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 was considered the best Premium EV of the Year as well as taking their overall top award of ‘Company Car of the Year’.
To quote Company Car Today editor, Paul Barker, “The Ioniq 5 has shown what an excellent path Hyundai is on, and the exciting thing is that it’s only the beginning of the brand’s electric plans.
“The acceleration in high-quality electric vehicles coming to market gives drivers even more reason to make the switch, and the Ioniq is a great example of how good the latest EVs are in terms of looks, space, practicality, driving experience and all -round quality.”
Company Car Today also recognise the growing influence of electric vehicles on the UK company car scene, with four of the twenty awards now being EV categories. (These being Small EV of the Year – this year won by the Fiat 500e, Family EV of the Year – Volkswagen ID.4, Premium EV of the Year – Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Luxury EV of the Year – Audi e-tron).
The latest win by the Ioniq 5 follows the Hyundai electric model’s recent triumphs in two other UK vehicle awards ceremonies – the Company Car and Van Car of the Year awards and being named Business Car’s ‘One to Watch’.
It seems now that the only major barriers left for Australian businesses to make the switch are:
- Understanding their individual business case for choosing EV (unlike the UK, there are no incentives for business to buy EV over fossil fuelled vehicles);
- Having a model available in their choice of vehicle category (we have far fewer EV models here that the UK, Europe of the USA) and;
- Simply getting their hands on one!
This last barrier is in no small part due to there effectively being no current Australian national EV policy. The result is the manufacturers are voting with their feet and either don’t introduce models at all, or bring them in at such low numbers that waiting lists for EVs are blowing out to one or two years. (As examples – any Tesla Models S and X ordered since early last year will not arrive until December this year, and Hyundai are now telling potential customers for the Ioniq 5 that the waiting list is sitting at around two years before delivery).
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.