I work for a large biotech manufacturer doing field work. I – and thousands of other field engineers – are assigned company cars, which are all ICEs.
I have pointed out in the past that this is a mistake: we should at the very least, allow the engineers the choice to select an electric car from the options provided.
The fleet management team tested this out, but ultimately passed up on the option, because they wanted to shift towards reimbursing drivers instead of managing the fleet. They argued that this met everyone’s needs, including allowing employees to drive electric if they want to buy one.
I think this is a big mistake: most people still find the transition complicated when shopping personally, but fleet program can manage a large number of vehicles purchasing, insurance, and maintenance much better, and is better equipped to help people get home chargers if they want. They literally piloted this exact program, and then chose not to expand it.
I want to contact relevant parties and try to assertively communicate that in this moment, we should all be in a war footing. This is an absolute crisis, and the company is clearly looking at simple options to do its part and leaving them unused because it’s not aligned with their preferred proposal.
Can anyone help me collect up the shortest, most direct sources to share a five minute slide deck that says, “WAKE THE F*** UP! ROLL OUT THE PLAN YOU ALREADY SET UP AND TESTED, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PEOPLE!”
Maybe speak to a union representative? I mean, aside from the ICE or electric question, the plan to move to privately owned cars is clearly an effort to push hidden costs onto their employees and the union might be interested in preventing that. And once that option is off the table, an electric fleet might become the next best option.
We don’t have a union.
I’d like to form or join one, but we don’t have one at the moment.