Key to that long term electric strategy will be the coalition Government, but the £260 million electric car incentive plan set up by Labour could yet be dropped or deferred.

“Government is going to have a key role here and it’s going to have to put its money where its mouth is if we’re going to achieve this paradigm shift,” said Entwistle.

However, she warned that fleets can’t afford to just sit around doing nothing while waiting for more products to come online.

“In the short term, payload management and other factors can make a big impact not just on fuel costs, but on your CO2 emissions as well,” she said.

“Whether it’s looking at fuel consumption, whether it’s looking at driver training, whether it’s looking at what you do with your tyres, it’s about looking at what can be done today.”

She concluded: “We might not be able to control what happens, but we have the opportunity to influence by engaging and joining up with our colleagues in order to try and develop longer term solutions for the future.”

To find out more about electric vehicles and fleet car co2 emissions, come to the Fleet News co2 emissions section.