Wolf Eyewear Goes Electric

Environmental initiatives are critical to a sustainable future, and for Wolf Eyewear, that commitment is something that we are embracing. To become a more sustainable company, reducing our carbon footprint is essential.

As a business, we’ve taken steps to reduce our impact on the environment, ensuring we are planet positive, increasing energy efficiency, reducing dependency on virgin materials and plastics and investing in initiatives to cut carbon emissions.

With that in mind, we have started switching to an all-electric fleet, with half our team now using EVs. Together with a 25% reduction in mileage by embracing technology, mixing online and in-person meetings, plus route-planning software, our initiatives will see a significant decrease in our carbon emissions.

The benefits of owning or leasing an electric vehicle are clear:

Environmental benefits

• One of the most significant advantages of driving an EV compared to a vehicle that runs on petrol or diesel is the benefit to the environment. EVs have no exhaust; therefore, they do not emit any exhaust fumes. This reduces local air pollution, especially in crowded cities. EVs are an attractive solution for councils challenged to clean up air quality and enhance health and quality of life for residents.
• Together with the environmental benefits, there is also a reduction in noise pollution. In fact, EVs are so quiet that they have artificial sound in order to alert passing pedestrians.

Financial benefits

• Running an EV fleet makes financial sense too. Currently, the Government provide a “Plug-in” grant of up to £2,500 toward the price of the vehicle. Employees can also benefit from as little as 1% benefit-in-kind tax on an electric car (2021/22 tax year) and access the Government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, which covers 75% of the installation cost. Running an EV is also considerably lower than traditional vehicles, with an average cost of £1.30 per 100 miles. Pure EVs are zero-rated for road tax, while plug-in hybrid cars receive a £10 annual discount.
• Also, for business use, we often drive in and out of Congestion Charge and Clean Air Zones. With exemptions or lower costs for EVs, it’s another potential saving.
• In addition, with fewer parts than traditional vehicles, EVs also breakdown less, further reducing the cost of ownership, plus giving those on the road greater confidence and ensuring our team can get out to meet our clients. EVs are also more comfortable to drive. The weight and distribution of the batteries and low centre of gravity improve handling, comfort, and safety. The instant torque from an electric motor allows for higher and more responsive acceleration, coupled with regenerative braking, which gives energy back to the battery, allowing for improved efficiency.

Alongside our commitment to EVs, Wolf’s offices are now 80% powered by renewable energy and expected to be 100% by 2022. We are continuing to look at more and more ways to lower energy consumption.

As a business, we know that innovation requires investment. Making the switch to more renewable energy does come with a higher upfront cost. Still, we can see significant savings moving to EVs and green energy when considering the total cost of ownership.