At the 2025 IPWEA Fleet Conference, two live polls gave a snapshot of how far along Australian fleets are in their journey towards electrification—and the answers revealed a sector still in the early stages of transition. With a mix of fleet practitioners from local government and other public sector organisations in attendance, the questions asked were designed to measure the current state and short-term intentions of electric fleet adoption across all asset types, not just passenger vehicles.
The first poll asked delegates: How many electric vehicles are currently in your fleet? The results showed that 43% of respondents had fewer than 10 EVs, while 27% reported having none at all. That means 70% of fleets either have no electric assets or are only in the early trial phase. Only 16% of respondents reported having between 11 and 20 EVs, and a small 5% had between 21 and 50. Just 8% had more than 50 electric assets in their fleet.
This suggests that, despite widespread organisational commitments to net zero targets by 2030 or 2035, most public sector fleets are still in the experimentation phase. Typically, this involves deploying one or two EVs in the pool fleet or trialling electric utes, vans or even mowers in operational settings. The challenges cited by practitioners include setting up reliable charging infrastructure, understanding whole-of-life costs, dealing with the higher capital outlay of EVs, and concerns about future resale values.
Further insights shared in conversations after the poll indicated a broader issue: there appears to be little to no pressure from senior executives or councillors to accelerate the EV rollout. Several years ago, there was a stronger organisational push to lead the EV transition, but priorities have shifted. In many cases, cost pressures from essential services—such as waste collection, parks, and road maintenance—have overtaken the focus on electrifying fleet assets.
The second poll focused on future planning and asked: How many electric fleet assets (cars, trucks, vans, utes, mowers, etc.) are you planning to buy in 2025? The results again painted a cautious picture. The majority—45%—planned to acquire between one and 10 EVs in the next 12 months. However, 34% indicated they had no plans to purchase any electric vehicles this year. A further 10% expected to buy between 11 and 20 EVs, and another 10%—perhaps the more progressive or better-resourced councils—planned to purchase 51 or more electric fleet assets.
While it’s encouraging to see that some organisations are planning significant EV investments, the bigger picture is less promising. A combined 79% of respondents are only planning to add a small number of electric vehicles—if any at all—in 2025. That’s sobering news for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers who had hoped that fleet buyers would help drive the transition over the next few years.
These poll results reflect an industry that is keen to decarbonise but constrained by practical challenges. For many local governments, the decision to scale up electric fleet procurement is dependent on broader infrastructure investments, internal resourcing, and clear support from executive leadership.
The takeaway for fleet practitioners is clear: there is still much work to be done to move beyond pilot programs and embed EVs as part of a best practice, mature fleet strategy. As the tools, policies and technologies continue to improve, fleet teams will need to focus on business cases that demonstrate value over time, and align EV procurement with broader sustainability and service delivery goals. Without that alignment, the pace of change will remain slow, and the gap between climate targets and operational reality will only widen.
