Factors influencing fleet manager adoption of electric vehicles

•Testing new technologies was the overarching driver of initial EV adoption by fleet managers.•Secondary factors included environmental impact and improving the organization’s public image.•Organizations expanded EV fleets for firm-specific reasons such as first-mover advantage.

Research has identified several reasons why fleet managers are good candidates to be electric vehicle (EV) early adopters such as their intense usage and high automobile purchase rates. This expectation is supported by a recent study which found that to 2013, governments and private companies were responsible for a majority of global EV purchases. Using content analysis of fleet manager interviews and pilot project reports, this study investigated 14 US and Dutch organizations that adopted EVs from 2010 to 2013 to determine which factors influenced their purchase decisions. In addition, it also analyzed the reasons why these same firms did or did not expand their EV fleets. Fleet managers identified testing new technologies as being the overarching driver of their initial adoption of EVs. Organizations also noted several influential but secondary factors including lowering their environmental impact, government grants, and improving the organization’s public image. For organizations that decided to expand their EV fleets, the primary motivating rationales were firm-specific, including pursuing first-mover advantage, specialized operational capabilities, or a compelling business model.