Australia’s leading electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure company Jet Charge has announced that it will partner with local insurer IAG to electrify its fleet of around 650 vehicles.
Jet Charge and IAG, Australia’s largest general insurer – which operates brands such as NRMA Insurance, CGU Insurance, AMI, and NZI – announced on Tuesday a partnership which will see IAG electrify its tool-of-trade fleet of around 900 fossil fuel-powered vehicles, including around 650 in Australia alone.
IAG, which operates in both Australia and New Zealand, expects to complete the electrification of its entire tool-of-trade fleet by the end of financial year 2030 – though this excludes light commercial vehicles including major events response vehicles, as IAG deems that “no suitable alternatives are currently available on the market”.
The vehicle electrification program also excludes salary sacrifice vehicles.
Billed as one of Australia’s largest corporate fleet transitions, this latest partnership is the latest in Jet Charge’s larger Charging as a Service project which is being co-funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
“We want to unlock fleet electrification at scale, and by installing, monitoring and maintaining all charging infrastructure between workplaces and employees’ homes, we’re removing a huge amount of legwork in all stages of the transition,” said Tim Washington, CEO and co-founder of Jet Charge.
Thanks to financial backing from ARENA, Jet Charge’s CaaS solution offers subsidised charging services for Australian EV fleets, including a 30 per cent discount for the first EV fleets to transition.
IAG has also already transitioned 100 low-emission vehicles into its fleet in Australia, while the transition of the company’s New Zealand fleet of vehicles has been underway since 2021 and is expected to be completed by year’s end.
“Our customers and communities play a vital role in helping secure a greener future for Australia and New Zealand,” said Nick Hawkins, managing director and CEO of IAG.
“We must also play our part, and we are accelerating our efforts to understand and manage our own climate impact, seeing first-hand the effect climate change is having on our customers and direct business operations.”
“Transitioning our fleet to low-emission vehicles is an important step towards achieving our goal to become a net zero insurer by 2050.
“With more than 2.4 million fleet cars utilising Australian roads, it’s important that fleet owners consider ways to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.”
IAG will install domestic EV chargers in the homes of employees who adopt an EV as their tool-of-trade vehicle, infrastructure which will be managed by Jet Charge.
South Korean carmaker Kia will provide both hybrid and EV options for IAG’s Australian fleet.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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