Five Years of Change: How Fleets Learned to Manage More Than One Fuel

July 12, 2026

When the first 100 Trusted Brands in Fleet report launched in 2022, most fleet operators were managing a relatively straightforward refuelling model. Vehicles ran on petrol or diesel, drivers filled up using a fuel card, and reimbursement processes had changed little for years.

Five years on, the picture is dramatically different.

Today, many organisations are operating mixed-energy fleets, managing petrol, diesel, home charging, workplace charging and public charging simultaneously. What was once a single fuel strategy has become a far more complex operational challenge involving payment platforms, reimbursement policies, charging infrastructure and energy management.

The transition to electric vehicles has accelerated this shift. Fleet managers are no longer simply choosing vehicles; they are developing charging strategies that work for employees, business operations and organisational budgets. Every charging location presents different costs, reimbursement requirements and administrative considerations, making visibility across the entire fleet more important than ever.

At the same time, expectations from drivers have changed. Employees increasingly expect the same convenience when charging an electric vehicle as they experienced when refuelling an ICE vehicle. Businesses, meanwhile, need confidence that every transaction is accurate, compliant and easy to manage.

As a result, fleet payment platforms have evolved far beyond their original purpose. What began as a way to pay for fuel has become a critical source of operational intelligence, helping organisations understand where vehicles are being charged or refuelled, how much journeys cost, and where efficiencies can be achieved.

This new visibility is helping fleet managers simplify administration while making better strategic decisions. Integrated payment platforms are reducing manual expense claims, automating reimbursement for home charging and giving businesses a single view of fleet energy costs across multiple payment methods.

The evolution reflects a broader trend identified throughout this year's 100 Trusted Brands in Fleet report. Fleet management is becoming increasingly interconnected, with decisions about funding, energy, technology and operations influencing one another more than ever before.

Managing a mixed-energy fleet is no longer simply about supporting electric vehicles. It is about creating systems that give drivers flexibility while providing fleet managers with the insight and control needed to operate efficiently.

As electrification continues to gather pace, the organisations that succeed will be those that treat energy management as a strategic part of fleet management rather than an administrative afterthought.

Read the full Five Years of Change feature in the 2026 100 Trusted Brands in Fleet report.