Electric vehicles (EV) have quickly progressed past their original use case of being a mode of transportation. In 2025, EVs are no longer just a means of transportation, but rather a fundamentally central component of, and contributor to, companies’ brand narrative, ESG commitment, innovation strategy, and customer engagement strategies. This is not only changing how companies operate but also how they communicate their identities and goals. As electric vehicles become further normalized, brands that recognize and utilize their potential narrative, build longer-term strategic advantage.

For organizations, EVs are an overt commitment to change. They signal that the organization is no longer merely adapting, but is now a leader. In 2022, global spending on electric cars rose to US $425 billion—an increase of 50% over the prior year. The International Energy Agency indicated that a large portion of this spending was made by businesses managing corporate fleets, and corporate logistics operations. There is not only a need for being sustainable; there is a need to lead it.

EVs are also a marker of present corporate preparedness in sustainability. In a 2023 Deloitte poll, 61% of global consumers believe that brands should take the lead in environmental change. For organizations, making the transition with EV fleets shows that leadership, visibly and powerfully. It tells consumers, stakeholders (like investors and regulators), that the organization is ready and that they are all committed to a low carbon, tech-focused future.

Marketing has also entered the EV Era. High-performance EVs are not just technical achievements, they are storytelling mediums. Take Tesla, who has taken storytelling to a whole new level, and have turned their vehicles into aspirational representations of “innovation”. But this trend has gone well beyond automotive companies. Retail, logistics and even FMCG brands see value in connecting with EVs.

Think of Nike or IKEA sending out electric vans adorned with slogans promoting clean energy. These are not only green logistics upgrades, but they are also brand messages rolled around with all the other branded messaging a consumer sees every day. To assist in accessing sustainability, innovation and responsibility, all in one vehicle, to every person in contact with it.

In fact, this seems to be part of a bigger trend. Vehicles are media. In an environment in which every brand is trying to attract the attention of consumers across social platforms, EVs offer an unavoidable visual and experiential anchor for storytelling. They are production anointed, modern, and culturally relevant – ideal representations of companies strive to look progressive.

Beritarian’s insight is simple but powerful: the shift to mobility is also a shift in media. Corporate narratives are not just reserved for campaign pages or press releases anymore. A brand’s delivery fleet, executive mobility program, or test-drive experience is now a key node of distribution in a multi-platform content platform.

Consider how BYD, and NIO, build their showrooms and test-drive programs. They are not just transactional points of purchasing, they are whole brand ecosystems connected to advertisement campaigns. BYD’s venture into Europe included storytelling and messaging around energy sovereignty, battery technology, and design. That was the message for every vehicle.

Leapmotor’s viral UK marketing (free bungee jumps for EV test-drives), fused transformation with distraction. It invited customers to literally “take the leap.” It also earned press, impressions on TikTok, and brand recognition that would never be possible with a banner ad.

One lesser appreciated value of the EV revolution is its B2B content use. Electric fleets can now serve as narrative tools to support investor roadshows, ESG reporting, hiring videos, and social media content. A business firm with an EV-first mobility strategy can highlight the functionality of the electric vehicle in recruitment campaigns, in partner meetings, or in shareholder communications.

This view is particularly important in Asia-Pacific, where a correlation exists between brand trust and visible evidence of environmental performance. McKinsey research indicates APAC consumers are 32% more likely to buy products from brands they consider green leaders. In that context, even typified improvements to a fleet can have disproportionate reputational value.

What do forward-looking brands do with their EV storytelling?

1. Build fleet upgrades around narrative – Don’t just purchase EVs but announce the why, the how, and the ‘what it means to you’ brand engagement.

2. Build visual storytelling – Get your EVs displayed in public with drone imagery, reels or other short-form storytelling videos while driving them around campus or city centre, or even while at an event with them.

3. Consolidate internal and external messaging – If you are talking about ESG at a Board meeting, have the same messaging on your delivery vans, as well as in your employee incentives and procurement specifications.

4. Educate staff on the brand implications of EVs – Staff interacting with the public need to understand what EVs are as a brand, not just how to operate one.

EVs are more than emissions. EVs are visibility, values, and vision. The climate clock is ticking. Many stakeholders , including regulators and Gen Z consumers – are raising expectations for more than greenwashing. They want action. And nothing is more visible for a company to take action than EVs.

At Beritarian, we see EVs as a signal. The EVs signal, we are ready. Ready to transform; ready to take accountability; ready to be smarter, cleaner, bolder. Companies that embrace this brand-led transformation aren’t just going to move people, they are going to move markets.