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TheTop 3 Reasons Why Fleets areSwitchingtoEVs
1. Cost Savings
The number one reason fleets go electric isto save costs on multiple fronts. The most obviousof theseis fuel, butelectric cars can also escape the city centerfees and steep parking pricesimposed byover fortyEuropeancitiesin a bidto curb congestion and pollution.Going electriccan savea fleetthousandseach year.
Tax incentives, government grant schemes and an overall drop in market prices meanyou canoftenget a superior,more suitableEVfor the same price as an internal combustion engine (ICE)vehicle. With ICE passenger vehicles and vansalesbannedfrom2030 in the UK and 2035 in the European Union, the resale value of ICE fleets is expected to decline steadily, creating another incentive.
EVs require much less maintenance, so the downtime for businesses when a van is in the repair shop is reduced significantly, which can have enormous cost savings. Vehicle turnover is also lowerwithEVs.
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For large fleets, the possibilityofbi-directional chargingisanother huge cost incentive. Vehicle to grid technology gives companies the meanstouse their EV fleets tocharge large facilities, drastically reducing their annual utility costs.SomeEV fleets are alreadysellingenergy back to the gridfor a profit.
EV fleetsrunningon interoperable softwarecan easily switch on their inbound roaming featuretoallow theirowncharge points to be available to the public and appear in online maps during specific hours.Businesses can generate a new revenue stream from public charging with no extra effort, offsetting the costs of owning and maintainingacharging infrastructure.
“The delivery market in London and other major European cities transitioningto EVs have seenrapidincreases due to the pandemic. With working from home established across the continent as a working practice, it’s unlikely that the pendulum will swing back. Many shoppers will simply not return to the high streets with the benefits of online shopping established.Delivery firms that electrify their fleets quickly and deeply will be at a massive competitive advantage as the cost savings on fuel and maintenance from all-electric fleets will be passed down to consumers, who will expect their goods to be shipped at lowest cost with same- or next-day delivery,”according to energy transitions advisor, Michael Zdanowski.
2. Fleet Drivers Prefer EVs
Fleetdrivers reportthatautomatic vehicles make itmuch easier to navigate rush hour,not to mentiononboard delivery and CRM management systems.Theyalso cite the reduction in noise pollution as an improvement to theirworking environment. Fully flat floors, which arenotpossiblewith ICE vehicles,mean drivers can step in and out of theirvansmore easily,thusreducing occupational health issues.
Many of the latest EVs come with extras specifically designed for fleet needs. The Arrival Van, for example, has maximized the space layout for optimal payload and volume capacity, meaning each van carries more for less. In 2021, there are over seventy different EVs to choose from, making it easier than ever to find the right vehicle for the job.
“Interconnected digitalinterfaces sharpen fleet efficiency by providing commercial operators, drivers and service personnel with advanced digital solutions not available in ICE vehicles. Real-time information can enhance your existing infrastructure. Forexample, you can receive automated routes and schedules, run shared mobility solutions, and increase depot and charging facilityefficiency,” says Paul Kirby ofVanarama,an award-winning EV leasing company in the UK.
In most cases, employee drivers neednotspend time fueling up,sincetheir delivery vanscan charge when they areoff duty. Fleet managers needn’t provide employees with credit cards/fuel cardseither,as fleetsrunningon networks like has·to·begmbh’sbe.ENERGISEDhave consolidated billing.This eliminatesthe administrative headache of collecting receipts for pay-as-you-go fueling.
3. Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR)& EnvironmentalTargets
“Reducing your business’ carbon footprint and improving your local area’s air quality has helped many organizations reach theirCSRtargets relativelylittleeffort. In doing so, they have discovered the marketing potentialofrebrandingtheir company asonefueled by sustainable energy. This is a win-win for companies that are under investor pressure to become more sustainable,” explainssustainable transportadvisor,Sara Sloman.
However, “the window to show your company as a green leader will start close in the next few years as more fleets switch to EVs,”warnsDan Martin of Elmtronics/Hubsta, UK—a GreenFleet award winner two years running.
Is switchingto an EVfleetright foryour organization?
Determiningwhere fleetswillchargeandwhetherthere isenough poweravailable isan important aspect in evaluating the switch.Will fleets need torecharge at a centralized depot oratsmaller facilities spread acrossaservice territory?You’llneed to get a power assessment to find out. If youdon’thave enoughcapacity,thereareseveral options:
– Stagger charging times in shifts, so less power is required.
– Install more power capacity.
– Move your depot location to a facility with enough power (sometimes this is a more cost-effective option).
– Use the public charging facilities appearing rapidly all over Europe. At has·to·be gmbh’s network (the largest in Europe with over 200,000 charge points), for example, fleet drivers can start a charging session from a smartphone or with an RFID card. Fleet managers are sent a single bill that consolidates multiple locations and tax rates across Europe.
– Where drivers take company vehicles home, employers can install charge points at their residences. Government subsidies mean home charging units are affordable – and they’re also easy to install. Options like thebe.ENERGISEDsoftware candifferentiate between charging for personal or business use, eliminating the need to reimburse. has.to.be’sCorporate.CHARGINGfeature allows employees to track their charging processes. The company automatically receives the billing data in digital form once a month, ready for any further processing.
Several inventive and collaborative solutions are available to fit your needs and budget – you don’t need to work everything out on your own! The vast EV community is enthusiastic about finding ways to meet your operational requirements.
What are the first stepsforelectrifyingafleet?
“The first thing you should know is that no one is doing a total fleet conversion. Unless you are a small florist with one or two vehicles, you likely will be considering a graduated transition process,”explainsDr. Colin Herron, CBE of Zero Carbon Futures.
“Usescalable,interoperable softwarefrom theverybeginning.You can get used to the features and accounting systems before making a total switch. Avoid out-of-the-box solutions or hardware–dependent software as these may not allow you toadjustas your business scales up or down,” advises MartinKlässner, CEO of has·to·be gmbh, Europe’s leading charge point managementspecialist.
Talk to EV fleet drivers and managers in your local area and ask about their experiences. They will know the area-specific growing pains best. Start conversations with your local council/municipality to see if there areanycollaboration opportunities. Many are already planningtheir eMobility transitionsand findingways to meet their city/regional goals with industry partners.
Engage your union (if you are a part of one)from the outset. Many unions have environmental targets but also have employment regulations to uphold. If there are going to be changes towork routinesin order toaccommodate charging, then unions will be critical players in your transition.
Startout bygiving trial EVsto drivers that already own an EV or are EV friendly. Avoid having a disgruntled fleet driver finding fault with an EV– rather make surenone existas youstartyourfleet transition.
Finally,do all of this before engaging with EV charging infrastructure providers,as you canquicklybecome overwhelmed with options. Ifyou’dlike a hardware-neutral partner to consult with,you cantalk to the experts at has·to·be gmbh at any stage of your process without obligation.At has-to-be, we havefound solutions forclients ranging fromSMEs with only a few vehiclestobusinesses and governments with largefleets. Our comprehensive operating system and innovative servicesaddress all the challengesofbilling, 24-hour remotemonitoring, customer/fleetsupport, apps and RFID cards, public charging,androaming.Visithttps://has-to-be.comto find out more.
Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up?
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Story byUrban Mobility Daily
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