TRANSITIONING TO AN EV FLEET
The road to results
Paul Hollick, Lightfoot’s CEO, discusses how best to set up for electric success
The transition to an EV fleet requires careful planning, education and the right tools to ensure success. By leveraging data-driven decision-making and real-time driver support, businesses can make the switch with confidence.
The journey starts with gathering that all-important data. For this, you need to use telematics to track fleet performance and identify which ICE vehicles contribute most to emissions and what changes can be made to those vehicles. Introducing hybrid or low-emission vehicles as an intermediate step toward full electrification is a simple step to take to decarbonise fleet operations.
Using fleet analytics to assess daily mileage, duty cycles and charging feasibility is essential before transitioning to EVs. The next step is to conduct an EV suitability assessment to determine which vehicles can be replaced first with minimal disruption. By using a reporting tool you can monitor driver behaviour and route efficiency to maximise EV range and charging schedules.
Paul Hollick, Lightfoot’s CEO
“The path to electric vehicle adoption is much less daunting than it was a few years ago”
Build to last
It’s also important to get the right infrastructure in place. A business needs to ensure there is sufficient workplace, home and public charging access for seamless fleet operation. And it is essential that the fleet policy states that EVs must be charged overnight, either at the driver’s home or in the depot – having drivers take two hours off the road during a shift to recharge is not acceptable. Costs for home charging will also need to be considered – who pays for the charger? How do you reimburse drivers charging at home?
Once all of this work is done, the business needs to ‘sense check’ its fleet – do the current vehicles fit the requirements or could smaller vehicles do the same job? Fleet analytics data can determine if multiple smaller ICE vehicles can be replaced with fewer, more efficient EVs.
Finally, there are the drivers and the importance of educating them to counter misinformation. Address common misconceptions around EV range, charging availability and total cost of ownership by providing hands-on training and real-time feedback tools to promote smoother, more efficient EV driving.
Success stories lie ahead
The path to electric vehicle adoption is much less daunting than it was a few years ago thanks to the wealth of data in the industry that shows how efficient these vehicles can be for the right roles. And, it is worth noting, technology such as Lightfoot can help stretch the range of EVs too – one of our clients with more than 3,000 vehicles saw a 17% increase in range by using our technology, while Voyage Care saw a 10% increase in range.
If you plan well, communicate openly and use analytics data to your advantage, the path to EV success will be smooth and quick, much like EVs themselves.
