Learning lessons on the EV journey
In the ultimate real-world test of zero-emission driving, a team of Europcar employees recently joined a 50-strong convey of electric cars, vans and tracks on a 1,200-mile EV Rally, tracking across the British Isles from Cardiff to London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin. And all done in just five days! Four Europcar vehicles covered a total of 4,800 miles between them, gaining valuable insights on how EVs work in real world conditions.
The aim?
To dispel some of the myths about electric motoring and gather learnings to help businesses understand how zero emissions can become part of their fleet strategy. We also wanted to address driver concerns about everything from how to drive an electric vehicle to range anxiety.
What did we learn?
None of the vehicles taking part ran out of charge, despite travelling more than 300 miles on some days. EVs can do long distances, day after day and the public charging infrastructure is capable of supporting business mobility.
Plus the Europcar team was encouraged to find how well charging can fit in around the driver’s schedule, rather than vice-versa. Plugging into a slow charger overnight ensured time was used as efficiently as possible, maximising the distance the vehicle could travel the following morning before needing to top up. Taking the opportunity to use slower chargers whenever possible also kept the cost of charging as low as possible.
Little and often
When charging on-the-go was necessary, the Europcar team preferred to charge little and often – charging briefly whenever they needed to stop for refreshments, a toilet break or to visit a local tourist attraction. This approach, often referred to as destination charging, ensured time was used efficiently, rather than stopping when they needed to charge and staying put for a longer period of time.
Know your vehicle
It also became clear that knowing your vehicle, its settings, range and charging time was extremely valuable for planning journeys and stops. Knowing how to drive the vehicle is crucial too. Sounds obvious but really does make a difference when driving electric. Driving efficiently will conserve the battery. The Europcar team found on the EV rally that by adopting a ‘tortoise’ rather than ‘hare’ strategy, meant they didn’t experience any range issues.
Gain real world experience
The experience provided numerous learnings which will help Europcar as a rental provider committed to helping customers transition to electric driving. It also underlined the importance of gaining real-world experience, with a range of options available, from a rental of a few days to several months and with the facility to try different makes and models.
Europcar Certified EV Ambassadors also help new EV drivers with the nuances of driving and charging. And our EV Digital Guide, to be launched soon, will provide insight on every EV in the fleet as well as access to the ZapMap charger locator.
