Is your business looking to electrify its fleet in 2023? Or perhaps you are already managing a fleet of electric vehicles and are looking for ways to improve efficiency. Either way, you have come to the right place.
More and more businesses in Ireland are transitioning their fleet of vans or other vehicles to electric, for a multitude of beneficial reasons. Government policy and lower costs are among some of the factors that lead Amazon, Sky, Tesco and others across the UK and Ireland to electrify their fleet in recent years.
So, what’s stopping you? If you are considering electrifying your fleet, or are looking for how to improve fleet management, read on now; but first, here are the basics.
What is EV Fleet Management?
EV fleet management can be described as the electrification of a company’s fleet of vehicles, moving from internal combustion vehicles to a fleet of Electric vehicles.
The transport industry is changing rapidly, as EVs transition from a consumer luxury to the core driver of commercial fleets. The reliance on transportation, in some instances with large cross-country fleets, means that these businesses are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency in this department, which can lead to higher productivity and lower costs.
However, EV Fleet Management is harder to manage right now, due to the infrastructure layout in Ireland. Traditional fleets know where to refuel, how long it will take and how much it will cost them. EV fleet management comes with issues such as finding charging points and considering the multiple hours needed to charge them.
However, the long-term benefits of electrifying your fleet are obvious. Let’s take a look.
Benefits of EV Fleet Management
1.Research and Planning
So, you have been convinced to electrify your fleet based on the benefits outlined above. Where do you go from here? First, you need to do your homework. There are several factors to consider and plan out to actually maximise the benefits of an electric fleet. The main consideration is where and how you are going to charge your vehicles – what points around Ireland will be used as well as your home charging base. Then consider the infrastructure that will be used for this.
2. Assess your requirements
Consider your business requirements and fleet capacity when structuring your fleet management strategy. If you are just switching to EVs now, assess what vehicles your fleet is currently using. How can you make the transition seamless? What is a close EV equivalent of your current vans/cars/trucks? Consider your average vehicle load, route mileage, driver habits, and road conditions. Are vehicles returning to base at the end of the day? Choose the right fleet of electric vehicles to invest in based on these factors.
3. Monitor and Optimise
There is a wealth of data that can be obtained from the journeys carried out by your fleet which should be used to the advantage of fleet managers across Ireland. Strive to make changes and continuously improve your fleet management based on trends and the information garnered by your fleet management software. Some of the factors to look at here include charging times, battery usage, and the mileage travelled. The subsequent data-driven decisions will enhance savings as you progress, particularly through route optimisation and optimised battery performance.
4. Driver Training and Communication
Electrifying a fleet will be a big change for your drivers. It is important to adopt traditional change management processes that an organisation would have in place for other potential business transitions. Good communication is key here, particularly around the benefits of EVs. An internal advocator can be key to this process, someone who is passionate about EVs and is there to provide support and knowledge to those with questions about the changeover, not just internally, but with electrical contractors and other outside stakeholders who are key to the transition.
Aside from communication, there is a need for proper training to be provided, particularly to drivers.
5. Avoid Disruption to current systems
Electrifying a fleet brings many changes. However, it is important not to change what you don’t have to and keep in place current systems where possible. You will have existing platforms for workforce management, route planning, communications etc. These can still be used with the right integrations. Plan ahead so that your charging infrastructure can link to these systems.
Choose eStation to power your Electric Fleet
Now that you are ready to transition to an electric fleet, you need a trustworthy provider of EV chargers to install on your base site. Here at eStation, we have empowered a slate of companies in Ireland such as Eir, GSK, Wavin and many more.
Why not get in touch with one of our experts today and see how we can improve your EV fleet management?