Personal electric vehicle (EV) adoption is on the rise and many companies across the U.S. have followed suit by transitioning to EV fleets. Businesses are making the switch to save money on fuel and maintenance costs, lower their carbon emissions, and gain brand equity. Successful electric vehicle fleets require EV fleet management in order to function and operate at optimal levels.
What is an EV fleet?
An EV fleet is a group of electric vehicles owned or leased by the same company or organization. Some companies may only have a few EVs, while others may have hundreds or thousands.
Unlike a fleet of gas-powered vehicles, an EV fleet produces zero emissions, which is beneficial to the company using the EVs and to the environment. At the same time, instead of gasoline, EVs depend on their batteries to run. An EV battery needs to be charged through an EV charging station to have enough power to keep the wheels turning.
What is electric vehicle fleet management?
Electric vehicle fleet management refers to the oversight of the fleet so operations run smoothly, efficiently, on time, and within budget.
The EV fleet management process involves two main components: charging and maintenance. Learn more about EV charging by checking out our “Ultimate Guide to Electrifying a Commercial EV Future” here.
What should EV fleet operators care about?
Like traditional commercial fleet management, EV operators need to track average vehicle speed and where their electric fleet vehicles are on the road in real-time. Unlike traditional fleet management, EV operators have to consider charging data as well. They will need to track company EV charging station health, State of Charge, charging status, vehicle charging session data, and charging behavior of drivers, among other charging-related analytics.
The most important things an EV fleet operator needs to focus on are:
- Vehicle range limitations: The number one issue EV fleet managers need to pay attention to is how much the fleet vehicles need to charge in order to successfully complete jobs. EV fleet operators need to know how far a fleet vehicle can go on a full charge at the depot or some other type of home-based charging station before it needs to charge again.
- Availability of charging infrastructure: An EV fleet manager needs to figure out where EV charging stations are located on drivers’ routes. EV fleet drivers may need to use a public charging station to complete jobs. An EV fleet operator may consider building an EV charging station in a strategic location for the fleet so there aren’t range anxiety issues. Range anxiety is the fear an electric vehicle has insufficient charge and won’t be able to reach its destination.
- Lack of uniformity: Different EVs require different charging methods and charging times. An EV fleet may consist of light-duty, medium-duty, or heavy-duty vehicles. In order to ensure all vehicles are charged properly, an EV fleet operator needs to note the differences between their fleet vehicles and plan accordingly.
- Maintenance: Although EVs don’t require as much regular maintenance as gas-powered cars do, they still need to be routinely inspected to ensure they are functioning properly.
A commercial EV fleet needs a dependable EV fleet charging solution in order to flourish. Connect with us to find out which commercial fleet electrification package works best for your fleet and facility: (800) 834-8737.
