EV Fleet management

EV adoption in the UK has been increasing year on year, underpinned by supportive policies and technology advances. At the forefront of this electric revolution has been Britain’s fleet sector, accounting for 53.3% of last year’s 2.3m vehicle registrations. This is set to intensify as fleet owners are said to be increasing their EV spending by 50% within the next year according to a Centrica report.

There are a number of reasons why the switch to EV is becoming increasingly attractive for fleet managers. These include:

Fleet electrification demonstrates an active effort in achieving UK Net-Zero targets, whilst enhancing the business’s image to appear both socially and environmentally conscious.

Public concern over both global warming and air pollution has heightened within recent years, a trend that has been further accelerated as the pandemic has opened our eyes to how air pollution makes us more vulnerable to disease. This rise in public concern for environmental issues has been reflected in commercial fleets across the UK, with the need to meet corporate sustainability targets cited by 58% of businesses as the most influential reason for an increase in EV adoption.

EV’s are becoming an increasingly attractive choice for fleets, with the number of models of commercial electric vehicles increasing by 23% in 2020 alone, with more models set to hit the market within the upcoming years. The capabilities of these new EV models have improved substantially with many new vehicles having ranges approaching 300 miles. This, coupled with increasingly denser networks of public charge point infrastructure, means that the commonly cited problem of ‘range anxiety’ – the worry that you won’t have enough charge in your EV to make it to your destination – is becoming increasingly less of a problem.

Finding a charging solution that’s right for you

An effective charging strategy is fundamental to the operational performance of EV fleets, and there are a range of considerations that need to be taken when choosing your perfect fleet charging solution.

The ability to manage capacity across multiple vehicles (load management), is essential for effective fleet management. This ensures your operations will not be disrupted by too much drain on power when charging your fleet. You can then plug in all cars to charge confident in the knowledge that only a set level of power will ever be pulled to power the charging units.

Payment options are important considerations when choosing a suitable EV charging solution. Historically many company’s fuel payment policies have involved workers paying for fuel and then putting this through expenses, however, EV charging requires a different model. One of the most favourable solutions is one that allows monitoring and management through prepaid cards, as this offers a closed environment solution.

As more and more of the population adopt EV’s for personal use, company charging policies covering who can plug their vehicles into company chargers, when they can use the charge points and how they pay for power, requires increasing consideration.

Manage the charging of your fleet using RFID cards for each of your employees, which allows you to monitor charging for each vehicle, track charging expenses and track the cost of energy consumption. RFID cards can also help to prevent unauthorised access in areas that are open to the public.

EV charging is completely new territory for most fleet managers and this change raises several key questions, including how many chargers will be required, the optimum speeds required for these chargers and their ideal locations.

For most fleets, the optimum option is to install a greater number of chargers capable of slow charging up to fast (typically 7kw up to 22kw) which can typically charge a car from empty to full in 3-4 hours.

This option is both easier and cheaper than installing higher speed 50kW chargers as these take a lot of power from the grid which often requires expensive connection upgrades. Fortunately, the recent developments in charging technology, smart charging and load management has meant that fast charging (7kw-22kw) is often the only charging solution required to keep fleets charged and on the road.

In terms of ideal charge point locations, it is usually suggested that stations are reserved for fleet use on nights and weekends to ensure the charging infrastructure can be fully utilised. Consideration must also be taken with regards to how close the installation point is from the electricity source, as the closer the distance, the cheaper the install.  This is because the further the unit is away from the power source, the longer and thicker the cables required, and therefore the more costly the install. Chargepoints that can be installed on the wall or close by are also cheaper due to this requiring less groundwork.

Fleet managers may want to consider placing EV chargers in prominent and visible positions as this helps to communicate the fleet’s transition to EV, therefore positively enhancing visitor perception. This choice may however be less cost efficient if higher levels of groundwork and cabling are required. It is therefore important that the sites usage, priorities and goals are outlined and understood so that the charging solution provided creates an adequate balance of cost efficiency and aesthetic. For instance, a facility that experiences a high volume of site visits may want to prioritise prominent EV charging locations over cheaper wall charging in less prominent locations.

Fleets all over the UK are making the switch to EV. To support this, Pilot Group have created a range of smart yet simple to use charging solutions, to support all of your EV charging needs. We offer a full turnkey solution from supply and install through to maintenance and in-going support, ensuring your products and people are kept moving and operational efficiency is reached. By growing as you do; we can ensure peace of mind at every step of your fleet electrification journey.