Ask The Experts: How Fleet Operators Can Ease The EV Fleet Transition

The motoring world continues to move towards electric and hybrid vehicles, with global EV fleets expanding by 57% compared to 2023. As businesses look to reduce their carbon footprint, cut fuel costs, and comply with stringent environmental regulations, managing the transition to an electric fleet is becoming an important part of any fleet manager’s job.

However, EV fleet transition​ is a complex process that must be carefully considered. In this guide, Mer EV’s Head of Sales Natasha Fry outlines how fleet operators can plan and manage the switch. She covers strategy and planning, infrastructure and monitoring fleet operations, as well as training and support for both staff and drivers.

EV Fleet Management Strategy & Planning

Any fleet management decision has to start with a comprehensive strategy and planning process, including analysis of driving patterns and usage, typical routes with distances and load or passenger requirements. With this, you’ll be able to determine which EVs and associated infrastructure are right for your organisation.

Understanding EV Fleet Requirements

Every business is different, but to ensure you pick the right EV fleet for you, consider:

• EV Range: One of the most important factors, it’s essential that your chosen vehicle can travel far enough on a single charge.
• EV Specs: Whichever you choose, it needs to be able to fulfil its purpose for your operations. Size, load capacity, passenger space and other variables can all impact functionality.
• Price: EVs can vary significantly in their purchase price, which will affect your overall budget.
• Regulations & CSR Commitments: Local regulations and guidelines need to be incorporated into any fleet management transition plan, as do your organisation’s CSR and ESG goals.

With this information gathered, you can determine your infrastructure requirements and running costs. You can also begin researching your eligibility for government grants and incentives alongside financing options.

Determining EV Charging Infrastructure Needs

Your charging infrastructure is essential to the success of your transition and day-to-day fleet management operations. Broadly, there are two approaches.

On-Site EV Charging

For organisations with large fleets and plenty of space, this is often the most convenient and cost-effective in the long term. On-site charging facilities provide complete control over your charging needs. For example, DC rapid chargers (50kW–100kW) can be used for top ups when vehicles are being loaded or unloaded, while fast chargers (7kW–25kW) can be used overnight.

On-site EV charging facilities also allow you to plan for the future, investing in technology and capacity that will meet your needs for years to come.

Public Charging Networks

Public charging networks are becoming increasingly common in service stations, public car parks, shops and on residential streets. Although more expensive to charge, they offer maximum flexibility and can be especially useful for use on long journeys or when your business doesn’t have regular routes.

Which you choose is dependent on your business needs, and many opt for a mixture of both. What’s more, smart energy management systems and incorporating renewable energy sources into your infrastructure can improve sustainability and long-term running costs.

For more information, our EV Charging Infrastructure Checklist is essential reading for fleet managers.

Monitoring Fleet Operations & Usage

Any EV fleet transition will come with issues and teething problems. So to protect business operations and ensure a smooth journey, we recommend a phased approach. Starting with pilot programs can be useful to test processes, requirements and results which are then scaled up or used to inform future decisions. For this, you’ll need advanced data collection and analysis tools.

Collecting data on your fleet’s energy usage, performance and battery health will help identify patterns, predict and schedule maintenance periods, and make data-driven decisions to improve ongoing efficiency. You’ll also be able to optimise routes and charging schedules to reduce downtime, extend the life of the EV and reduce your environmental impact.

For example, Madrid City Council used fleet operations data to identify that their EVs were not all being used equally, with the same vehicles shouldering the largest load. By incorporating this knowledge into their operations they achieved 100% usage, reducing their CO2 emissions by 60%.

Staff Training & Support

Your staff and drivers are a vital part of any EV fleet transition project. At the very least, staff need to be trained on the operational and maintenance requirements of the new fleet. These can include charging procedures, basic maintenance and trouble-shooting, as well as driving techniques to optimise range and efficiency. It may also be the case that processes for loading and unloading vehicles may need to be updated.

Allaying Employee Concerns

It’s also common to encounter scepticism and concern around the switch to EVs, and staff members will need support and guidance at this stage. In most cases, explaining the reason behind the transition, as well as the benefits for them, will get your staff on board. Additionally, ensuring everyone is clear on their obligations and responsibilities should reduce mistakes and misunderstandings during the transition.

Highlighting the challenges you expect them to face, as well as your proposed solutions, will help to negate any early reluctance to EVs. In particular, range anxiety is still a common concern, but you can reassure them with your planned infrastructure and operational strategy, as well as training on driving an EV efficiently.

Mer EV Supports Fleet Operators

Transitioning to an EV fleet is a large undertaking, but one that comes with long-term financial and environmental positives for your organisation. Proper planning and preparation is essential to the success of any project, and we’re here to help.

Our Design and Consultancy Services allow us to create tailored EV infrastructure designs that meet your needs. However, in the meantime, our EV Charging Infrastructure Design Guide is at hand to start the process.