Challenges in procurement and utilisation of EVs in fleets
Data released by the Electric Vehicle Council in March 2021 indicate Australian Electric Vehicle (EV) sales were approximately zero-point six per cent (6,718) of total vehicle sales in 2020. However, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries state, 72% of total vehicle sales in 2020 were SUV’s (49.6%) and light commercial vehicles (22.6%). The three bestselling vehicles in 2020 were the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Toyota RAV4.
The challenges
Through decades of marketing and advertising, we have been led to believe that Australians enjoy four-wheel driving and travelling long distances across rugged terrain. The other side of the equation is the city SUV — a best seller — because it fits the kids, sports equipment, and the dog. These larger vehicles and the desire to travel long distances pose a problem for electric vehicles because charging stations are sparse or non-existent. If you run out of charge in rural Australia, unlike fuel, the next vehicle down the road can’t give you a jerrican of electricity!
Councils, government departments and innovative private businesses are moving to EVs to reduce their running costs and take a responsible approach to carbon emissions. However, the nature of their operating terrain, on-road hours and their requirement for utes and 4x4s limit their EV procurement opportunities.
Making EVs part of the fleet management ecosystem
Another problem businesses face is that EV fleets require different data acquisition and delivery. Intelematics, as a telematics solution provider, is seeing a significant lift in demand for EV specific data, especially state of charge, which is not widely available. Organisations are also asking that EVs be incorporated into their carpool booking systems.
Organisations with the intent to move to more sustainable transport options want an integrated fleet management solution (FMS). The solution must manage fleet optimisation, carpool bookings and provide real-time information about charging levels. Managers and employees also need peace of mind that they will complete their intended journey without needing a recharge. Such feedback from our customers has seen Intelematics partnering on EV initiatives with Chargefox. Chargefox is on a mission to create a cleaner future for Australians with simple, fast electric car charging.
Managing a sustainable and environmentally friendly fleet
For organisations driven by sustainability, fleet management solutions and EV partnerships offer a promising future. Such partnerships provide these organisations with sophisticated fleet management technology that takes away the headaches of micromanaging via an exercise book. It also allows for the implementation of other sustainable transport measures such as carpooling. Carpooling helps organisations optimise vehicle utilisation while reducing the size of their fleet.
Capabilities such as knowing the “state of charge” remotely for a Fleet Manager make it easy to see which vehicles are ready to go and which need to recharge in their vehicle pool.
Similarly, determining the most appropriate vehicle for a trip helps organisations right-size their EV fleet. Organisations can also use fleet management software to understand travel distance and allocate vehicles based on charge levels, location and availability.
The exploration of fleet management solutions enabling EV adaption within organisational fleets is an exciting journey and one of the endless possibilities and a greener future.
While statistics is a science, they aren’t always a fair and accurate representation of the market. If we remove the HGVs, light commercial, motorcycles, SUVs etc., from the total sales figures, we end up with 222,103 light passenger vehicles sold in 2020. This is firmly where the majority of EVs sit. So, as a proportion of this fleet, EVs are three per cent of comparable market sales. Considering our environment, the appetite of Australians to travel long distances, the role a commercial vehicle must fulfil in Australia, and the current price disparity of EVs, we need to utilise EVs far more. Three per cent is a start, but with the proper fleet management tools in place, we can significantly grow this figure — together.
And who knows, perhaps a jerrican of electricity is just over the horizon.
This article by Paul Sinclair, Telematics Solutions Advisor at Intelematics, was first published in the April 2021 issue of AFMA’s Fleet Drive Magazine.
