By Shane Coomber, managing director at Leasys UK Fleet operators remain at the forefront of electrification, accounting for 61.8% of new EV registrations in 2024. This is, in part,
Fleet operators remain at the forefront of electrification, accounting for 61.8% of new EV registrations in 2024. This is, in part, because fleets benefit from improved sustainability credentials as well as compelling tax incentives, which mean they can operate without such concern around initial upfront costs.
As with any large-scale change to a fleet’s vehicle composition, though, there are considerations that should be taken in advance of any switch to electrification, to ensure a smooth transition.
Reconsidering fleet composition
A good example of a challenge that can be addressed early through proactive thinking is the question of fleet composition.
Electrifying an existing fleet will not necessarily entail replacing every vehicle with its like-for-like electric equivalent. Instead, to ensure electrification succeeds, fleet managers should be open to changing their fleet composition, so that what is settled on reflects the realities and requirements on the ground. This may well mean adjusting their vehicle mix to reflect the electrified operations.
For example, replacing a diesel van that transports goods 12 hours per day with a one-for-one electric alternative would not account for downtime needed to recharge. As a result, the fleet could struggle to meet its required throughput of deliveries. Instead, a more logical and cost-effective option could be to opt for two smaller electric vans that rotate between delivery and recharging.
Discovering what fleet composition works best may require some experimentation. This is where long-term rental and operational leasing – unlike traditional ownership models – can benefit fleets, providing access to vehicles and the opportunity to trial different compositions, without the burden of ownership. Operational leasing can offer fleet managers the ability to quickly scale their investments up and down, according to market demands, without taking on the risks of owning the vehicles themselves.
With many fleets now benefiting from existing charging networks and improved infrastructure, charging is often far more accessible than it once was, but that doesn’t mean fleet operators should handwave the issue away. Rather, careful planning around charging infrastructure is a key step on the journey to electrification.
To ensure the state of the charging infrastructure in the areas they do business is suitable for operations, fleet managers should conduct thorough reviews of their routes. This includes simulations of range requirements based on driver profiles, weather, and payloads. Comprehensive route reviews and simulations are particularly important for fleets operating in rural areas without grid access, or in areas where charging demand outpaces supply.
For smaller fleets, there are many publicly available apps and audit tools to map out charging stations and plan their routes. Larger fleets will need to conduct a more thorough infrastructure analysis. This is essential to ensuring charging setups are fully future-proofed and have a set of contingencies and backups in place. Along with these analyses, teams should also develop maps of the partnerships or agreements they may need with third parties, to guarantee continuous and complete charging availability.
Fleet composition and charging infrastructure are two examples of electrification considerations that can be simplified through proactive planning. Services such as operational leasing can be extremely useful in both stress-testing and scaling plans for fleets, by ensuring that any challenges can be addressed without worrying about sunk costs associated with outright ownership.
By anticipating these points, building them into any electrification plan before making the leap, and using services like operational leasing, fleet managers put themselves in the best position to ensure their EV transition is seamless for teams and customers.
