A recent webinar outling the findings from the AA’s and Rivus Fleet Solutions’ Operational Fleet Insight Report provided some compelling advice on EV adoption for fleets. Natalie Middleton reports back.

“There is a real challenge to make sure that the vehicle in the real world can operate and perform and support your business in the way an ICE vehicle would do so.”

Hosted by Dean Hedger, EV new business development manager of the AA, along with Gavin Franks, director of business services, and Edmund King, president, the event revealed that the UK’s operational fleet sector is on the “cusp of a real revolution” as positivity towards electric vehicles and plans for their uptake evolve significantly in the countdown to the 2030 ICE ban.

And the event also included special guests Jason Chamberlain, sales & marketing director at Rivus Fleet Solutions, and Lorna McAtear, fleet manager at National Grid, for a panel debate that brought some vital insights for fleets.

The one piece of advice for an operational fleet manager switching to EVs?

Lorna McAtear, fleet manager at National Grid

“Have a plan, but don’t panic. If you don’t need to change that vehicle yet, then don’t. Have your plan and know when your end date is.

“I’ve set one up for 2030, for example. I don’t have a solution for my 4x4s yet, but they are in my plan. I know I’ll be reviewing them in 2023/2024, because I’ve been talking to the manufacturers and know when they’re likely to be coming out. But there’s no point panicking about those ones now.

“So, have a plan. Know what you want to do. Map out all your different vehicle types against it and know which ones you can control and influence now. But don’t panic.”

Jason Chamberlain, sales and marketing director at Rivus Fleet Solutions

“It has to start with the vehicle being fit for operational purpose. I’m talking light commercials here, outside of cars right now. It’s not simply just acceptable to say you’re ticking a box and moving into that because that’s the direction of the business.

“There is a real challenge to make sure that the vehicle in the real world can operate and perform and support your business in the way an ICE vehicle would do so. What you don’t need is a big infrastructure business not being able to meet its obligations to get to a client with either the product or the service because the vehicle’s run out of electric. That’s really not acceptable.

“So my recommendation would be to really look at a true total cost of ownership model. Also to work with a partner who has tried and tested all vehicle types and payload in a real environment.

“Outside of that, there will be certain requirements around service maintenance repair. It’s imperative to ensure that the vehicle type you choose, and the service regime that you operate to, is sustainable within the service maintenance repair network because vehicle availability is everything.”

The benefits of telematics to plan out the path of the transition

Lorna McAtear

“Over 10 years ago, when I put my first electric vans in, I used telemetry data. I collected the mileages and understood what the vehicles were doing so I knew what my ‘low hanging fruit’ was.

“I collected the mileages, I understood what the vehicles were doing so I knew which my ‘low hanging fruit’ was; what could I change relatively painlessly, because it was so early.

“Using the telemetry data helps you understand and iron out all the ‘what if?’ scenarios. You’re always going to have exceptions, but then you can plan around those.

“Where it could also be useful is understanding what you really need at a depot, if you’re going to put in charging infrastructure. So it’s analysing, with some science behind it, to manage your costs; using the data to scientifically work out so that you don’t panic purchase or over-purchase – or, the other way, under-purchase what you need.”

Jason Chamberlain

“I agree with Lorna. We’ve got some very clever people running that analysis, based on information we can collect from a vehicle in a real-world environment today across a number of different vehicle types.

“The data is incredible – it varies a lot, by factors of a number of different things. It’s actually really, really compelling in using the telematics information to gather the insight we need to make better decisions for the future.”

The challenges and opportunities of going EV

Lorna McAtear

“I think the biggest challenge is the transition from the early adopter to mainstream. Because, when you go scale – and I can say that having been at Royal Mail with lots of vehicles – it brings a whole new set of challenges.

“There’s never range anxiety now but there’s charge anxiety because whether it’s at home, at the depot, or in public, will there be enough of everything as you start going mainstream?

“The opportunities are related to taking all the things that have happened to you during the pandemic, understanding the data that’s come through on that and flipping anything that’s a negative. So I’m taking advantage of the fact I can’t get vehicles at the moment, to make sure my workplace infrastructure is up to speed.”

How to mitigate out-of-charge vehicles at the roadside

Lorna McAtear

“Firstly I haven’t had one, but I guess there’s always a situation where I might. But I’d pick up the phone to the AA if I did, as they have solutions that can help me out. So it’s just like any breakdown.

“It all depends on whether you’re putting in contingents. But I’d also ask people what their contingency is when their driver runs out of diesel? There’s no difference, this is normal. This is what we do as fleet managers; you go through all your normal processes to do what you need to do.”

Edmund King, AA president

“With the AA, fewer than 4% of breakdowns for EVs are due to them being out of charge. That’s halved from 8% and it’s going down. In Norway it’s less than 1%.

“And yet, we did a survey asking drivers what percentage do you think of EV breakdowns are for out of charge, and 99% got it wrong. It was vastly over exaggerated.

“So you’re absolutely right, it’s the same for an EV driver as if you’ve got a petrol car. If I haven’t got enough petrol to get to Banbury and back, I will get petrol at Banbury, or I will charge at Banbury.

“We need to normalise this and certainly at the AA in terms of dealing with breakdowns, we bring power to electric drivers, petrol drivers and diesel drivers. We don’t discriminate.”

To access the Operational Fleet Insight Report 2021 from the AA and Rivus Fleet Solution, click here.