Fleet managers are becoming conversant with electric battery technologies, recognising the pros and cons of different types.

FleetCheck MD Peter Golding said growing fleet awareness of EV battery pros and cos was a potentially important step on the road to widespread fleet EV adoption

Fleet management software specialist FleetCheck said its users were becoming increasingly aware of the differences in a similar way as they would know the differences between petrol and diesel power.

Managing director Peter Golding explained: “At the moment, the key point is knowing about the cost, safety and charging capabilities of the two main types – LFP (lithium iron phosphate) and NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) – especially as the latter are starting to find their way into more and more entry-level EVs.

“In a lot of ways, it’s similar to knowing about the pros and cons of diesel and petrol in combustion engine terms, especially as some manufacturers such as Tesla and MG use both battery technologies in the same models.

“To some extent, each has characteristics that are suitable for different applications. We’re not quite at a stage yet where manufacturers advertise which types of battery they are using in particular models but that might not be far away.”

Golding added that the trend was still new; but was a potentially important step on the road to widespread fleet EV adoption.

He also said the situation was likely to become more complex with the arrival of new battery technologies over the next few years.

“It seems there is a story in the press every week about new potential battery technology for EVs, with sodium ion being a favourite. Some or all of these may well have a place on fleets in the future. Especially, there could be an acceleration of interest in new options thanks to raw material shortages such as nickel.”