How easy is it to transition to EVs? Paul Hollick, chairman at the Association of Fleet Professionals, reckons it’s as easy as one, two, three (plus four and five!).

Paul Hollick, chairman, Association of Fleet Professionals

The switch to electric cars and vans is likely to be the biggest change that happens to any of us in our lifetimes in the fleet sector and our members have been working incredibly hard and often very imaginatively to enable this shift.

Out of that effort, an interesting narrative is emerging, which is something approaching a consensus about how to tackle the subject of electrification.

The more you talk to the members and listen to the best practice ideas they share, the more it is clear that many of them are now following a common path.

This process isn’t rocket science nor brain surgery – choose your preferred metaphor – but it does provide a structured approach to a difficult subject and, in writing this, I’m going to outline what I believe are the five key steps. Call it Fleet Electrification 101.

Profile your fleet

They are probably the most fundamental of fleet questions yet we’re all guilty of not asking them often enough. Why do you need vehicles? What are they used for? How and where are they used? How well do your existing vehicles meet these needs? Only once you have answered these questions can you start on the process of electrification.

Once you get to know your cars and vans – and how they are being used – you can start to look at the electric vehicles that are currently available and how they will meet your needs, as well as ways in which you may have to change your operations to account for any limitations.

Pick the low-hanging fruit first

Almost every fleet manager will tell you that it’s best to start electrification with easy wins. If you can identify a group of drivers with space to install an off-street charger at home who rarely cover more than 100 miles in a day, make them your electric car early adopters.

This strategy has a range of positive effects but the most important is that it lets your business see that EVs are practical and simply nothing to be scared of. More difficult areas of your fleet can be tackled later. Just get the ball rolling.

Choose drivers who will be advocates

Employee buy-in is a key part of electrification and, in the same way that you should make easy wins first, you should also try to choose drivers who you believe will be advocates within your business for EV adoption. In every company, there will be people who are EV naysayers but our members have found that the answer is to identify those who will act as ambassadors. Additionally, employee education is essential – teaching your business about the strengths and weaknesses of EVs will mean that when individuals are given their first electric car or van, there should be no surprises.

Rethink your fleet structure

One of the opportunities created by electrification is to look again at not just the use, but also the structure of your fleet. When it comes to cars, for example, an unexpected effect has been drivers becoming receptive to brands outside the established fleet mainstream that offer strong electric choices. However, this strategy is even more pertinent to van operations where some major opportunities may exist. For example, with more thought given to racking, can smaller electric vans be substituted for larger diesel models that you have bought in the past? Granted, current vehicle shortages mean that this might not be easy or even ultimately possible but it remains a worthwhile aspiration.

Recognise the limitations

Even for businesses that are the biggest advocates of electrification, there may well be restrictions forced by the current technology and spread of models available. If you have drivers who cover high mileages in places where the charging infrastructure is poor, for example, EV adoption may be tricky. Also, there are some types of vehicle – notably pickups – where the current selection of models is somewhere between low and non-existent.

Good use of telematics data can help you keep the use of these legacy ICE vehicles – and therefore their CO₂ output – to a minimum as well as inform any future switch to EV. Electrification is not going to happen overnight on any fleet and it is important to recognise that this is a long-term project.