Fleets are still seeking help with basic electric vehicle knowledge and insights on workplace/home charging, Northgate has revealed.

Northgate surveyed more than 60 van operators at the EV open days at its Cannock and Snodland branches

The LCV rental and mobility solutions provider, which will be at next month’s Great British Fleet Event, surveyed more than 60 van operators at the EV open days at its Cannock and Snodland branches to find the three most common issues businesses are dealing with when electrifying their LCV fleets.

Operators said their number one challenge was understanding more about how electric vehicles work, their range, costs, performance and drivability when compared with a diesel was their number one challenge.

The second challenge was knowing where to start with workplace and employee home charging to optimise their vehicles and drivers, mainly because of a lack of data.

Number three was coming to terms with the different vehicle charger types available including AC and DC, vehicle charging speeds and driver reimbursement for home charging.

Northgate ran the EV roadshows as part of its Drive to Zero commitment to help fleets develop and deliver a strategy to move from diesel to electric. Attendees can drive a range of electric vans, put their fleet through the EV suitability test and find out how driver training powers successful EV adoption.

The first two roadshows have also brought strong take-up for Northgate’s EV bundle, which enables fleets to brent an electric LCV and 7kW charger for a single monthly payment on its 12months+ contract. This includes instalment of the charger, which is supplied and fitted by Redde Northgate group business ChargedEV, and a charging app which allows drivers to access scheduled charging and optimise cheaper tariff hours.

“The EV bundle gets operators up and running with everything they need to start their initial trial. We are agnostic as to which LCV brands and charger types they choose as it’s all about us finding the best options for our customers,” explained Neil McCrossan, Northgate’s sales and marketing director.

“We can introduce customers to fleets who are further along their journey to net zero and help them gather the data necessary to support decision making. Our rental proposition is also proving flexible in getting fleets into different vehicle types without them having to lock into long-term funding,” he outlined.

• Northgate is taking part in the 2023 Great British Fleet Event as a partner. The business will showcase its latest Drive to Zero solutions and services, including the EV bundle, while head of product development Joshua Hooper will be presented in the Masterclass conference sessions. The event takes place on 25 April at Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes. For more details and to register for a free ticket, click here.