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What you need to know about switching to an electric vehicle fleet

posted on 18/07/2023
  • Overview
  • What could you gain from switching to EVs?
  • What are the potential drawbacks of EVs?
  • What will you need to do?
  • How can Alphabet help?

Why are EVs now a vital consideration for fleet makeup? What do you need to know to get the most out of them? What are the downsides of going electric? Let’s answer those questions, and more.

What could you gain from switching to EVs?

For those managing business fleets, there are three clear benefits to electric vehicles right now.
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79% of fleet decision-makers

agree there are more EVs on the market to suit their needs now

What are the potential drawbacks of EVs?

What will you need to do to transition to an electric fleet?

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1. Establish your business electrification goals

How you approach incorporating EVs into your fleet will depend on your business goals. Is your priority to reduce CO2 emissions to a minimum, or does this need to be balanced with maintaining or even reducing Whole Life Costs vs petrol or diesel vehicles?

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2. Analyse current driver usage and behaviour

The potential benefits from transitioning to EVs may vary considerably across your fleet. Analyse your drivers’ current usage patterns (with telematics if you can) to identify where the best opportunities are.

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3. Identify your charging infrastructure

Depending on your fleet driving patterns, workplace charging, home charging or public charge points (or a combination of these) may be most suitable. Each comes with benefits and drawbacks as well as cost implications, so working out how you’ll fuel your vehicles will help you narrow down which vehicle types should be on your shortlist.

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4. Assess Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for potential vehicles

Because EVs typically have higher list prices than their diesel or petrol equivalents, it’s doubly-important to take a wholistic view which takes into account costs across the full life of the vehicle. That means including not just the up-front costs but also the maintenance, servicing, repairs, and charging-related costs. Often this will allow you to identify opportunities for cost savings vs petrol/diesel vehicles.

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5. Update your policies, processes and driver training

With a new kind of vehicle (and fuel) to manage, you’ll need to update your policies and processes to make it easy for your drivers to adapt to any changing responsibilities and processes (e.g. using electric charge cards or charge point journey planners).

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45% of of small-to-medium fleets

want to electrify quicker, but feel held back by lack of time or expertise

How can Alphabet help?

Our EV experts are ready to take you on your road to zero. From initial consultation to implementation to daily operations, we can support you at every step of the way. Get in touch on 01252 976 010 to book an eMobility consultation tailored to your fleet priorities and kick-start your transition.

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