28 February 2014

Electric vehicles can benefit many fleets with varying profiles

Electric vehicles can be utilised by many different fleets operating across a wide cross-section of age and mileage profiles, according to experts.

Energy Saving Trust consultant Karl Anders told ACFO’s recent Electric Vehicle Seminar: “What we have learned from our research and analysis across many different types of fleet operation is that there is no single bespoke profile.”

Critically fleets must balance the higher procurement cost of electric vehicles when compared with petrol and diesel models with lower in-life operating costs.
As a result, said Mr Anders: “When analysing electric vehicles it is necessary to look at different replacement cycle and mileage profiles to the standard three years/60,000 miles or four years/80,000 miles for petrol or diesel models.

“The challenge is to identify an electric vehicle opportunity and understand the whole life costs across different mileage patterns. One size does not fit all. It is all about finding the sweet spot over a longer replacement cycle.”

When fleet managers seek to identify electric vehicle opportunities other key considerations in addition to the mileage profile also include recharging opportunities and limitations and vehicle specification with payload limitations, he explained.

There are presently around 18,000 electric vehicle recharging points across the UK and Peter Lunt, Energy Saving Trust fleet consultant, said: “There is an increasingly wide and varied recharging infrastructure. Drivers need to be aware of that, particularly prior to setting off on a journey.”