Telematics identifies first EVs
Connected car data gives fleet decision makers the insights required to identify vehicles ready to switch to battery power.
Early success stories are enormously helpful for the implementation of an electric vehicle (EV) strategy. If the first fleet cars and vans to switch to battery power experience no range or recharging issues, they will provide perfect examples to support a rapid, mass transition of the rest of the fleet to zero emission motoring. But if a fleet’s first EVs prove to be unfit for purpose, incapable of achieving the range required or unable to charge conveniently, they will undermine both the business case and driver confidence in an EV policy.
This is why the selection of the first petrol or diesel vehicles to convert to electric power is so important. And it’s a task where telematics data can play an invaluable role. Tracking the routes and daily mileages of company vehicles provides the data to identify cars and vans that could operate within the range and charging times of an EV with minimal change or disruption.
Geotab’s Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment, for example, matches existing fleet journey data, gathered over six to 12 months, with real-world EV performance data as a basis for recommending which EVs meet current range requirements.
Protecting the grid
As higher volumes of EVs cluster in certain areas, especially with depot-based fleets, the demand for electricity risks exceeding the capacity of the local grid. Connected vehicle data services, such as Geotab Energy, can help avoid this by facilitating load balancing; showing fleet operators which vehicles need charging and how much charge they require for their next day’s route, so that demand on the grid is kept to a minimum and timed for off-peak periods.
Learning from Madrid
In Madrid, a municipal project installed telematics in 19 Renault Zoe electric vehicles to measure distance travelled, daily EV range and average energy consumption. The data revealed that the 19 EVs cut CO2 emissions by 60%, saving almost 1 tonne per month, compared to ICE equivalents.
Enrique García, technician of the Department of Climate Change of the Madrid City Council, said: “You cannot manage an electric fleet without telematics technology. The real and remote data are key to be able to analyse the state of each vehicle and improve in terms of efficiency and sustainability.”
Madrid has now replaced over one-third of its municipal fleet with EVs.
How to use telematics to transition to EVs
- Measure the daily mileages of each of your vehicles over a period of six months.
- Identify vehicles that never or rarely exceed the real world range of EVs that would suit your fleet requirements. These vehicles are best placed to switch to electric power.
- Use the journey tracking data to analyse routes and dwell times for other vehicles, then map these against charge point locations to identify vehicles that could operate on battery power if they had convenient access to chargers.
- Use the connectivity of telematics to monitor the battery charge status of EVs on your fleet, so vehicles are only dispatched when they have sufficient power to complete their route.
- Analyse the driving styles of EV drivers via telematics data, recording incidents of harsh acceleration; a more sensitive driving style can optimise EV range.
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