The Future of Electric Vehicles in Green Fleet Management

Summary

The article discusses the advantages of using electric vehicles in fleet management, including reduced costs, lower maintenance requirements, improved operations, increased sustainability, and higher employee satisfaction. 

Electric vehicles produce fewer emissions, have simpler components, and are becoming more efficient as technology develops. Investing in electric vehicles for fleet management is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

With the current rate of natural resource depletion and environmental degradation, each one us especially the fleet owners would prefer to shift to a more sustainable source. The most logical solution for this is the electrical vehicle.

The initial investment on an electric vehicle is high because of which fleet owners have a number of questions moving forward. In this article, we would like to give you a clear picture which will help you make the best decisions based on your organization.

What are Electrical Vehicles?

An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle may be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources or may be self-contained with a battery, solar panels, fuel cells or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity. There are three basic types of EVs and they are

  • Battery electric vehicles (BEVs): they are all-electric—no gasoline or diesel needed. The rechargeable battery is what powers the engine.
  • Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs): they are a hybrid between a BEV and an internal combustion engine (ICE). When the electric power gets depleted, the vehicle switches over to the ICE. This dual system allows for an extended travel range over BEVs. After your journey, PHEVs can be recharged and refuelled. 
  • Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs): They also use electricity and gasoline. However, the electricity acts more as an assistant to the traditional ICE. With regenerative braking, HEVs improve their fuel efficiency and conserve fuel. However, an HEV’s electric motor cannot be recharged like other EVs. 

Advantages of Effectively Deploying Electric Vehicles in your Fleet

1. Reducing Cost

Operating on electricity supplied by rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles cost much less to charge than it does to refuel a diesel or gas-powered vehicle.

Electric vehicles also generate considerably less noise and produce virtually zero emissions, which makes them idle to use when compared to traditional diesel or petrol-based vehicle. The cost of purchasing or leasing a plug-in electric vehicle is greater than the cost of a comparable petrol or diesel model. 

However, many commercial fleets purchasing electric vehicles today are already witnessing a lower total cost of ownership for these vehicles. This is because the higher purchase costs are nullified over time by sharply lower operating costs.

2. Reduced Maintenance Requirement

Electrical vehicles have fewer mechanical parts meaning that there are fewer components to go wrong, which means less maintenance. It also features simpler transmissions, and they do not require any fluid replacement. The features like regenerative braking reduce wear and tear on the basic components. 

Commercial fleets operating these vehicles today are reporting maintenance cost reductions of more than 50 per cent across all vehicle classes. As with all vehicles, they do require an annual service and inspection which needs to be considered as a part of the life cycle costs.

3. Improved Operation

One of the biggest barriers to widespread electric vehicle use is due to doubts about the distance they can travel on a single charge. The good news is that this range is continually increasing. As technology develops, the distance that they can travel on battery also increases. The distance travelled varies depending on a number of factors such as the size of the engine, the number of passengers it is carrying and the speed at which it is travelling.  

Commercial fleets have reported numerous operational advantages associated with plug-in vehicles. For example, electric trucks eliminate trips to the gas station. For some parcel delivery fleets particularly in dense urban areas, this reduces employee downtime.

4. Increases Sustainability

The electric vehicle produces very fewer emissions and is environmental friendly when compared to gas and diesel vehicles. Around 40% of carbon emissions are reduced by switching to an EV.

Including electric vehicle within your fleet supports in reaching the company’s sustainability targets which creates a positive, caring impression towards the environment which resonates positively with employees and customers.

5. Employee Satisfaction

Several commercial fleets operating plug-in electric vehicles have reported high levels of employee satisfaction, improved performance, and better retention. For instance, in delivery applications, the drivers of electrical vehicle appreciate the smooth and quiet ride, the elimination of diesel or gasoline exhaust fumes, and the idea that they are operating a cutting-edge technology.

Electric Vehicle: The Way of Future Transportation

Fleets may find electric vehicle as a practical way to lower costs, improve sustainability, increase reliability, and meet emission regulations. Charging infrastructure, cost, and convenience are all expected to improve rapidly in the upcoming years and will stay unmatched. As the electric vehicle market broadens, there will be more variety and fleets will be able to find the once that are right for them, without compromising.

There’s so much discussion in the world of fleet concerning when is the best time to incorporate electric vehicles. Well if you haven’t already it’s high time you consider deploying electric vehicles in your fleet as its not only pocket friendly but also environmental friendly.

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