How-to guide

Transitioning to electrical power is an important decision for any fleet. It requires research and planning, to ensure money is invested wisely and that implementation is as seamless as possible.

This guide leads you through the most up-to-date market information and relevant fleet experiences. It is designed to give your company step-by-step guidance, taking you through the basics of EV technologies to the early adoption and evaluation of your own corporate fleet transition plan.

Initiate

Identify opportunity

Take stock of the mobility requirement across your
organization:

  • How many vehicles do you have and where are they located?
  • What types of vehicles do you require and how are they fueled?
  • How are the vehicles used, e.g. how far do they travel in a day?

Identify the best use case for your fleet. The use cases
prioritized in this guide are:

  • Company vehicle, used/housed with employee
  • Shared company car
  • Last-mile delivery
Fact Box

Assumption
BEVICE
Annual Distance (km)15,000
Emissions efficiency (g/km)
095
Energy cost
€0.25/kWh€1.5/Liter
Annual maintenance (oil change, tire, brakes)
$350$650
Annual Operation Emissions (tonnes)
01.4
Annual Operating Costs (€)
€1,000€1,570

Find the most suitable vehicles for adoption. Attributes of ideal situations to transition to EV:

  • Urban operating environments (vehicle emissions are increasingly scrutinized by city authorities)
  • Located in markets with high public charger densities (drivers are likely more familiar with EVs where public chargers are common)
  • Access to a dedicated private parking location (EV use is much easier for drivers if they have a charger they can rely on)
  • High annual utilization, but daily maximum use below 300km to ensure economic viability

Assess feasibility

Make an inventory of the EV options near you

The table below provides basic information about what to expect when searching for EV options that suit your need.

Use case(s)Used/Housed w/ employee,
shared company car
Last mile delivery
Vehicle Type
SedanSUV
VanTruck
Weight (tonnes)
Up to 3.5Up to 3.5
Up to 3.5Over 3.5
Electric range (km)
150-600250-500
200-300Upcoming
Cost (€K) *
25-10030-90
30-45Upcoming

The Transport Decarbonization Alliance is currently focusing on decarbonizing urban heavy transport and has produced a report that can support countries, cities and companies to decarbonize urban freight. The links below will take you to websites with more specific information about EV availability in your region.

You can also check out Transport & Environment for their Life Cycle Analysis Tool to compare well to wheel greenhouse gas emissions from various geographies across vehicle segments.

Anticipate how your EVs will be charged

The charging solution will vary by the use case. Within the use cases of this guide, there are four components to consider:

  • A home charging solution
  • A workplace charging solution
  • A public charging service
  • A charging management platform

Depending on the use case, your company’s EV adoption plan will need to consider investments in home or workplace chargers, and subscriptions to a charger management platform or public charging service.

Management platforms can be used to monitor and manage EV charging to save on electricity costs as well as ensure chargers up-time is maximized.

A subscription to a public charging service may also help make the transition easier for your drivers.

Anticipated charging requirements per EV use case

Use case(s)Used/housed with employeeShared company carLast mile delivery
Home chargers
Workplace chargers
Management platform
Public charging services

Identify subsidies

The EV transition requires capital. EVs are generally more expensive than ICE vehicle and most use cases require investing in charger installations.

Much, if not all and more of the upfront capital will be paid off over time from savings in energy and maintenance costs.

Government agencies in many markets offer incentives that reduce the initial CAPEX of transitioning to an EV fleet. Popular incentives include:

RebatesFinancial benefits provided after vehicle or infrastructure deployment
Tax creditsFinancial benefits claimed by the purchaser during tax accounting
GrantsFinancial benefits usually awarded to companies for the demonstration of innovative technologies
LoansTypically dedicated financing at low interest rates
Driver benefitsUnlimited access to special vehicle lanes or parking spaces, reduced tolls and other fees

The links below will take you to websites with more specific information about incentives in your region.
See the UN Environment Programme for a global EV policy database (link)

Engage internal & external stakeholders

Socialize the idea inside the company

First create a cross-functional team in your organization to identify challenges, considerations and build a robust case and roadmap to transition the company fleet to electric. Then use these outputs to get executive buy-in and mobilize executives to help implement the transition.

Your key internal stakeholders are shown in the figure below.

Fleet ManagerOperationsSite ManagerHuman ResourcesCommunications
RoleProvides understanding of fleet vehicle requirements and coordinates between drivers and external stakeholdersAdvises on vehicle type and usage requirementsCoordinates with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the required EVSE can be installed on company premisesProvides employee interface for those considering an EV as a company vehicle. Also is best placed to use workplace charger deployment and EV program as a recruitment toolCommunicates the corporate fleet electrification and benefits to employees/ suppliers/ operators

Engage with external stakeholders

After organizing your team, reach out to relevant external stakeholders.

DSO/DNOElectricity retailerLocal government
agencies
Vendors
RoleThe DSO/DNO manages the electrical grid and is in charge of supplying a reliable flow of power to your EV chargers.Advises on vehicle type and usage requirementsCoordinates with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the required EVSE can be installed on company premisesProvides employee interface for those considering an EV as a company vehicle. Also is best placed to use workplace charger deployment and EV program as a recruitment tool
TipsYour EV charging installation may require increasing the electrical capacity into the property you own or lease and/or making upgrades to substation capacity. These upgrades take time and may come with costs, so it is critical to contact the DSO and DNO early in the process.In addition to understanding electricity supply upgrade requirements, it is also important to begin discussions on electricity rate options.It is important to connect with local government agencies for guidance on support programs if they exist, and more importantly, the necessary permitting procedures for building an EV charging network at your office.Enquiries with equipment and service vendors, like for charging equipment, installation, and energy management platforms, and vehicle leasing companies will give you an understanding of the technologies available for your EV fleet. See 2.3 for further details.

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