FLEETDRIVE various resources )
• Plan when taking longer routes and know to take rest revive breaks and charge at the same time .
• Agility is needed as you encounter the weird and wonderful
Training
• People have fear - Will the car get there ( range fear )? - Will it catch on fire ? - Which petrol stations can I use ?
- How does the regeneration work – it ’ s really aggressive when set at maximum
- How do I know the engine is on or off ? - How do I charge ? - Who do I call for assistance ?
• People need to have it made easy - Set up multiple charge accounts - Have a range table
- Show them how to use the apps to find chargers
- Show them how to charge and plug / unplug / lock the charging cable
• Check your equipment - Do you have the home 240 v cable in the car ?
- Do you have the correct public cable to plug into non-DC chargers where you need to BYO ?
- Do you have charging accounts set up ? What happens if they don ’ t work ?
- Are your charging account RFID cards activated ? ( I couldn ’ t charge as one card was not activated by the supplier )
- Do people have a mobile phone on them to access help if needed ?
- Do they know how to open the door if the 12-v battery goes flat ( yes there is a std 12v battery running the software etc that can and does go flat ).
- We found that power supply disruption can unlock the plug on the car . i . e . Hence if your car is charging and the cable is locked in place , someone else who wants your spot can switch the power supply off / on ( if they can find the isolation switch ), and your locked cable unlocks !
• Did you know
- You can jump start an EV - and not all roadside assistance think you can do that
- You can walk away and leave the car running . We had one left running overnight and the driver did not know
- The power when accelerating on an EV is wicked . People need to drive responsibly and not engage the traction control when going around corners or taking off from the lights when wet ( yes today I spun the wheels 3 times when taking off from the lights , each time traction control kicked in , then I spun the wheels again etc . too much power too early ).
- Some councils have free parking whilst charging
- Don ’ t play with the cables in the orange conduit as there is DC charge going through these and you will have a once only life altering shocking experience
- EVs have better towing capacity
- Spares take a while to arrive , and not all mechanics / dealers can service an EV
In colder climates , you may need to heat the batteries ( special setting and button on car ) to get the best range and life from the batteries . The above information has been gleaned from Red Cross ’ s pilot of EVs , rub by our amazing Fleet Team of Chris Mead and Greg Mcclure , and with incredible support from our suppliers Interleasing , AGL , Hyundai and Kia .
Finally , should you wish to chat about our experiences , please feel free to call Paul Sor on 0407 355 365 . Happy to share and explore .
ISSUE 34 MAY 2022 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU 7