GETTING MORE OUT OF EVS – DATA IS EVERYTHING
WORDS BY WEBFLEET
As fleets drive down the road towards electrification , the conversation is already shifting gears .
It ’ s no longer simply “ How can EVs impact the bottom line or provide return ” – fiscally or environmentally ; it ’ s now “ How do we ensure EVs continue to provide ongoing returns ?”
As with any new technology , it takes time to work out the wrinkles . While EVs in Australia are only just now seeing widespread adoption , they are already commonplace in many markets around the world .
While comparing Australia to overseas may seem like apples to oranges , there are always good learnings from the recent experiences of other fleets . In 2022 , Webfleet analysed over 100,000 commercial European EVs , uncovering interesting insights into how drivers and fleets were using their new electric vehicles , but most importantly , also how their misuse was reducing their impact .
The analysis revealed that around 64 % of some 350,000 plug-in charging events occurred when
the vehicle was already above 80 % of a battery ’ s capacity . Imagine topping off your car at the pump whenever you hit 80 % fuel - the data speaks volumes of how EVs have a new mindset for behaviour and management – one very different to how we think about an ICE .
We know that as batteries charge above 80 %, built-in safeguards engage and trickle charge to prevent overcharging and prolong battery life , greatly increasing charge times . It can add extra hours to charging times to get those final few percentages and “ top it off ”.
Much like a traffic jam , the charger-hogging by just one EV has a domino effect , delaying the time it takes to charge other EVs – a big problem if your depot has a limited number of chargers .
This charger hogging costs your fleet time – valuable , precious , operational time , and even if subsequent EVs are charged smartly , your fleet might be unable to regain those lost hours , slowly eroding the ROI and efficiency of an EV .
Sometimes , the question can be simply , “ Is a full
20 ISSUE 45 FEBRUARY 2024 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU