Learning from Every Source
WORDS BY SCOTT ELKINGTON , BRIDGESTONE ’ S ANZ MARKETING MANAGER FOR WEBFLEET
While we are part of a global fleet community , the frameworks , drivers , and requirements of how fleets operate vary from country to country , changing how problems are considered , approached , and resolved . Even within Australian-based multi-national corporations , how assets and people are managed can differ across the business , depending on laws , environment , and requirements .
Webfleet is a global fleet management solution provider , and part of the Bridgestone group . As Bridgestone becomes a mobility solutions company , Webfleet has become the arm that provides information and insight into how different countries care about using their fleets . Deliberately looking overseas for insights and how they can be adapted here is always enlightening .
One piece of information that came from Europe this year is the when , where , and how commercial EVs were being charged . It turns out that most drivers plug in at the end of their shifts , regardless of their vehicle ’ s state of charge , at around 3 PM .
Coincidentally , that ’ s when the grid ’ s consumption starts to ramp up , particularly in summer , leading to peak rates . It also put quite a strain on charging infrastructure as bays are occupied with vehicles that may not need to be charged , as some 200,000 charger plugins occurred when the battery was above 80 %.
As Australia faces a tsunami of EV investment and adoption , it becomes clear that importing such knowledge and being open to learning from all sources is hugely influential – it prevents the same mistakes being made in Australia with our EV fleets and gives us pause for something to
18 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 2024 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU