Electric blue: key lessons from the NRMA bringing EVs into its roadside patrol fleet
WRITTEN BY BRIDIE SCHMIDT, NRMA EV EDITOR – STRATEGY
For many fleets, the move to electric starts with a simple question: can the vehicles do the job? For the NRMA Roadside Patrol fleet, that question is being tested in one of the more demanding real-world environments for commercial vehicles, with Patrol vans carrying constant heavy payloads across metro and regional areas and often operating away from a depot base.
The shift is being driven by two things: one, their own emissions targets, and two, credibility. As an advocate for electric vehicles, their view is that if EVs can work in roadside assistance, they can work in a wide range of fleet applications too. But the transition has not been approached as a leap of faith. It has been treated as a practical fleet exercise, with ongoing and meticulous testing around payload, range, safety, ergonomics, price and fit-for-purpose design.
Fit-for-purpose is top of the list. Patrol vehicles carry about 800kg of equipment: roughly 500kg of batteries and 300kg of tools. Payload is nonnegotiable, as is safety. Range without the need to charge means a healthy buffer, while matters of day-to-day operations, such as roof height, are also considerations. A van might tick the right boxes for payload and comfort but still create problems if it cannot access a 1.8 metre car park.
For the NRMA, that has meant drawing a clear line between must-haves and issues that can be managed with workarounds.
Rather than committing early to one model, the NRMA has put several vehicles into service in small numbers as evaluation units, with staff feedback central to that process. Comfort, reliability, technology, driveability and energy use are all being tested in real conditions, with loaded vehicles run on set routes in different parts of Sydney. That has already produced one important lesson for fleet managers: bigger battery does not automatically mean better outcome. In their testing, one vehicle with a smaller battery delivered better real-world range because it was more efficient.
There have also been benefits that were not obvious at the outset. Roadside Patrols reported that EVs felt more planted on the road, with less body roll and less fatigue at the end of a shift: big plusses for a workforce that spends long periods behind the wheel. There are also occupational health benefits; at roadside jobs, diesel vehicles are often left running for tool operation, exposing staff to exhaust emissions. With an EV, that is a complete non-issue.
The harder sell is working through the logistics of charging and business efficiency. Unlike depot-
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