FLEETDRIVE
to emissions reduction has been the feedback from operators, who say vehicles are quieter and smoother, and that they appreciate reduced exposure to exhaust fumes during the day.
However, every decision and every step towards sustainability has required compromise and a problem-solving approach. For example, the lack of electric utes on the market means patrol vehicles are progressively being switched to vans. This can pose a height problem, making it difficult to access some low-height car parks. The fleet and sustainability teams have had to analyse trade-offs and make compromises in order to keep emissions and sustainability goals on track.
There are also numerous questions about practical issues such as the load-bearing capacities of electric vehicles and how patrol drivers will charge their vans at home after work, but it ' s a challenge NRMA Fleet Manager Jai O’ Keefe embraces head-on. " A few years ago, there were no available EV vans or utes, and we waited years to get our first electric patrol. Now there are options that meet our needs, and I ' m confident that in a few more years there will be even more models to choose from.”
“ We ' re at a point where we just need to break things and find out where they fall over," he says. " If we don ' t try, we ' re not going to learn where the tipping point is."
That willingness to test, adapt and push through operational barriers is what ' s driving the patrol fleet forward, and it ' s an approach other fleet managers may need to adopt as emissions targets tighten across the industry.
For businesses beginning their own sustainability journey and looking at emissions reductions, Jai explains that the most important first step is understanding exactly what your fleet does.“ Map kilometres per shift, interrogate payload requirements, and be honest about what " fit for purpose " genuinely demands versus what is simply legacy practice. Workarounds that seem unacceptable on paper can be viable in practice.”
For organisations not yet ready for EVs, Emma is clear that meaningful progress doesn ' t have to be all-or-nothing. " If full electric isn ' t an option, ask yourself what ' s the most efficient hybrid you can get. Even within internal combustion vehicles, there are significant differences in fuel efficiency, and all of that adds up when it comes to your carbon impact. Take an analytical approach and focus on where you can have impact without completely disrupting the business."
For the NRMA, the lesson from its own journey towards sustainability and reduced fleet emissions is straightforward: start somewhere, learn fast and don ' t wait for the perfect solution to start taking steps toward change.
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