The ideal industry sectors for fleet electrification

A growing number of fleets across a wide range of industry sectors are proving the operational capability of electric cars and light commercial vehicles, while generating solid financial savings. As the upfront costs of electric vehicles (EVs) falls, and their range expands, more and more industry sectors are becoming perfect candidates to transition to electric. 

In this article, we look at the industry sectors that are best suited to make the switch with the new breed of electric cars and electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs).

The best fleets to transition to EVs

The biggest question for fleet managers is if it’s operationally practical to transition to electric vehicles. While some fleets still have operational ranges and requirements that are beyond the current capabilities of EVs, there is significant potential for fleet electrification in many industry sectors that operate LCVs, and for the majority of car fleets: 

Local parcel delivery fleets

The local parcel delivery sector is probably the easiest and most financially attractive to electrify, with vans completing a high volume of stops each day within a relatively tight and localised operational area. The high utilisation rate of vans in the local parcel delivery sector generates strong financial savings, since electricity costs are so much lower than diesel. The vehicle gets lighter as the route progresses, making it an even more suitable candidate for electrification. Vans can often charge overnight at the depot, making charge management simple and cost-effective.   

Public transport fleets 

Public transit vehicles operate on fixed routes and have high vehicle utilisation. This makes them well-suited for electrification, as their high utilisation generates a strong return on investment and low total cost of ownership (TCO), due to the lower fuel costs of electricity compared to diesel. Many public transport fleets have successfully transitioned to electric, making excellent case studies for the operational and financial capability of electric vehicles to complete these duty cycles. 

Electric buses form a large part of London's bus fleet and operate across multiple routes in London.

Housing associations

Local fleet operations such as those of housing associations are great candidates for electrification. The vans and cars that are operated generally stay in a radius of 100 miles from a central hub, making the range requirements well within the capabilities of a realm of light commercial vehicles and cars. Vehicles are often parked at a depot overnight, making charge management simple and cost-effective.

Engineering services

Engineering service fleets are another local operation that lends itself well to electrification. The LCVs that these fleets operate are not typically overloaded with heavy payloads, making real-world electric mileage similar to the ranges predicted by the manufacturers. 

Utilities providers

Many utilities fleets have successfully transitioned a large proportion of their LCVs to electric, finding that their average ranges are well within the capabilities of the new breed of electric vans. With vans generally operating out of a central depot, charging the vehicles is simple and cost-effective to manage. 

Repair and maintenance fleets

Typically operating from a central depot, repair and maintenance fleets can often easily transition a large proportion of their van fleet to electric. By first performing route optimisation work to shift longer routes to a smaller number of vehicles, fleets can start by switching the vans that overnight at the depot and that consistently operate on routes of under 200 miles. 

Facilities management fleets

Facilities management companies will find that they can switch out many of their LCVs for electric, even before they undertake route and vehicle optimisation projects. As with maintenance fleets, many facilities management fleets run their vans out of a depot, where charging infrastructure can be installed to optimise and reduce the cost of charging. 

Company car fleets

With most of the new breed of electric cars easily achieving real-world mileage ranges over 150 miles, most company car fleets could now transition to electric cars to benefit from both environmental and financial savings. Vehicles used for sales, customer service, and carpool are all well-suited, especially when these vehicles are based out of, or spend large quantities of time at a central depot or office location where charging infrastructure can be installed.   

To generate the greatest financial and environmental savings as you transition to electric, it pays to spend the time to analyse your current duty cycles, perform route & vehicle optimisation exercises, and create a roadmap to electrification, identifying the ideal order in which to transition out old conventional vehicles for EVs. Check out our article for more guidance on how to get your fleet electrification project off on the right foot. 

Want to electrify your fleet, but not sure where to start? 

Let us help you create a roadmap to electrification that guarantees the best return on investment and ensures that the electric vehicles you choose will comfortably complete the work you need. 

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