EXPERT PANEL PUBLIC SECTOR FLEET DECARBONISATION

The public sector is expected to lead by example when it comes to decarbonisation, but must also continue to deliver vital services without disruption. Add to this the diversity of public sector operations and vehicle usage, and decarbonising public sector fleets is a complex task. Our expert panelists unravel the challenges and offer some guidance on smoothly transitioning to zeroemission transport operations

Steve Beadle, head of 0Zone, The Grosvenor Group

Steve Beadle is head of 0Zone, the Grosvenor Group’s innovative and market leading solution to help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultra-low emission and electric vehicles. Steve joined the Grosvenor Group in 2012, and is well-known for his clear and inciteful advice for companies with car and light commercial vehicle fleets looking towards their zero emission futures.

Laura Lancaster, Vice President of EV Networks & Partnerships, Fleetcor / Allstar

Laura specialises in helping fleets transition to EV charging payments simpler and more efficient than ever. Her global role means she builds local, meaningful partnerships in order to achieve this.

Fleetcor’s portfolio of brands automate, secure, digitise and manage payment transactions, helping fleet operators manage their mixed fleets in their transition to EV.

Simon West-Oliver, Director of Sales, AssetWorks

Simon West-Oliver has over 30 years of experience in the fleet industry. He pioneered some of the early telemetry solutions as well as launched several software solutions to help organisations acquire, manage, maintain, and dispose of fleet assets in a timely and efficient manner. Simon’s wealth of experience supports fleets in managing their assets by providing sustainable change with decarbonisation planning, digitalisation in workshops, embracing a circular economy and managing environmental and social compliance.

The public sector is expected to lead by example when it comes to decarbonisation. Starting from the top, central government has a target to decarbonise the entirety of its central car and van fleet to zero emission vehicles by 2027.

Local authorities have the double challenge of having to decarbonise their own transport operations, and making their own local areas EV-friendly, by way of installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure and developing other incentives to promote adoption.

Other vital areas within the public sector, such as healthcare and emergency response teams, must also decarbonise. Needless to say, these have their own unique challenges that require careful consideration.

Steve Beadle,

Grosvenor

head of 0Zone at The

Group says: “Public sector bodies have a very diverse and wide range of vehicles, making their move to electric quite complex, and their actions are under far greater scrutiny than the private sector due to it being taxpayers money. If we look at the full breadth of public sector vehicles, it ranges from staff providing care in the community and driving small cars to people’s homes, through to refuse collection vehicles and other electric HGVs. Then if we expand it further, we are looking at the emergency services, with the Police having an enormously diverse fleet mix, the ambulance services and the fire brigade.

“On the one hand, the public sector is expected to lead by example by having a zero emission fleet, particularly in large towns and cities where private motorists and businesses are being penalised for having higher emission vehicles, for example through low emission zones.

“But on the other hand, the public sector is also under huge pressure to meet its obligations to providing public services, and this can become more challenging when transitioning to electric. If we look again at how diverse public sector fleets are, it is relatively straightforward for someone providing care in the community, driving relatively low mileages every day, to move to an electric car. However that is a very different scenario to a heavily armoured police vehicle responding to emergencies.”

Summing up the challenge, Steve says: “It isn’t just about finding suitable vehicles to enable public sector bodies to continue to meet their obligations with zero emission motoring, it is also about the charging infrastructure, managing public expectations, balancing the public purse, and implementing a change programme whereby public sector employees, especially in critical services, believe that they will be able to do their job in an electric vehicle when they have been used to driving a petrol or diesel for so many years.”

Complex operations

Laura Lancaster, vice president of EV Networks & Partnerships at Fleetcor, the company that owns AllStar Business Solutions, agrees that diversity of public service operations makes a one-size-fits-all solution for decarbonisation difficult. Laura says: “The public sector covers a huge variety of fleets and departments; ranging from company cars, vans for NHS transport, blue light ambulance services, police services, to local council service vehicles such as refuse, waste management and speciality environmental agency vehicles. All of these fleets are used in a different way, some required 24 hours, some travel large distances across counties and some in urban areas. The type of specialty equipment and the energy to power the equipment varies as well when looking at fire services, ambulances and heavy duty vehicles. Essentially, fleets have to be fit for purpose to deliver their essential services – impact on service and down time is not an option for some of these fleets.”

Another problem is the often disconnected nature of public services. Laura explains: “Another challenge is the fragmentation of each part of the public sector, with the variety of services they conduct. It’s also tricky pinpointing where the responsibility lies within each service. Is it the facilities and estate, the fleet manager or human resources? With our own public sector customers, we are working with them to help deliver a standardised solution over multiple sites in the same trust or county which have historically implemented different charging infrastructure. The “fragmented” approach is later causing challenges to managing the infrastructure across sites, as well as consolidating costs and the consumption of the electric vehicles deployed.”

“Public sector is also dealing with limited budgets an staff and drivers under strain. They are more scrutinised when it comes to spend and KPIs – all which will be impacted by decarbonisation initiatives,” Laura adds.

Fit-for-purpose above all Simon West-Oliver, director of sales, AssetWorks agrees that the diversity of public sector fleets and their vital nature means that decarbonisation can be problematic. He says: “Public sector fleets are responsible for delivering essential services, such as emergency response, waste management, and public transportation. These services often require specialised vehicles with specific capabilities and equipment. Decarbonising these specialist vehicles can be challenging, as alternative fuel options may not yet be readily available or suitable for their specific functions. Finding suitable decarbonisation solutions that maintain the functionality and effectiveness of these vehicles is a key challenge.”

The public sector generally faces funding conflicts, as Simon points out: “The public sector often operates within constrained budgets, and fleet decarbonisation efforts must compete with other funding priorities. The higher upfront costs associated with purchasing or transitioning to low-emission vehicles can pose financial challenges. Limited budgets may slow down the pace of fleet decarbonisation, requiring careful planning and exploration of funding options or grants to support these initiatives.

“What’s more, public sector spending is subject to scrutiny and accountability. This means that every investment in fleet decarbonisation must be justified and demonstrate clear value for money. The need to balance the environmental benefits of decarbonisation with the financial implications can make decision-making more complex and require robust business cases and performance evaluation.”

Infrastructure issues could also be a barrier for the public sector: “Public sector fleets often require dedicated or specialised infrastructure, such as charging stations for electric vehicles or hydrogen refuelling stations. The availability, accessibility, and cost of such infrastructure can impact the feasibility and pace of fleet decarbonisation,” Simon says. But these challenges can be overcome with the right approach and the right support.

Simon says: “Addressing these challenges requires a holistic and tailored approach that considers the specific needs of the public sector. Collaboration between fleet managers, government agencies, industry experts, and technology providers is essential to overcome these obstacles. Innovative financing mechanisms, partnerships with private sector stakeholders, and continuous monitoring and evaluation can help the public sector navigate the challenges and successfully decarbonise their fleets while delivering essential services to the community.”

Building a decarbonisation strategy

So how can public sector organisations begin with their fleet decarbonisation in a way that deals with these aforementioned challenges? When it comes to avoiding downtime from charging an electric vehicle, something that many public sector fleets cannot afford, Laura Lancaster from Fleetcor / Allstar says that there are various strategies and not one solution fits all: “Buses could charge overnight, for example, and others could charge between jobs or in natural downtime, such as while ambulances are waiting at A&E,” suggests Laura. “Using rapid networks, such as Allstar’s where there are 3,000 rapid charge points, can also help avoid downtime,” she adds. Choosing vehicles with a large range or vehicles with a battery that charges quickly is also advisable. Laura shares an example: “Electric Ford Mustang Mach-E cars are being used by the London Ambulance services for paramedics responding to 999 emergencies. It’s reported that the battery takes just 40 minutes to charge up to 80 per cent which allows the car to travel more than 300 miles, which is about ten times further than an ambulance would normally cover on a shift.” E