GreenFleet Electric Vehicle Report

ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Report

Advice for fleet professionals on electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure Brought to you by

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19 EST Feature The Energy Saving Trust gives five top tips for getting the most out of electric vehicles

21 Charegpoint Procurement The UK Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Association has published the second edition of its procurement guidance for EV chargepoints. Robert Evans and Sam Abbott from Cenex, share some key points

31 Interview: Mitie GreenFleet chats with Mitie’s fleet and procurement director Simon King on the company’s ambitious goal to electrify its entire fleet by 2030

41 Frankfurt Motor Show The show floor at the Frankfurt Motor show was packed with a range of electric cars – from techfilled futuristic concepts to every day cars and vans. GreenFleet rounds up the battery-powered vehicles coming our way

26 Smart Charging The Electric Nation project explored whether using systems which move charging away from peak times – thus avoiding problems for local electricity networks – would be acceptable to EV drivers. Here are the trial findings

35 Zero Emission Panel Fleet operators are key to driving rapid adoption of EVs necessary to reach the government’s target of all new car sales being zero emission by 2040.

But what support and incentives do businesses need to make the switch?

45 Roundtable On 20 September, GreenFleet hosted a roundtable at Liverpool’s Anfield football stadium to discuss driving the transition to an electric future

Sponsor’s Message Written by John Watkins, executive chairman, Trakm8

The route to EV success Electric vehicles (EVs) have a key role to play in our transport strategy, helping to reduce urban air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. However, there must be a compelling business case in order for companies to invest John Watkins, executive chairman, Trakm8

At Trakm8, we specialise in helping organisations to maximise the benefits of ultra-low emission vehicles – which is often a two-stage process. Firstly, by analysing data of a fleet’s existing operations, we can accurately identify which routes and vehicles could be “electrified”. These data-driven insights give companies the confidence they need to invest in EVs. EVs have a higher capital cost than their petrol or diesel equivalents, but far lower running costs due to much lower maintenance requirements and “fuel” expenditure.

Once an organisation has deployed EVs, our highly sophisticated algorithms help fleets to maximise the number of miles driven by each EV. This accelerates the payback period, ensuring that fleets benefit from a quicker return on investment.

Trakm8 was the primary sponsor of this electric vehicle survey by GreenFleet, which found that 50 per cent of respondents already operate EVs within their fleets. However, out of a total of around 25,000 vehicles operated by those surveyed, fewer than 500 are EVs. This clearly indicates that cost-effective solutions such as route optimisation have a role to play in driving fleet electrification.

Urban operations Online shopping has experienced substantial growth in recent years – and this is naturally leading to an increase in the number of goods vehicles operating in our cities. At the same time, poor air quality in many urban areas is leading to the rise of Clean Air Zones in a bid to bring air pollution

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back below currently harmful levels.

While these zones are initially focused on limiting access for older and more polluting diesel and petrol vehicles, there is a strong likelihood that this approach will not deliver the required results. Therefore, at some point, we could conceivably see these zones ban fossil fuel-powered vehicles altogether.

Commercial vehicle operators are therefore facing a unique combination of challenges including fuel expenditure, congestion, urban air pollution, and transport’s contribution to climate change. Route optimisation can help fleets to address these issues now, while also helping them to prepare for the future.

Vehicle utilisation Trakm8’s route optimisation software looks holistically at a fleet and can account for vehicles with different specifications, cargo carrying capabilities and even fuel types. In this way, we can optimise the entire operation, not just EVs. One of the key benefits of using route optimisation is increased vehicle utilisation.

For example through more accurate

transport planning, a customer could find that they only need 10 vehicles to do the same number of collections or deliveries as they were previously doing with 12.

Better vehicle utilisation therefore has a vital role to play in reducing urban traffic congestion, which in turn leads to higher emissions from goods vehicles.

Overall, our fleet scheduling can reduce total fleet mileage by up to 20 per cent through a combination of better route planning and increased vehicle utilisation. Trakm8’s clients realise further cost savings through either redeploying surplus vehicles in other areas, or reducing their reliance on sub-contractors.

EV Innovation EVs are increasingly playing their part in last-mile delivery. However, electric vans and trucks have so far been unable to provide a viable solution for chilled goods delivery, due to insufficient range and payload capabilities. Previous attempts relied on the vehicle’s traction batteries to power both the vehicle and the fridge unit. This meant either installing a bigger battery pack, which limits payload, or reducing the number of miles the vehicle could travel on a single charge.

Trakm8 is part of a consortium aiming to decouple the power requirements of the fridge unit and the drive train. The project, part-funded by Innovate UK, is aiming for a significant improvement in the range, payload and performance of EVs used in chilled goods logistics.

Sunamp, the project’s lead partner, has adapted its leading-edge Heat Batteries to create a new cold storage technology that can maintain the temperature in the vehicle’s cargo area. The Sunamp system has a better power-to-weight ratio and is more efficient than using an EV’s traction batteries, helping to increase the vehicle’s payload capabilities by minimising the size of the lithium-ion battery pack required.

Paneltex, one of the first companies to provide all-electric trucks in the UK, is modifying one of its vehicles for the project.

Trakm8 is providing both our telematics expertise and our unique EV optimisation algorithms. The fourth consortium member, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, is involved in dissemination of project results.

Whether you are at the start of your EV journey or have already deployed electric vehicles in your fleet, Trakm8 can help you.

In addition, we’re investing now in the technology of the future to help further drive innovation and positive change. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.trakm8.com

The GreenFleet / Trakm8 survey found that, 50 per cent of respondents already operate EVs within their fleets. However, out of a total of around 25,000 vehicles operated by those surveyed, fewer than 500 are EVs

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Getting the most out of EVs: Top five tips

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Introducing ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) into a business fleet, no matter how few, is an impressive step for any organisation. However, it is important to note that the journey should not end there. Energy Saving Trust (EST) advises that organisations consider the following when implementing ULEVs into the fleet 1. Infrastructure to charge your vehicles A common reason for under utilisation of electric vehicles within a fleet is a lack of charging infrastructure to support them.

It sounds simple but ensuring charging infrastructure is in place at the point of ULEVs being deployed into the fleet will build staff confidence in the vehicles and reduce any underlying range anxiety they may have.

If you have multiple work sites and vehicles often travel back and forth, consider installing charge points at each site to allow top-up charges throughout the day. For plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, remember to keep these charged daily to maximise electric miles, minimise petrol consumption and ensure your costs are kept low.

EST offer grant funding for workplaces in Scotland to install charging infrastructure, and for staff who drive a ULEV as their designated company vehicle – contact us to learn more.

Ensure staff are also aware of the Electric Vehicle Home Charge Scheme from OLEV. 2. Implement a travel policy Create and implement a clear travel policy prioritising the use of ULEVs over petrol and diesel counterparts, endorsed by the senior management team. Ensure this is effectively communicated to all existing staff and is included in new staff inductions.

To further reduce costs and minimise petrol/ diesel vehicle use, EST recommend travel policies are built around a low carbon travel

hierarchy. Low carbon travel hierarchies should prioritise active travel i.e. walking, cycling and public transport, followed

by ULEVs and pool cars. Staff should be discouraged from using their own grey fleet unless there are no alternative options. EST can offer further advice on how to successfully implement a travel hierarchy within your travel policy, speak with a member of our team at your convenience.

Speed has a larger impact on EV range compared to conventional vehicles, so it is important staff are aware of this in advance to plan their journeys effectively. Learning driving techniques to maximise regenerative braking will not only improve driver safety but will further demonstrate the efficiency of these vehicles compared to petrol/diesel equivalents.

Try introducing friendly competition by tracking the kWh/mi of each journey to incentivise efficient driving. For businesses in England, EST offers subsidised ULEV training through the Ecodriving programme (see box).

3. Arrange staff familiarisation training Familiarising staff with ULEVs before booking for work trips will build confidence and 4. Fully charge your vehicles improve their overall experience when driving. when electricity is cheapest Familiarisation training can vary depending The time of day that ULEVs are charged on the staff member’s experience, can have a huge impact on the from how to operate the cost savings achieved. Your vehicle, to using public organisation will likely If you charge points, through be billed for electricity have m to driving ULEVs consumption across set work sit ultiple efficiently and making time bands or half hourly e s and vehicles the most of the which means paying c o nsider installin regenerative braking. higher tariffs during peak g For some, even the demand. The cost of at each charge points site to a thought of driving an electricity is at its lowest llow top-up automatic for the first overnight when demand c h a r g e through s time can be daunting. is low. Fully charging out the Once some staff are your vehicles overnight d ay comfortable using the and avoiding peak energy organisation’s ULEVs they times as often as possible will could champion the vehicles increase your cost savings and and provide inductions to their help ensure your vehicles are powered colleagues. by cleaner energy. 

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Electric Vehicle Report

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SPONSOR’S COMMENT

Supporting the commitment to greener motoring Mark Barrett general manager, LDV UK & Ireland

Climate change is the defining issue of this generation and GreenFleet and LDV UK & Ireland have a shared goal in our efforts to create a carbon neutral motoring industry by driving the switch to greener fleets.

By working in partnership with like-minded stakeholders, I believe that this goal is wholly achievable and that as an industry, we can support government-lead action plans on carbon emissions collaboratively. This is why LDV is so pleased to have supported GreenFleet Commercial 2019.

Now more than ever, there is a focus on what governments are doing to resolve this important issue. Policy makers have certainly made a great start, but they need to do more in this area if they want to see real change as the UK Government’s Carbon Emissions deadline for 2050 looms closer.

Whist it’s natural to look towards government for leadership, everyone has a shared responsibility in creating a carbon neutral world.

It’s not just governments that can make the change, it’s organisations, communities and individuals too.

As one of the few manufacturers that can provide a full EV van fleet right now, regardless of size, we are helping organisations, businesses and individuals make that all-important switch to greener motoring.

Manufactured by SAIC and distributed by Harris Automotive Distributors, LDV is considered an industry game-changer and is leading the charge for greener motoring in the UK and Ireland.

First to market and launched in 2016, LDV’s zero-emission EV80 range is available in four variations, including panel van, chassis cab, crew van and minibus. Tapping into the smaller commercial van market, LDV’s newest van, the EV30, is the first vehicle in the EV range that will only come as a zero-emission fully electric vehicle and will go on sale in Q1 2020. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.myldv.co.uk

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 5. Combine with on-site renewables and battery storage On-site renewable electricity systems i.e. solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbines, can not only save your organisation money, but can further support the decarbonisation of your fleet by generating clean electricity.

Sunlight and wind provide free fuel. Once the technology is in place you will see reductions in electricity costs and a reduction in your organisation’s carbon footprint. For example, a 4kWp solar PV system can generate around 4,200kWh annually in London or 3,200kWh annually in Scotland – that’s the same amount of electricity required to drive a 41kWh Renault Zoe around 12,600 miles in London, or 10,000 miles in Scotland.

You may have the roof space to install a system significantly larger than 4kWp, which is typically more cost-effective in the long run. While your vehicle is on the road, the green electricity generated by your renewable systems will either power your building or go back into the grid. However, if you wish to store this energy a battery storage system allows you to capture this clean energy and save it for a time that is useful i.e. charging your vehicle during peak electricity demand.

For inspiration and information on what renewable systems you can install, check out the Green Network for Businesses delivered

by the Energy Saving Trust in partnership with Resource Efficient Scotland at www. greennetwork.resourceefficientscotland.com L FURTHER INFORMATION www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Further Support For businesses in England, Energy Saving Trust offers a range of support funded by Department for Transport (DfT): •

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Free fleet support and fleet reviews are available, email fleetadvice@est.org.uk for more information.

Subsidised ecodriving training for electric and conventional fleet vehicles. Email ecodriving@ est.org.uk for more information.

For businesses in Scotland, Energy Saving Trust offer a range of support funded by Transport Scotland: 50 per cent grant funding for workplace charge points (non-public) or £300 top-up grant funding for domestic charge points. Grant funding for publicly accessible charge points is now available. Email electricvehiclesscotland@est. org.uk for more information.

Free sustainable transport reviews analyse your existing fleet, highlight prime vehicle candidates for ULEV deployment, and show the potential cost and CO2 savings that could be achieved through a range of recommendations.

Email sustainabletransport@ est.org.uk for further details.

Up to £120,000 interestfree loan funding for the purchase of ULEVs and low carbon transport measures, and up to £30,000 interestfree loan funding for the purchase of ebikes and ecargo bikes. Full details from sustainabletransport@est.org.uk.

Updated advice for EV chargepoint procurement With electric vehicle (EV) sales forecast to rise rapidly in the coming years, there is growing recognition across the public and private sectors of ongoing deployment of EV-charging infrastructure. The beauty of EV charging is that it can be done in multiple locations: at home; at work; in public car parks; at tourist, leisure and retail destinations; and at motorway service areas. The diversity of locations brings convenience for the EV motorist, but also means multitudes of organisations will need to procure EV chargepoints. Many of these will be undertaking this task for the first time and, as a result, in need of advice.

One of the best-known guides available is published by the UK Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Association (UK EVSE), a UK trade association formed in 2013 for chargepoint providers and network operators. The first edition, dating from April 2015, has been widely lauded as an

“independent” but “industry informed” self-help guide for those planning chargepoint purchases. The second edition has now been published, and is available to download from the UK EVSE website.

The first guide combined an easy-tofollow narrative with handy hints and cost information, as well as more practical details than were offered by other introductory guides available at the time. As of August 2019, there have been more than 1,400 downloads of the first edition. Whilst the majority have been by representatives of UK organisations, the guide has also been sought out by interested parties across Europe and the rest of the world, including as far afield as Brazil and Japan.

The rationale for preparing a second edition was to include new technologies and emerging industry trends. Although much of the content of the first edition has stood the test of time, there have been both technology updates and market developments.

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The first edition of the guide provided fundamentals of what to do in a chargepoint project by detailing the “Six Ps of Electric Vehicle Chargepoint procurement”. The second edition has made updates in all these areas, with particular changes in relation to products and payment for charging, as well as the addition of three new “Ps”, namely, power supply available, proprietorship of the equipment, and installation process. This gives the following nine “Ps” for chargepoint procurement:

Written by Robert Evans and Sam Abbott from Cenex

The diversity of charging locations means multitudes of organisations will need to procure EV chargepoints. As many of these will be undertaking this task for the first time, the UK Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Association has published the second edition of its procurement guidance.

Robert Evans and Sam Abbott from Cenex, share some key points

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PROCUREMENT

1. EV Chargepoint Products Whilst the chargepoint products described in the first edition remain industry standards today, two emerging trends have been the introduction of new categories of “super charger” and “smart charging”, whereby the charge across a group of chargepoints can be limited. At times of low EV demand, smart chargers can operate at full power, E

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Electric Vehicle Report

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

A smooth transition to electric vehicles Mark Gallagher, green fleet specialist, Grosvenor Leasing

Grosvenor Leasing is delighted to be a gold sponsor of GreenFleet’s Future of EVs report. As the UK’s largest privately-owned contract hire and fleet management specialist, our passion for driving down emissions is represented in our innovative 0Zone solution, where we help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultralow emission and electric vehicles.

0Zone offers companies with cars and light commercial vehicles an assessment of their environmental impact and defines a clear pathway to convert the fleet, over time, towards ultra-low emission and electric vehicles.

The 0Zone team offers advice in reaching timely decisions about when a company’s green strategy should begin, and this includes tailored budgeting, forecasts and help with the financial implications of choosing EVs and ULEVs. We also develop low emission vehicle policies and provide practical advice on the steps required to move smoothly towards EVs and ULEVs. The 0Zone team also assists with plug-in and hybrid demonstration vehicles (subject to availability), the cultural change involved in encouraging drivers into a new era of company vehicle, green fleet reviews, and grey fleet reviews.

Following the government’s report on the summary of responses to the review of Worldwide harmonised Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) and vehicle taxes, we now have draft legislation that shows the direction of travel for company car taxation up to 2023. This gives much welcomed clarity on future taxation but has been long awaited. It also includes some surprises which are hopefully not too little too late for fleet decision makers and drivers.

Let’s hope we can now move into a period whereby companies operating vehicle fleets, and company car drivers, can make better decisions which will lead us towards a far lower emission future. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.grosvenor-leasing.co.uk

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 at times of high EV demand, charge rates to the points can be limited. In some cases, this mitigates the need for network-upgrade costs.

New products at the very early stages of market introduction include “vehicle‑to‑grid” chargers, which can feed power back from EV batteries for cost reduction and revenue generation. Another example is wireless charging considered suitable for locations where EVs have very short dwell times, such as taxi ranks.

2. Power When the first guide was published, chargepoint projects were typically for first installations at given sites, with small numbers of units installed. However, as a result of the wider uptake of EVs, demand for EV charging is increasing, and it is now more common for projects to involve multiple chargepoints at given locations. The available power supply is therefore a more critical consideration.

3. EV Chargepoint Placement This section discusses the different location types, such as on-street, workplace and public, which will each have different considerations when it comes to EV chargepoint strategy.

Also covered are specific points of interest, such as planning consent, parking-bay layouts and enforcement, and power-supply location.

4. Payment: Chargepoint Access and Instant-Access Charging At the time the first edition of the guide was being prepared, it was common for chargepoints to be part of chargepoint network operator (CPNO)-run membership schemes, in which members would use RFID membership cards to access chargepoints.

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“Pay-as-you-go” charging was a new development, notably for rapid chargers.

Now typically called “instant access”, pay-as-you-go is commonplace – not least because it has been made a legal requirement for new chargepoints. For higher-power chargers, contactless or chip-and-pin payment approaches make sense. For fast chargers, instant access is commonly offered by scheme operators through smartphone apps.

5. Proprietorship Traditionally, a chargepoint was purchased and owned by the host but placed under the operational control of a CPNO. Now, the increased numbers of chargepoints required within cities and across national retail operations mean proprietorship questions are becoming more important. Organisations can now choose to lease rather than buy chargepoints, and also consider leasing prime sites to CPNOs to then act as owner-operators. In addition, they can run more of a shared risk-reward model, in which the groundwork for a range of locations for chargepoints are constructed and owned by the hosts and made available for CPNOs to operate from. CPNOs bid to have the operational concession for a fixed number of years.

The profits from the scheme can then be split between the supplier and the host.

6. EV Chargepoint Project Management The key part of this section is identification of the key stakeholders and the tasks they are responsible for within any chargepoint project. The second edition of the guide

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How fit is your fleet?

Patricia Wolfe, MD, Daimler Fleet Management UK

Organisations can now choose to lease rather than buy chargepoints, and also consider leasing prime sites to CPNOs to then act as owner-operators has added a specific sub-section to cover chargepoint providers that offer combined installation services, as well as the potential benefits and pitfalls to be aware of when using such services.

7. Price, Procurement and Maintenance Price – Indicative costs for the delivery and installation of different chargepoint types are given alongside typical operational costs. There are further questions which the reader can ask themselves as a potential host to understand the additional costs involved in a chargepoint project.

Procurement – A list of potential quality questions to be asked when doing procurement activity is given.

Maintenance – In the second edition of the guide, information on maintenance has been integrated into this section, as it has a direct impact on running costs. This information focuses on service level agreements and what they could and should include.

8. Installation Process The installation process is another key part of the overall chargepoint project, and has been given its own dedicated section in this second version of the guide.

The information given considers the latest

electrical requirements introduced in the 18th edition of the IET Wiring Regulations, which came into effect on 1st January 2019.

9. Publicity and Marketing This final section gives information on how to optimise use of installed EV chargepoints by ensuring that prospective users are aware of the equipment and its availability.

Conclusion We are seeing multiple chargepoints placed in locations where previously there were only one or two. This clustering reflects the rationale that these are convenient locations for EV motorists, as well as for fleet vehicles. It also means power availability issues have become of increasing importance, which necessitates pre‑procurement dialogue with distribution network operators, whilst smart charging should be used, in some cases, to avoid network-upgrade costs. As it is associated with maturing of the market, clustering of chargepoints has also ushered in new business models which share risk and reward between hosts and chargepoint operators over extended timescales. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ukevse.org.uk www.cenex.co.uk

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The challenges involved in managing fleets of vehicles have never been more complex. There is an expectation to meet corporate objectives such as improving fleet performance whilst also reducing costs and maintaining a car policy that will attract and retain staff. So where do fleet managers start? And how do electric vehicles and the environmentally conscious workforce fit into that mix? At Daimler Fleet Management we have introduced a new level of fleet management support called “FleetFit” to answer these questions and more.

The service incorporates a complete Fleet Fitness test that will review every aspect of a company’s current fleet performance to identify areas for potential improvement and savings. Our highly experienced team of specialists are ready to act as personal coaches for your fleet providing ongoing support to help you implement your bespoke fleet development programmes. When you reach ‘Fleet Fitness’ you will have the agility and capability to respond better to future changes in legislation, taxation and technology, taking advantage of the technologies and opportunities available.

For example we often talk about ‘Going Electric’ and generically refer to ‘EVs and chargers’. But it’s more complicated than just leasing an electric vehicle and hitting the road. You need a plan, and you need to understand your vehicle in the context of its intended usage.

The size and type of batteries vary from one manufacturer to the next, likewise not all charging points are created equal, with variances in output and compatibility – and therefore charging time. It’s important to match the right vehicles, with the right charging solutions to your specific mobility needs. In short – your coach will provide a plan that meets your objectives.

Whatever your fleet aspirations start your FleetFit journey today with DFM. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.daimler-fleetfit.co.uk

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Electric Vehicle Report Written by Peter Eldridge, director, ICFM

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SMART CHARGING

Getting smart about EV charging The Electric Nation project explored whether using systems which move charging away from peak times – thus avoiding problems for local electricity networks – would be acceptable to EV drivers. Here are the trial findings SME fleet Electric Vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly common on UK roads. The growth in EV ownership could cause challenges for the UK electricity industry if the adoption of electrified transport is widespread, especially if groups of neighbours buy EVs creating localised clusters. These clusters could create issues on electricity distribution networks – the networks that take electricity from the National Grid transmission network and deliver it to homes and businesses.

The Electric Nation project, which was funded by Western Power Distribution, shows there is a solution. The project explored whether Smart Charging systems and incentives could reduce, delay or avoid altogether the need to upgrade or replace local electricity networks, by moving demand for charging away from periods of peak electricity use such as the tea time peak period, and - most importantly - whether this

would be acceptable to EV drivers.

The Electric Nation smart charging trial ran between January 2017 and December 2018 and recently released its findings.

The trial shows that there is flexibility in charging behaviour – but without an incentive, early-evening demand could cause issues.

The trial showed that demand management is technically feasible, and acceptable to the majority of trial participants, and that ‘Time of Use’ incentives are highly effective at moving demand away from the early evening when combined with Smart Charging and an app that gives the user the information and control they need.

What the trial involved The trial focused on domestic EV charging.

673 participants were recruited by project

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partner and EV leasing specialist DriveElectric, and included 40 different types, makes and models of EV. For the purposes of the trial, EV owners were given smart chargers that were capable of reporting when an EV was plugged in and when it was actively charging.

Additionally, these chargers were also capable of receiving instructions to reduce or pause charging. Participants were split into two cohorts. Each cohort was managed by either Greenflux or Crowd Charge.

The Electric Nation Smart Charging trial was managed by EA Technology and consisted of three phases. In phase one, charging was paused or ‘turned down’ during this phase of the trial, but trial participants could not interact with the Smart Charging system.

In phase two, trial participants were given ‘apps’ to enable them to interact with the Smart Charging system.

Phase three introduced a simulated Time of Use (ToU) tariff, supported by apps, to reward participants for changing their charging behaviour to avoid charging in the early evening.

Throughout the trial, participants were asked for their feedback on the Smart Charging systems via customer research surveys. These surveys were used to compare the acceptability and satisfaction levels of each solution.

Phase One Participants experienced Smart Charging ‘blind’. They were not told when the trial had started or when their The charging was being managed.

The two Smart Charging trial providers (Crowd Charge

show that de ed manag mand technic ement is a and acc lly feasible, ep the ma table to jority

Trial participants were given ‘apps’ to enable them to interact with the Smart Charging system. Phase three introduced a simulated Time of Use (ToU) tariff, supported by apps, to reward participants for changing their charging behaviour to avoid charging in the early evening and Greenflux) were asked to ensure that total EV demand for their cohort did not exceed a defined capacity limit. This simulated all chargers in a group being supplied from the same network (e.g. by the same substation, or on the same feeder). Charger management was required when the demand from all the active chargers in the group exceeded the defined capacity.

Trial participants who usually plugged in their EVs between late afternoon and 9pm on weekdays would have experienced some management. Management was only active during the early evening, so participants who charged outside this time (e.g. overnight on a timer) may not have experienced management at all.

Phase two During this phase both Crowd Charge and Greenflux introduced “apps” to enable trial participants to interact with the Smart Charging systems.

Participants in the Crowd Charge cohort were asked to input journey requirements and the State of Charge of their battery each time they plugged in. The system then ensured enough charge for the next journey was supplied as a minimum.

The Greenflux cohort were provided with an app that allowed them to view their charge session and request High Priority for that session, excluding them from demand management.

The EV Charge management regime operated in the same way as during Phase one – so a limited overall capacity was available to each cohort. This meant that management occurred on the majority of weekdays for both cohorts.

Phase three For phase three of the trial, Greenflux amended their app to allow participants to select a ‘charging preference’ between charging regardless of price (Optimise time), charging at the cheapest time (minimise cost), and optimising time and cost where a charge could begin at times of higher prices, but would avoid peak price charging.

The Crowd Charge app was updated to use journey plans alongside the tariff, to move charging to cheap periods where the journey plans indicated this was possible.

Interaction between participants and the journey planner was low, so charging often occurred in the tea-time peak, meaning the system made very little difference to the demand profile.

The effect of the Greenflux app on group demand was dramatic. The early evening peak in EV charging demand disappeared.

Demand management was no longer required shortly after the introduction of the scheme.

The overall effect of this trial was a demonstration that a clearly communicated modest financial incentive, combined with Smart Charging and a relatively simple app (to allow customer interaction with the system) can change people’s charging behaviour, shifting peak period charging to the late evening and overnight.

Two thirds (66%) of Greenflux participants said that they would recommend this solution to their friends.

Commenting on the third phase of the trial using Greenflux, one participant said: “I loved this trial, it was fantastic for me as the majority of time I charge overnight, so I don’t care when it charges, but if I needed it straight away it just charged to optimise time and it started straight away. Hassle free.”

Commenting on the overall trial, another participant said: “This is a good project, and it makes perfect sense to minimise charging cost if the car is being left overnight anyway, and/or stagger charging to help with demand, which is good forward thinking.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.electricnation.org.uk

Electric Nation facts The trial captured over 130,000 charging events, lasting nearly 2 million hours During the early evening peak, an average of 14 per cent of the EV population are charging their EVs EVs are generally plugged in for much longer than they need to charge for. 75 per cent of EVs plugged in during the evening peak are charging for less than 40% of the time they’re plugged in On average, participants charged their vehicle between three and four times a week People charge their cars more often in the winter months of January and February.

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SPONSOR’S COMMENT

Real-world advice on EV chargepoint installations

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Alun Davies, operations director, ElectrAssure

ElectrAssure prides itself on being pro-actively involved in the conversations being held regarding the future of the EV market, and in particular, the charging infrastructure to support it. It is crucial that events and seminars such as Greenfleet’s Roundtables and the numerous events held around the country continue to inform and enthuse both the private and public sectors as it is becoming more and more apparent that neither can achieve its low emission targets without the other.

As part of our role within these events we aim to provide sound, real world advice regarding the challenges of installing EV charging and how correct and thorough consultation will allow a properly specified charging solution to support their business case to electrify their fleet.

As an independent installer of over 500 EV charging projects of varying size, number and requirement we can tailor your workplace or destination charging to the individual needs of the operations, individuals and vehicles that require it. We believe that charging doesn’t need to a minefield and that by installing the correct infrastructure to an incredibly high standard, it can be an easy, user-friendly and crucially, reliable process. Because there is no ‘one fits all’ blueprint for installing charging infrastructure we strive to provide the right charger, from the right manufacturer on the right back office net work with the correct power infrastructure to ensure that it meets the exacting standards required for operational charging. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.electrassure.com

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hotline 0333 404 2288

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THE FUTURE IS NOW 100% PURE ELECTRIC Vans • Tippers • Lutons • Dropside •120 Miles Range • 1.5 Hours (80%) Fully Charged High-capacity Lithium Ion Battery • 56 kW battery • 92 kW Motor • Charge plug, CCS combo / type 2 Images depicted are for illustration purposes only and may not be the exact model.

Serious EV ambitions for Mitie’s fleet

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INTERVIEW

Facilities management company Mitie is serious about its switch to electric vehicles, having joined the EV100 initiative, achieved Go Ultra Low status, and signed the Clean Van Commitment. GreenFleet chats to Mitie’s fleet and procurement director Simon King about the company’s big EV ambitions What is your fleet mix and how are the vehicles used?

We have a fleet of approximately 5,300 vehicles – nearly 2,000 cars and around 3,300 vans. The majority of these are currently diesel, however, in May we began the rollout of our first electric vehicles. We have several dozen electric cars now on the roads throughout the country and our first electric vans are set to be delivered in September. This is the first realisation of a commitment we made at the start of the year to transform our fleet, ensuring 20 per cent of our cars and compact vans are zero emission vehicles by the end of 2020. Having recently joined the EV100 initiative, we have now also committed to our entire fleet being zero emission by 2030.

With so many different types of Mitie vehicles on the road, our requirements are varied. Some are used by managers for travelling between different Mitie sites or

attend client meetings, many of our vans are used by our engineers, meanwhile some are dedicated to specific client sites – for example we are planning to use an EV for our work with Historic Environment Scotland at Edinburgh Castle.

When did you start your electric journey and what were the deciding factors?

social value is very important to us and we’re constantly trying to find ways we can help make the world a better place – whether that be environmentally or socially.

The environmental case for switching to EVs is clear, and with their lower running and maintenance costs the financials make sense for our business too. For us it was a no brainer. It can often be the case that it’s difficult to persuade senior figures to approve sustainability measures, but our chief executive understood the benefits immediately.

Our fleet is responsible for 93 per cent of our business’ carbon footprint, so was the natural place for us to start in the fight against climate change.

Were there any challenges to We started to explore start with? What did you With transitioning our learn in the early days of the low fleet to electric implementation? running er in 2018, and for and us the decision When we initially launched our mainte n a n was easy. As EV project internally, we had c e of elect costs a business, a fantastic response, with a E ric

the fina vehicles, nc sense f ials make or busines our s

Mitie employee, Lee Girbow, with his new Volkswagen e-Golf at his work on the Isle of Arran.

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 very strong response rate for our fleet survey, with many employees indicating they’d be interested in an EV. However, when it came to actually switching, we found some drivers were more hesitant to commit.

To help overcome this and encourage more of our colleagues to get involved with the initiative, we held a series of roadshows at various Mitie offices across the UK. With representatives from the vehicle manufacturers and our charge point partner, Pod Point, we found having the experts on hand to answer questions and offering test drives made a massive difference. We had lots of colleagues who were initially uncertain signing up on the spot, leaving the events excited to get their new electric vehicle.

You’ve pledged to electrify your entire fleet by 2030 - do you anticipate any challenges to achieving this?

Given the large number of electric cars and vans that we are looking to procure, the biggest issue we face is being able to secure the volume of vehicles we need to meet our ambitious targets in a relatively short time frame. As a business that is used to buying thousands of vehicles a year, we are already finding supply a challenge.

Looking to the longer term, in order to electrify our entire fleet by 2030, we need to see real, viable alternatives to diesel models for our larger van fleet. At the minute, there’s nothing out there, meaning we have some 2,000 vehicles that can’t yet be switched to electric. If we’re going to see widespread uptake of EVs across British fleets, this is something that urgently needs to be addressed. We want to be part of the solution, so we’re very keen to work with manufacturers and would encourage them

Simon King, fleet and procurement director, Mitie

to come speak to us about future vehicle development and trialling.

Tell me about the EV charging infrastructure you are putting in place?

Early on, the Mitie fleet team identified that access to adequate charging infrastructure throughout the country – Mitie has employees working across the length and breadth of the British Isles – would be one of our biggest challenges and a potential roadblock for our plans.

As such, we’ve made charge point installation a key part of our rollout. We’re working with our partner, Pod Point, to install 800 charge points. These will be at our own offices, client sites and at the homes of our employees that receive an EV. We’re proud of our investment in the nation’s charging

Looking to the longer term, in order to electrify our entire fleet by 2030, we need to see real, viable alternatives to diesel models for our larger van fleet. At the minute, there’s nothing out there

infrastructure, but we need suppliers, government and local authorities to do more, so we can be confident that all our drivers will have access to a rapid charge point where and when they need it. We also want to see a more consistent approach to charge point use across providers. The current system whereby users may need a dozen different accounts or apps downloaded to their smart phone simply to grab 30 minutes charge, just isn’t sustainable.

How important is it to have a renewable energy tariff for the charging infrastructure?

To ensure a switch to EVs is having the most positive environmental impact, of course any company needs to consider how the energy they use to charge is generated.

We’ve committed to ensuring that all of our offices use renewable energy – for everything from lighting to vehicle charging. However, with the majority of charging happening at our employees’ homes or at public charge points, implementing this across all vehicle charging poses a challenge.

In the longer term, we want to see a corporate renewable energy contract that allows us to extend to our employees’ home charge points, with the billing coming straight to Mitie. This will mean we can ensure we’re playing our part to help the planet throughout the whole EV charging process.

What advice would you give other companies starting the electric journey?

Reflecting back on our journey, we would have engaged manufacturers even earlier to ensure we had firm commitments regarding the availability of vehicles.

We’ve also found consistent employee engagement is key – we have lots of enthusiasm for electric vehicles across the business, but also lots of questions and uncertainty too. From our experience offering the chance for drivers to ask all their questions and get in a vehicle and test drive for themselves, is vital to the successful implementation of EVs. L

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Grosvenor Leasing customers driving down a greener route With the average CO2 for new vehicles delivered in 2018 at 102 g/km, and its overall average at 104 g/km CO2, Grosvenor Leasing’s commitment to driving down its customers’ emissions through its innovative 0Zone solution is showing clear signs of success Hybrid and electric vehicles now make up 26 per cent of order intake (this used to be five per cent) and the contract hire and fleet management specialist has won multiple awards in the past 12 months for its green initiatives, online quotation and vehicle selection systems that help drivers choose lower emission cars, and their expertise around the green agenda – all demonstrating the company’s commitment to driving towards lower emission vehicles.

Jim Clark, The Grosvenor Group’s finance director explains why the pace is quickening with an increasing number of companies with vehicle fleets laying out their plans for the coming years.

“The government’s taxation stance for the coming years has now been clarified, clearly steering us all towards ultra-low emission (ULEV) and electric vehicles (EV),” said Jim. “There are concerns about the viability of alternative fuels for many fleets, yet companies with vehicle fleets must plan their vehicle requirements in three to four year cycles. During that period the growth in ULEVs and EVs will be significant.

“Higher emission cars and commercial vehicles entering UK cities will become increasingly prohibited in the coming years as Clean Air Zones (CAZ) are approved, and it’s safe to say that we’re heading into some tricky times to accurately predict the future cost base for many vehicle fleets.”

Mark Gallagher, Grosvenor’s green fleet specialist, who was named earlier this year as a BVRLA fleet industry hero for his work around ultra-low emission and electric vehicles, has never been busier, meeting and advising customers who are looking at how they can move towards alternative fuels in the coming years.

of cars and light commercial vehicles travelling around the Scottish Highlands, Glenmorangie spoke to Grosvenor’s 0Zone team. As a specialist in-house team of low emission consultants, they help Grosvenor customers seek ultra-low and zero emission vehicle solutions, and looked at suitable electric vehicles to replace Glenmorangie’s traditional petrol and diesel fleet.

“When we first sat down with the Glenmorangie team, we started by looking at how the vehicles were used,” explained Mark.

“It’s vital to get the right fit of ultra-low emission or electric vehicle, and it’s important to understand what mileages are being covered, where the cars and vans are being driven and what they are being used for.

“Being in the Scottish Highlands, travel can become more challenging in the winter months and we looked at 4x4 offroad options for some vehicles. We also mapped out the availability of charging points in the key locations where their drivers travelled, and the number of servicing garages for ULEVs and EVs, before making our final recommendations.”

Thanks to Grosvenor’s advice and support, Glenmorangie opted to replace their vehicles with plug-in hybrid models of the 4-wheel drive Mitsubishi Outlander,

alongside fully electric Nissan Leafs.

The 0Zone team also looked at Glenmorangie’s pool fleet, managed by a central administration office, with a view to converting all company and pool vehicles to plug-in models across the board.

Danielle Beall-Kemp, Glenmorangie’s indirect purchasing manager, said: “It was important to us to partner with a contract hire and fleet management specialist with the same values as ours, and we were immediately impressed with Grosvenor’s dedication to reducing emissions and supporting the green agenda.

“They gave us truly impartial advice and offered real in-depth knowledge around ultra-low emission and electric vehicles and have been a real help in moving us smoothly towards alternative fuels as part of our own goals to be green and sustainable throughout our business.”

Grosvenor Leasing is now planning an electric vehicle open day at Glenmorangie to enable staff to experience electric vehicles and benefit from on-site advice from Grosvenor’s team of experts. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.grosvenor-leasing.co.uk 01536 536 536

Green Glenmorangie One example of a customer who is fulling embracing the green agenda is Glenmorangie in Scotland.

Situated near Tain, north of Inverness, The Glenmorangie Company is famous for its whisky, and is an important part of Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton (LVMH).

LVMH strives to ensure the long-term development of each of its houses in keeping with their identity, their heritage and their expertise. They boast a truly unique corporate ecosystem that respects tradition whilst focusing on the future.

A key part of this culture is sustainability.

So, when it came to renewing its fleet

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EV Report

Maintaining momentum for an electrified fleet future

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The AA’s Stuart Thomas, director of fleet & SME, talks about how electric vehicle investment is shaping the fleet sector It’s a good time to be in electric vehicles, if recent UK news is anything to go by.

The government has announced an £80m investment via the Industrial Strategy to support electric vehicle development and innovation. It is also consulting on proposals to ensure all new-build houses in the UK are fitted with electric charging facilities, which would be a world-first policy.

Homeowners already have a £500 grant to contribute towards the cost of installing charge points, and on-street charge point funding has recently been doubled to allow for extra facilities on residential roads. It could soon get easier to charge up as well, with government proposals to ensure all newly installed rapid charge points allow debit or credit card payments by 2020. So, EV owners will have access to a network that is currently more than 8,000-strong and growing fast.

Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) more than doubled in July, up more than 158 per cent year-on-year, representing a 1.4 per cent market share. With more than 20 battery electric and 80+ alternatively fuelled vehicles on sale in the UK, we are arguably spoilt for choice. Confirmation that zero emission electric cars will be removed from company car tax from April 2020 is good news all round.

However, the question remains whether the

right vehicles are available for businesses to have confidence in making the switch.

What does the market think?

Our research with Fleet Solutions, The Operational Fleet Insight Report 2018/19, found more than a third of managers (35 per cent) expect to convert their fleets to electric vehicles (EVs) in the next five years.

However, most managers doubt EV suitability for long-haul journeys or for heavy goods transportation. Our research also discovered that a quarter of managers (26 per cent) say they are reluctant to electrify their fleets because of the time taken to charge and a lack of nationwide charging points.

Between emissions testing regimes, battery supply shortages and manufacturers focusing on their car product ahead of vans and trucks, not to mention the loss of grants and other initiatives for hybrid vehicles, businesses can be forgiven for not moving quickly to update their commercial fleets. In addition, while Clean Air Zones and other emissions‑based charges have produced a geographic impact in areas like London, the lack of consistency in the roll-out and how charging will be applied means many organisations are deploying a ‘wait and see’ strategy before making any capital investment decisions.

AA invests in EV We are investing heavily in future technologies, reflecting our ongoing commitment to enhancing the lives of our customers across all areas of our business.

Indeed, ultra-low emission vehicles and fleets have been a fundamental part of the AA’s strategy for many years, and now we’re creating an electric vehicle capability ready to scale in line with growth in demand.

We’ve undertaken several high-profile initiatives across this field of development.

Our long-standing partnership with BP Chargemaster, the UK’s largest provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, led to the creation of a multi-brand and educational electric vehicle centre in Milton Keynes. The centre works with fleet managers and businesses owners to increase their understanding of how alternatively fuelled vehicles could benefit their businesses, providing impartial information and advice on EVs and free driving lessons.

Our patrols are now equipped with special fobs that allow access to BP Chargemaster’s Polar network, enabling them to support EV customers by towing them to the nearest charge point, using the fob to provide a one-off free charge for their vehicle. Our partnership offers AA members fantastic benefits, ensuring they’re supported on the road, no matter what vehicle they drive, giving them total peace of mind in the event of an emergency.

Training Training is, of course, critical to providing a high service offering for our customers.

All patrol staff undergo specific accredited training in EVs via our dedicated EV/hybrid rigs. Later this year, we will start training our patrols to meet the next level – EV level 2. All patrols now also use the Zap Map app, a service that pinpoints the exact location of local charging points across the UK to ensure complete accuracy.

Longer term, we are also developing and trialling an alternative fuels support vehicle which can provide top-up charge for electric vehicles from stored power and hydrogen top-up for a fuel cell vehicle from a mini hydrogen refuelling rig. The future may not necessarily be fully electric, but fleets should certainly be open to embracing all the opportunities. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.theaa.com

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Electric Vehicle Report

EXPERT PANEL

EXPERT PANEL ZERO EMISSIONS Fleet operators are key to driving rapid adoption of EVs necessary to reach the government’s target of all new car sales being “effectively” zero emission by 2040. But what support and incentives do businesses need to make the switch?

The government has an ambitious target for all new car sales to be “effectively” zero emission by 2040. To achieve this, fleet operators are key, says a new report from Catapult. They will create the demand for the charging infrastructure, while data can be used to help drive the private vehicle market. Crucially, by switching big fleets of vehicles to electric, they will have a significant impact on reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. But to make the switch to electric, fleets should be given the tools, information and incentives they need, the Catapult report says.

“Fleet operators represent a huge amount of vehicles on UK roads and miles driven, so are critical to the success of the adoption,” said Danny Winn from Schneider Electric. “In our view, businesses need more incentives from government to make the switch. Better grants to businesses that switch from ICE to EV will help, but businesses also need more education on the power/infrastructure dilemma and how they can make the switch in the most cost effective way. Utilising proven energy management experts, businesses can take a holistic approach to their EV strategy and achieve significant cost avoidance, which helps the business case for change.”

Information is important, agrees Duncan Chumley from Daimler Fleet Managements, but the issue is that it is often incomplete. E

Danny Winn, business unit director, EV Solutions, Schneider Electric Danny is responsible for the EV Solutions business across the UK & Ireland. He has over 10 years’ experience within senior commercial and transformation roles across multiple industries including energy, manufacturing, supply chain, distribution & IT. Duncan Chumley, chief commercial officer, Daimler Fleet Management Before joining Dailmer Fleet Management (DFM), Chumley worked as managing director of Free2Move Lease UK and as sales director of Citroen Financial Services. DFM is a multi-marque vehicle leasing company that procures, funds and fleet-manages for public and private sectors businesses from SME through to large fleets.

Stuart Thomas, director fleet & SME services, the AA With more than 20 years’ experience in the fleet sector, Stuart’s extensive knowledge of the industry comes from roles across contract hire, disposal and related fleet services. Stuart is responsible for managing all aspects of the AA’s fleet and SME clients, including some of the UK’s largest fleets and most diverse business users.

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Electric Vehicle Report

 He said: “All too often new information is released about new launches or technological advancements that can fall short of answering the basic specification and usage information that drivers will naturally need to know.

“Providing tools, information and incentives will require strong collaboration between fleet operators, manufacturers, charge providers and the government.

Support for fleet operators that shows a complete end to end view of a realistic EV usage strategy coupled with a clear and concise forward planning commitment by government bodies will in turn increase knowledge, confidence and adoption.”

According to The AA’s Operational Fleet Report 2018/19 in conjunction with Fleet Solutions, a third (35 per cent) of fleet managers expect to be using electric vehicles in the next five years while bio-diesel, LPG, CNG and hydrogen are all expected to show slight increases from today’s figures.

However, there are still barriers to overcome in convincing organisations to make the switch, believes Stuart Thomas from the AA. He says: “Charging infrastructure is essential to managing concerns around range, and we need to ensure employers are provided with the incentives to invest in workplace charging to respond to the estimated 40 per cent of future EV owners who will be unable to install domestic charge points. We also welcome the government’s announcement that all new rapid chargers from 2020 will have to take contactless credit/debit cards, as currently drivers need a wide range of apps and cards to make use of charging points.

“However, infrastructure alone is not enough. We need a range of measures to encourage the uptake of zero emission vehicles, from zero rate company car tax through to a ready supply of vehicles which are fit-for-purpose. Manufacturers need to produce popular ULEVs in a timely fashion and businesses need to have access to detailed consultancy and advice from independent advisors to help them make informed decisions about the set-up that is right for them.”

User-friendly charging There has been a lot of talk from government about making the EV infrastructure more ‘user friendly’. Currently multiple payment methods are a source of frustration for drivers.

The government has therefore made it clear it expects industry to develop a roaming solution across the charging network, allowing electric vehicle drivers to use any public chargepoint through a single payment method without needing multiple apps or memberships.

But what else could be done to make the public charging infrastructure less problematic?

Danny Winn from Schneider Electric believes that the lack of a clear interoperability framework in the UK is not only effecting the experience of charging users, but also businesses and the industry itself.

He says: “The government, lead by OLEV, needs to have a clear specification of what smart and interoperable means and implement legislation that demands

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standards are met. Only when this is achieved will we see a step change in user experience and clarity for businesses.”

Stuart Thomas believes that the UK has the opportunity to lead the way on electric and low emission vehicles, but the right environment for technology must be created to thrive and flourish. Stuart says: “New business models in which infrastructure can be leased to make it more cost-effective for workplaces is one way of developing the network, but we also need to ensure there is consistency in the technology being rolled out, so businesses are not having to decide between VHS and Betamax.

“Long-term thinking is required to respond to individual business demands, with an integrated mix of static, dynamic and mobile charging infrastructure and the ability to deploy more capacity in times of weather extremes.

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“For many businesses, downtime is an area of key concern and so discussion of Wireless Power Transfer and other more flexible charging technologies will be key to allowing organisations to plan their workflow, optimise routes and keep vehicles on the road, particularly when double-shifting.”

Charge times The amount of chargepoints is not the main problem for Duncan Chumley, who points out that there are thousands. Rather it is the time spent charging, which makes it difficult to plan. He says: “Charge times can vary dependant on both the size and type of battery in your vehicle and also due the specific type of charger available (be that rapid, fast or otherwise), this leads to uncertainty and makes planning difficult.

Additionally the key locations for charging, ie

Electric Vehicle Report

motorways, still seem to feature the poorest and worst maintained charge points.

“A small mind-set change could prove the simplest solution. If you are forced to charge your car mid journey is it necessary to fully charge your vehicle? With an EV it makes sense to charge overnight or when the vehicle is idle, not mid-journey as you would with a combustion vehicle. If caught out when on the road, drivers need to consider how many more miles do I need, rather than applying a ‘fill her up’ old school mentality.

“With investment in on street charging such as the possibility of incorporating chargers into lamp posts and parking metres or the install of more free standing street chargers, there will be less reliance on the high ways infrastructure because (excepting longer journeys) mid journey charges will become obsolete.”

Other zero emission options Hydrogen has many advantages as a fuel; it has zero tailpipe emissions, it’s suitable for heavy-duty applications, and has the longest range and fastest refuelling of zero-emission vehicles. But there are obvious barriers, mainly the limited amount of refuelling stations and vehicles.

That said, The Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) initiative is creating the world’s largest network of hydrogen refuelling stations. The project has met a key milestone, with hydrogen-powered vehicles travelling over eight million kilometres to date.

The project has now deployed close to 500 hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles and 30 hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) across Germany, France, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Duncan Chumley said: “Theoretically hydrogen would be a far more acceptable and greener solution but only if production of it can be made simpler, safer and more cost effective. Hydrogen is only going to rival electric as an alternative fuel choice if it can be demonstrated that on a Whole Life Cost (WLC) basis that it can match electric on a ppm basis. If mainstream OEMs all commit to the development of hydrogen vehicles then we could see an interesting addition to the alternative fuel market, but with most OEM funding for R&D currently being aimed at the EV market, hydrogen may not be an affordable option in the near future.”

For Danny Winn, hydrogen could be a good solution for greening larger commercial vehicles. He said: “Heavy goods vehicles make up 20 per cent of all road emissions globally, despite only being two per cent of E Issue 123 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Final thoughts Duncan Chumley All too often new information is released about new launches or technological advancements that can fall short of answering the basic specification and usage information that drivers will naturally need to know.

Providing tools, information and incentives will require strong collaboration between fleet operators, manufacturers, charge providers and the government.

Support for fleet operators that shows a complete end to end view of a realistic EV usage strategy coupled with a clear and concise forward planning commitment by influential government bodies will in turn increase knowledge, confidence and adoption.  vehicles on the road. If we are to achieve zero emission transport, HGVs need to be tackled as a priority.

“Due to the weight of batteries there is clearly a role hydrogen can play in switching from fossil fuels, especially where you have long journeys, though more investment in needed in specific case studies to understand the economics better.”

When assessing any alternative fuel, it is important for businesses to select the right powertrain for their specific needs, believes Stuart Thomas. And that means hydrogen, CNG, LPG, cleaner Euro 6 diesel and electric variants should all be on the table. He says: “Organisations need to make informed decisions based on intelligent data which outlines vehicle usage, driver patterns of behaviour and future fleet policy.

“For some businesses, the move to electric, hydrogen or otherwise just doesn’t make sense until a much wider range of vehicles becomes available. Euro 6 diesel is still the best solution for many of those covering high mileage on the motorway network, while urban areas may require a different approach to meet air quality demands.

“Looking at hydrogen specifically, we took on board a mini hydrogen dispenser from Fuel Cell Systems for trial in our Fuel Assist Van last year. This allows us to provide an emergency top-up of fuel for stranded hydrogen vehicles in much the same way as we can get a petrol or diesel vehicle back on the road, and in line with our emergency fast-charge electric options. We also worked with Hyundai earlier this year on a 1,000-mile hydrogen vehicle trial with the Telegraph and we’re developing our experience in this area.”

Other ways to be zero emission The quest to become zero emission may not be entirely plausible for some businesses but striving for a reduction in CO2 will still have significant benefits to

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the environment and should be applauded.

So what other ways can companies reduce emissions from their business travel?

Huge gains can be made by businesses challenging established policies around transport, believes Danny Winn: “I see an opportunity for business travel specialists to flourish; they could analyse the travel behaviours for large employers and offer transport packages of blended on demand transportation fit for each journey. If these models could optimise costs and environmental benefits by blending a range of transport options from scooters in cities, zero emission vehicles on a short term basis, right up to trains and flights, there could be some huge gains made.”

Duncan Chumley says that while the reality for many businesses becoming zero-emissions (as a whole) is something of a pipe-dream, there is a plethora of opportunities for companies to reduce their carbon footprint.

“From encouraging home working, car pooling and promoting cycle to work schemes through to reducing the amount of single use plastic, there is no shortage of marginal gains available, the sum of their parts making a limited but positive impact.”

Duncan continues: “Processes and procedures can also be sources for improvement. Introducing paperless billing and moving to digital processes such as eSignatures and click to sign are all positive steps. However there is no doubt when it comes to travel that there are clearly improvements to be made. Aside from the often discussed EV subject there are other niche areas of fleet that can be explored.

Controlling grey fleet miles would certainly help as older driver-owned vehicles are often not the most economical or environmentally friendly. Also a review of pool car policies and LEV car share schemes will help with controlling journeys made in older vehicles that do not necessarily fall under the remit of the fleet operator.” L

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Danny Winn Fleet operators represent a huge amount of vehicles on UK roads and miles driven, so are critical to the success of the adoption. In our view, businesses need more incentives from government to make the switch; better grants to businesses that switch from ICE to EV will help, but businesses also need more education on the power/infrastructure dilemma and how they can make the switch in the most cost effective way. Utilising proven energy management experts, businesses can take a holistic approach to their EV strategy and achieve significant cost avoidance, which helps the business case for change.

Stuart Thomas We need a range of measures to encourage the uptake of zero emission vehicles, from zero rate company car tax through to a ready supply of vehicles which are fit-for-purpose. Manufacturers need to produce popular ULEVs in a timely fashion and businesses need to have access to detailed consultancy and advice from independent advisors to help them make informed decisions about the set-up that is right for them.

With just three words you can change everything This isn’t the start of a romance novel, this is the start of a sales pitch. At Daimler Fleet Management (DFM) we understand the importance of marginal gains. It’s all about the many little one percents that add up to make a big difference.

That’s why we always have our eyes open for new technology and enhancements in automotive that can help to deliver these small but important gains. ‘What3words’, is fast becoming the global standard for communicating locations.

It is a system which is already helping the emergency services save lives as well as aiding companies deliver time savings. The simple premise of getting people and things to the right location, on time is not always straight-forward.

A postcode could encompass a mile long street, a building or depot might have multiple entrances to choose from.

What3words offer a means of efficiently sharing specific, and exact locations.

By dividing the world into over 57 trillion 3m x 3m grids and giving each square a unique three-word reference, you can now not only identify the correct building

for a delivery or pick up but can highlight the precise point on the map where the rendezvous should take place. Increasing efficiencies by reducing directional ambiguity one destination at a time all adds up, and as the old adage goes, ‘time is money’.

What3words is available online and via a mobile app but following early investment

by Daimler, Mercedes-Benz has the privilege of being the first manufacturer to implement the software directly into their vehicle navigation. Available in cars and vans via an over-the-air update in

the latest COMAND (NTG5.5) models Mercedes-Benz drivers can use the technology today.

What’s more, using the new voice recognition functionality (Mercedes‑Benz UX) available in models like the Mercedes‑Benz A Class, drivers are able to simply quote their three words aloud and the car will navigate to within three metres of the defined destination. If the destination and an appropriate place to park do not align, your onward destination can be mapped via the app on your phone allowing you to complete your journey by foot.

If you are interested in finding the marginal gains in your business get in touch with DFM today to arrange a FleetFit health check.

Or download your very own FleetFit guide today, full of helpful tips on where to find the ‘one percents’ for your existing fleet of vehicles.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.daimler-fleetfit.co.uk dfm-uk@daimler.com 01908 697468

Is your fleet performing at its best?

Get in touch with our mobility experts and get your fleet fit for tomorrow. #befleetfit

Find out more at daimler-fleetfit.co.uk or call 01908 697468

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Understanding your workplace charging requirements How can you ensure that the charging system that you are installing is the best fit for your fleet and your operations?

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Correct implementation of a workplace electric vehicle charging infrastructure is critical to the viability of electric fleet vehicles. It makes charging an easy process and enables vehicles to be ready for use when required.

So, how can you ensure that the charging system that you are installing is the best fit for your fleet and your business operations?

ElectrAssure specified a fully customisable 50kW Delta Ultrafast Charger that can be upgraded to 150kW and has on-board load management software. The result is a flexible and upgradable EV charging solution that supports the client’s business now and makes provision for the predicted requirements for the next three years.

Supporting the fleet The type and use of the vehicles and the required charging speed determines the charging infrastructure required.

One ElectrAssure customer is a train operating company within an Ultra-low Emission Zone and is under pressure from the franchising authority to adopt low emission vehicles for its fleet. Its engineers operate on an eight hour shift and return to the central depot with a typical daily mileage of less than 100 miles.

This operating structure lent itself perfectly to an electric vehicle fleet.

However, there were circumstances where emergency call-outs were necessary, and vehicles needed to mobilise quickly to satisfy their SLA. Because of this, a rapid charger was proposed – as the customer pointed out, ‘the penalty for missing the SLA would pay for a rapid charger’.

Finding the power Without adequate electrical capacity, charging will be slower than required or the chargers will overload the electrical supply.

ElectrAssure conducts detailed surveys of the existing electrical infrastructure and supply to each site. This determines whether there is capacity available for the electric vehicle chargers.

But what if it isn’t?

It is all too common for the existing supplies to be unsuitable for large EV charging installations. There are, however, options available that can be relatively inexpensive and disruption free.

The electricity network operator (DNO) can advise on an increase in supply either through upgrades to the fuses, incoming cabling or both to allow for the increased loads required by charging equipment.

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Alternatively, some manufacturers of charging equipment offer load management capabilities. Load management enables the chargers to operate at a pre-defined maximum load and balance the power required across all active chargers. Dynamic load management operates in a very similar way, but it monitors the total electrical load and only supplies the capacity available to the chargers.

Another of ElectrAssure’s large operational fleet customers with a varied and growing number of vehicles had a supply capacity problem. ElectrAssure was invited to survey their main depot after two other contractors had provided proposals for charging infrastructure.

When carrying out the survey it was found that there was simply no spare capacity.

Not only that, but by installing the proposed charging equipment, the customer would have been in breach of their contracted maximum capacity from their energy provider and this would have resulted in fines and sanctions.

Enquiries were made with the local electricity network operator and it was found that an upgrade of the supply was available by simply changing the main fuses and metering equipment. This, coupled with a load managed charging solution, will allow the customer to install the larger number of EV chargers required to support their ever-growing fleet of electric vehicles.

Had the capacity survey not been carried out prior to installation of the new charging infrastructure, the customer would have a charging system that was not viable.

Managing the chargers ‘Smart’ electric vehicle chargers are connected to a cloud-based management network known as a ‘back office’. A correctly specified back office records and controls the use of the chargers by authorised users, allows payment to be taken for use of the chargers and provides remote monitoring and maintenance.

In excess of 90 per cent of reported faults can quickly be rectified on-line which enables very high levels of charger availability.

In summary, there is no ‘one fits all’ blueprint for installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure for fleets. It must be tailored to the individual needs of drivers, the vehicles and the operation of the business to enable you to realise all of the benefits of electric vehicles. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.electrassure.com

Frankfurt’s battery powered debuts The show floor at the Frankfurt Motor show was packed with a range of electric cars – from tech-filled futuristic concepts to every day cars and vans. GreenFleet rounds up the battery‑powered vehicles coming our way Hyundai 45 LEVC’s LCV is not just targeting last mile Hyundai unveiled its electric vehicle concept, deliveries, but ‘distribution to door’ – named 45, which puts a futuristic twist on a providing the link between out of town 45-year-old Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept. depots and city centres, capable of The car’s name also owes itself in collecting goods outside of a major part to the 45-degree angles at city in range extender mode, the front and rear, forming a before switching to EV mode The diamond-shaped silhouette. in an urban ultra‑low new lig Cleverly, you can see emissions zone. how much range the Full details of the comme ht rcial battery has from LCV will be revealed vehicle f r LED lights from the closer to its official o m L EV Com ondon bottom of the door. launch in 2020. pa 45 also has LEVC has tested has ma ny (LEVC) technological the new van to d e i Europe developments that the world’s highest an deb ts may be a hint to durability standards, Frankfu ut in rt future Hyundai models, adapting its million-mile such as a hidden Camera TaxiDur test for the new Monitoring System (CMS). light commercial vehicle.

The car utilises side cameras The vehicle will have the latest instead of traditional wing mirrors to active safety systems, along with the overcome visibility challenges caused by dirt world’s highest crash safety standards. It gathering on the mirror offering progressively will be better for drivers too, benchmarked less visibility. This is done by an embedded against premium MPVs on comfort turntable module, which rotates the lens past and ergonomics with a cabin designed a brush to ensure perfect visibility at all times. around the needs of the van driver (and passenger). In addition to this, the LCV LEVC Van will feature the class-leading turning circle The new light commercial vehicle from synonymous with the iconic black cab.

London EV Company (LEVC) has made its European debut in Frankfurt.

Honda e Based on the same architecture and Honda is aiming to electrify all of its European range extender technology as LEVC’s TX car sales by 2025 and at the Frankfurt Taxi, this second vehicle from LEVC has an Motor Show, visitors were able to see the electric range of 80 miles and a combined first production-ready Honda e - which petrol and EV range of 377 miles. combines retro, futuristic and playful looks.

The Honda e is equipped with a high-power electric motor available with two power outputs of 100 kW (136ps) or 113kW (154ps), and has torque of 315Nm. The 35.5kWh battery delivers a range of up to 136 miles from a single charge. The Honda e will reach 0-62mph in approximately 8 seconds.

A fast-charging capability also allows recharge to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes.

The Honda Personal Assistant is activated by saying, “OK Honda”, followed by the question or instruction. Machine learning enables the technology to develop a greater understanding of an individuals’ voice over time, in order to deliver more accurate responses.

The Honda e is also accessible using a digital key, allowing the car to be locked and unlocked using only the smartphone application.

Customers can make a reservation for priority ordering online in UK, Germany, France and Norway, or register their interest in other European markets on Honda national websites. It will be priced from £26,160.

Honda also announced that its next Jazz, which will be launched in 2020, will only have a hybrid powertrain.

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Mercedes EQV Mercedes Benz revealed its electric EQV multi-purpose vehicle, which was seen in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show this year.

With a range of 252 miles on a single charge, the manufacturer calculates that the EQV has an energy consumption figure of 27 kWh/100km, and can charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in less than an hour.

Expected to prove a rival for the likes of the Tesla Model X in the domestic market, the EQV is also a zero-tailpipe emission option for taxi, private hire, and shuttle fleets.

Vauxhall Corsa-e The electric Vauxhall Corsa, which is already available for pre-orders, had its premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show. E

Honda e at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2019

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Good news for electric company car drivers following government review Changes to the UK’s company car tax system will mean that business drivers could make considerable financial savings, especially when using electric vehicles.

In July 2019, the government announced a freeze on company car tax for fleet vehicles and a zero Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) rate for fully electric vehicles as part of its WLTP and Vehicle Taxes review.

Tusker, the car benefit people, have welcomed the changes. The scheme, which enables drivers to exchange some of their salary for a brand new, allinclusive car, has now become even more affordable. And this change also offers clarity to car drivers and fleet managers.

Paul Gilshan, CEO at Tusker, comments: “The government have shown real commitment on the road to zero emissions.

This announcement will really encourage drivers into the cleanest vehicles, helping to meet carbon reduction targets.”

For most vehicles registered before 6 April 2020, company car tax bands will be frozen at the 2020/21 rates until 2022/23.

Those registering new cars after 6 April will see a two percent tax cut with zero emotion models now tax-free in 2020-21, only rising 1 percent each year until 2023.

With the Car Benefit Scheme taken from an employee’s salary before tax and National Insurance, this could provide an even bigger saving for thousands of people.

The new BIK rates, coupled with the news that the Department for Transport has committed to spending £37 million on improving the UK’s electric vehicle charging point infrastructure, means that Electric Vehicles (EVs) are more accessible than ever before.

In real terms, an individual earning £30,000 a year already driving a petrol VW Golf (1.5l) company car in 2020-2021 would incur £116 per month in BIK tax.

In the same tax year, the tax for an all-

The Ultimate employee (and employer!) benefit Help your employees into a brand new, low emitting vehicle - while saving money and helping the environment Tusker’s Car Benefit Scheme is a salary sacrifice arrangement where employees get the benefit of a brand new car, complete with insurance, road tax, breakdown cover, tyres, servicing and maintenance, for a fixed monthly amount.

Offering a car as a benefit has been proven to help retain and attract talented staff and in April 2020, the most efficient electric vehicles will be charged 0% BIK – helping the environment and providingthe opportunity to save both you and your employees’ tax and NI. To find out more, or for a quick chat about how we could help with your employee benefits, please visit www.tuskerdirect.com or call 0333 4000 554.

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DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

electric Golf drops to £0. Over the course of a three-year period, someone on an annual salary of £30,000 could save almost £4,000 in BIK by driving a zero-emission vehicle. When taken under a salary sacrifice arrangement, they could also benefit from an overall tax efficiency of around £6,000.

The future looks bright for green fleets.

Recent research shows that employees are also starting to put more focus on ecofriendliness than model when it comes to company cars. Multiple Green Apple Award winner, Tusker, have a carbonneutral fleet, with a growing range of electric vehicles on the Car Benefit Scheme, ranging from the Nissan Leaf to the Tesla Model 3, with models to suit everyone.

The business has also recently been awarded ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status, in recognition of how the organisation has introduced pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars to its fleet and its commitment to increase uptake over the coming years, to embrace a greener motoring future. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.tuskerdirect.com 0333 4000 554

 Known as the Corsa-e, the vehicle’s 50kWh battery has a range of 205 miles (WLTP).

Using a public fast-charger, the Corsa-e can be charged to 80 per cent of its capacity in just 30 minutes.

Priced from £26,490, including the Government’s £3,500 Plug-in Car Grant, the Corsa-e will be available in two highly-specified trims, both of which will come as standard with a 7-inch touch screen, 11kWh on-board charger, satellite navigation, LED headlights, alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and DAB radio.

On Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), the Corsa-e will start at £270 per month for 47 months, with a customer deposit of £5,549.40 and an optional final payment of £9,123.00*, based on an SE model with optional Orange Fizz paint (£650).

The Corsa-e’s battery warranty guarantees that at least 70 per cent of its capacity is maintained for 100,000 miles, or eight years.

CUPRA Tavascan Concept Seat-owned sports’ brand CUPRA unveiled its Tavascan Concept in Frankfurt. The all-electric coupe SUV is the first road CUPRA to use a 100 per cent electric powertrain. A 77kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides a range of up to 280 miles.

The Tavascan Concept is powered by two motors – one integrated on the front axle, the second at the rear – providing a combined 306PS to all four wheels. This provides the car with a 0-60mph time of less than 6.5 seconds.

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German Chancellor Merkel’s visit to the Volkswagen stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA)

Volkswagen ID.3 Volkswagen’s first model from the new fully electric ID. family, ID.3, had its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Set to rival the Tesla Model 3, the ID.3 has three different battery sizes available; a large battery (77 kWh net2), a mediumsized battery (58 kWh net) and a small battery (45 kWh net). Depending on the battery size selected, a range of between 205 and 341 miles (as per WLTP) is possible.

The ID.3 is based on the new modular electric drive matrix (MEB), which has been specifically designed for electric drive use, ensuring the largest possible vehicle interior.

Volkswagen will also guarantee the capacity of the ID. batteries for eight years or 160,000 kilometres. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.iaa.de

We install for the whole of North Yorkshire, County Durham and Cumbria, from Leeds to Newcastle coast to coast. We are approved installers of EO, Zappi, Rolec and Growatt charging units. We are approved with Olev for grant funding on both the Homecharge and Workplace Charging Scheme.

Website: www.ddrelectricalltd.co.uk | Email: ddrelectrical.steve@gmail.com | Tel: 01969-622260

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Award Winners Award Winners Proud to be winner of EV Champion and shortlisted for Charging & Award Winners Proud to be winner of EV Champion

Experience Experience Established in 200?, we are at the forefront of EV charging, pushing Experience Established in 200?, we are at the

Award Winners

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Refuelling Infrastructure Provider and for Charging & at theshortlisted prestigious Proud to be winner of EV Champion Refuelling Infrastructure Provider Green Fleet Awards. and shortlisted for Charging & at the prestigious Refuelling Infrastructure Provider Green Fleet Awards. at the prestigious Green Fleet Awards.

Proud to be winner of EV Champion

Award Winners and shortlisted for Charging & Knowledge Refuelling Infrastructure Provider Proud to be winner of EV Champion at the prestigious Knowledge We are electrical engineers, and shortlisted for Chargingskilled & Green Fleet Awards.

Knowledge and experienced at assessing Refuelling Infrastructure Provider We are electrical skilled commercial and engineers, industrial sites at the prestigious and experienced at assessing to give you the most efficientskilled and cost We are electrical engineers, Green Fleet Awards. commercial and industrial sites effective solutionat forassessing your workplace. and experienced to give you the most efficientsites and cost commercial and industrial effective solution for your workplace. to give you the most efficient and cost effective solution for your workplace.

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Established in 200?, we are at the forefront of EV charging, pushing Independence the boundaries and helping to shape Established in 200?, we are at the the future. We have over 300 Independence We are completely independent forefront of EV charging, pushing successful projects to our name.and Independence haveboundaries no financialand tieshelping with suppliers. the to shape We are completely independent and Advice is based on individual customer the future. We have over 300 have nocompletely financial withtime, suppliers. requirements for ties charge cost, We are independent and successful projects to our name.

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Advice is based on individual customer We are completely independent and requirements for charge time, cost, haveaccess no financial ties with capacity. suppliers. site and electrical Advice is based on individual customer requirements for charge time, cost, site access and electrical capacity.

ROUNDTABLE Driving the move to an EV future

As the sun rose over, arguably, the most famous gates in British football at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium, a panel of business people and public sector officials took their seats for the latest in our GreenFleet Roundtable events.

As the delegates arrived on Friday 20 September, the haunting yet supportive words of the Kop anthem rang out: “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and this is so true of all the GreenFleet events. The journey to utilising more low emission and electric vehicles is similar to a game of football in so many ways. The result will come in time, the game needs passion and skill to deliver the result but ultimately without teamwork all the effort in the world will not bring the outcome you desire. Be they league points or charge points collaboration at such as at GreenFleet Liverpool delivers.

The delegate panel was comprised of a number of public sector bodies and private sector fleets operators. Some had started their journey in delivering a number of electric and hybrid vehicles and for some they were right at the very start.

Joining the delegates were three expert panellists; Alun Davies, operations director for ElectrAssure who install chargepoints, Sarah Bee, projects director for telematics provider Trakm8, and Paul Dawson, business development manager from SG Fleet.

Behaviour change We kicked off the discussion sessions with a chat about the key elements of change that organisations need to make to begin to use electric vehicles. Interestingly. The number one change was not about buying new vehicles or installing charge points but rather

Written by John Curtis

When it comes to buying electric vehicles and charge points, the pace of change in technology worries fleet managers. This and other challenges were raised at the GreenFleet Roundtable at Liverpool’s Anfield football stadium on 20 September

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taking people along on the journey. Whether it is senior managers within the organisation who need to sign off funding, or drivers who need to operate the vehicles, behaviour change is the single biggest component to ensuring a successful transition programme.

Alan Dennis, head of transport at Phoenix Medical put it best when he said “behaviour change is key too getting people to use electric vehicles. People need to have their fears taken away”.

David Robinson, group fleet & PPE procurement manager at Morton International went further when he suggested that not only do companies benefit from ensuring better driver behaviour but that driver responsibility can be tackled when bringing in new technologies and vehicles.

This brought the discussion nicely to how telemetry and software can be E

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Electric Vehicle Report

Roundtable Attendees John Curtis Chair

Alan Dennis Head of transport, Phoenix Medical

Alun Davies Operations director, ElectrAssure

Bernie Sullivan Transport manager, Mersey Fire and Rescue

Chris Devine Operations manager, Merseycare NHS Trust

David Robinson Group fleet & PPE procurement manager, Morson International

Edward Davies Logistics manager, Ceandess (Wolverhampton) Ltd

Gary Hickman Senior fleet & transport officer, Liverpool City Council

Michael Wood Regional sales manager, Trakm8

Mick Sweetmore Head of fleet engineering and transport services, Merseyside Police

Paul Dawson Business development manager, SG Fleet

Sarah Bee Projects director, Trakm8

Tony Deus Engineering services manager, Merseyside Police

 used to provide data and evidence to benefit the company whilst protecting the driver and other road users.

A straw poll around the room found that telemetry was not widely used by delegates businesses. Fears still abound that telemetry is nothing more than a way to cut jobs, pressurise drivers and a form of entrapment. There is suspicion that the little black box in the cab is spying.

Sarah Bee from Trakm8 set out how telemetry can be used to manage efficiency and cost, but also as a way to safeguard drivers in terms of providing evidence for disputed insurance claims. Traditionally a little black box fitted to the OBD port inside the cab would be accompanied by a dash

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cam giving fleet managers a suite of data.

However, this is now combined into Trakm8’s award winning RH600 single telematics and camera unit. Trakm8’s technology supports not only monitoring of journey cycles but also in identifying opportunities for further efficiencies in route planning, and where electric vehicles might have a part to play as part of the fleet mix. As Sarah said: “Utilisation data can be used to identify whether you really need certain fleet vehicles and how they are used to protect drivers and their jobs.”

Alan Dennis at Phoenix Medical already utilises telemetry. He said that there was initially some resistance, by providing information about how the system works and what its function is, drivers do understand that they are being looked after as they go about their jobs. Indeed, some commercial vehicles are coming already fitted with telemetry, signalling the industry’s support of the technology.

Paul Dawson from SG Fleet gave an example of a client that has been able to reduce its fleet by having vehicles utilised better and the “standby fleet” reduced, which led to significantly improved utilisation.

The panel all agreed that introducing electric vehicles is a great opportunity to revisit the way the fleet is run and to enforce better operator and driver behaviour.

As with any new technology the appropriate training is key to get the best from the investment in and operation of new capital equipment. Be it electric vehicles or telemetry, time invested in training reaps rewards in not having to manage failure.

Public sector considerations Chris Devine, operations manager at the Merseyside NHS Trust was very candid when he suggested that public sector fleet managers need to ”pick their battles and not challenge the status quo, all at once.” Chris went on to say that local authorities and public sector organisations don’t always have the bandwidth to build a business case or to seek government funding for implementation of electric vehicles and charging. Even if a bid can be written, the project management costs and time associated with obtaining funding and implementing change should not be underestimated. This was a point echoed across all of the public sector organisations and it is frustrating that, following the recent OLEV announcement of £400m of funding for charging infrastructure, organisations still feel unable to find the resources to bid for funding.

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

Charging solutions Discussion naturally moved on to explore the types of charging solution that can be installed to support a fleet of vehicles.

Alun Davies from ElectrAssure explained the charging infrastructure available, ranging from slow to rapid chargers capable of charging a vehicle in less than thirty minutes.

It was also stressed that there are significant fire risks associated with using a three pin plug socket and from next year all publicly funded charges points must be ‘smart’ and be able to communicate basic charging data to a back office.

Alun reminded the delegates that the “survey phase is critical to ensure that the necessary power supply is available and ElectrAssure work closely with the power companies to make sure that the installation is problem free.”

The key thing to bear in mind is that whatever chargers are installed should be matched to the vehicle duty cycles to avoid over or under provision.

Alan from Phoenix Medical asked about the price of home chargers and after OLEV grant funding ,we established that each charger can be bought for a few hundred pounds.

Making EVs the norm The panel spoke at length about the support needed to make electric vehicles the norm. As already mentioned, the public sector are finding bid and project management resources scarce and this is inhibiting progress. It was agreed that support from Crown Commercial Services (CCS), as procurement partner, or a collaboration of commercial partners, could support the allocation of funds and implementation of electric vehicles.

Add into the equation that electric vehicle supply is typically taking between six and twelve months and life is proving difficult for the fleet manager.

There is still a real fear of buying the wrong product or solution, based more on the speed of change rather than backing the wrong horse. Obsolescence in technology is a genuine issue for cash strapped local authorities and whilst considering future proofing at the procurement phase helps, inevitable the pace of change worries fleet manager and can prevent investment.

How can the ‘risk’ be taken out of EV adoption? Paul from SG Fleet said: “Leasing is one way to future proof electric vehicle provision as the risk of obsolescence is passed from the local authority to the leasing company. You get to the end of the contract and hand it back”

As far as telemetry is concerned, Sarah from Trakm8 explained to the panel that “the hardware tends to change relatively slowly, but we can easily upgrade firmware.

Regular remote software upgrades can help to prevent premature hardware obsolescence and future-proof longer-term investment in EV charging systems.”

Alun from ElectrAssure meanwhile reassured attendees that certain chargepoint components can be easily upgraded.

Fleet dilemmas The fleet manager faces some thorny questions not just by having to choose Event Sponsor

to lease or capital purchase, but also electric versus Internal Combustion Engine vehicles. Paul went on to say that leases are getting longer as vehicles are doing less miles and as EV technology is proving itself. “Customers have more confidence in the technology,” Paul said.

Gary Hickman from Liverpool City Council advised that: “the CCS portal can help in determining the impacts of long leases versus shorter leases.”

Tony Deus from Merseyside Police questioned whether customers know what vehicle they want or if they are less specific, but know what fuel they want. Paul from

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SG Fleet said it was common for customers to want an electric vehicle and for usage data to guide specific vehicle choice.

Mick Sweetmore of Merseyside Police currently makes capital outright purchases of vehicles but can see a time when having a mixture of bought and leased vehicles is more the model he will follow. This might help him identify opportunities to better utilise the existing vehicle fleet.

As the day drew to a close Bernie Sullivan from Merseyside Fire and Rescue summarised the day nicely: “Moving to electric vehicles involves a whole picture: behaviour change, the right infrastructure and vehicles.” L

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Alun Davies, operations director, ElectrAssure

Paul Dawson, business development manager, SG Fleet

Michael Wood, regional sales manager, Trakm8

Sarah Bee, projects director, Trakm8

Alun Davies is operations director at ElectrAssure Ltd with over six years of experience in the specification and installation of EV charging infrastructure and it’s integration with back office services. Alun is responsible for the quality standards of installation that ElectrAssure prides itself on and is a elite certified installer for ABB, Chargegpoint, Schneider and Delta.

Paul’s experience spans almost 10 years in the fleet sector in the roles of customer relationship and business development, specialising in Intelligent fleet management, vehicle leasing and employee benefit vehicle solutions.

Michael is an experienced fleet & optimisation specialist helping businesses drive efficiencies through connected vehicle data to improve driver behaviour both for fuel economy and risk reductions.

Sarah Bee is a new product development specialist with 20‑years’ experience of building and leading public, commercial and academic sector projects in the UK and internationally. Programme areas include high‑end manufactured technology, energy utilities, fleet telematics & optimisation, intelligent mobility, electric vehicles and electrification of fleets.

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