The market for electric vehicles (EVs) has grown at an extraordinary pace in just a few years, and they’re set to define the future of the automotive industry. According to a report by ‘Big Four’ professional services firm Deloitte, the global EV market is set to grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29 per cent over the next ten years. This will see total EV sales grow from 2.5 million in 2020 to 11.2 million in 2025, reaching 31.1 million by 2030.
A great deal of this growth is being pushed by governments, which continue to introduce regulations and incentives designed to accelerate the shift from petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to electric-powered ones. Europe is very much leading the charge here, with EV adoption increasing by 8 per cent throughout the continent due to policy mandates that introduced stricter emissions targets for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and subsidies, grants, and tax breaks for both personal and commercial consumers.
Making the switch to an electric fleet
Indeed, it is government-backed subsidies, grants for vans, tax breaks, and other offerings that have really helped to speed up the transition to EV fleets among commercial operators.
But that’s not to say that a transition to all-electric fleets comes without its challenges. There are many things that have got commercial fleet managers struggling to get to grips with the prospect of electrifying their fleets. Among these, the initial capital outlay, range anxiety, short-term supply chain problems, and a lack of charging infrastructure are the most problematic.
For fleet managers, however, there’s already a solution that can simplify the transition from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric and solve problems such as range anxiety—electric vehicle telematics.
What is electric vehicle telematics?
Electric vehicle telematics is a clever tech solution that helps fleet managers continuously gather data about their vehicles by using a combination of GPS, telecommunications, onboard diagnostics, vehicle technologies, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
This data can then be analysed through an online platform and used to improve fleet operations. This is achieved through clever features such as route planning, maintenance scheduling, and driver tracking.
Telematics is a solution that has helped to manage petrol and diesel-powered fleets for decades, and it has the potential to be just as powerful, if not more powerful, when deployed in an electrified fleet.
The benefits of EV telematics
The key benefits of using an electric vehicle telematics solution within your fleet include:
1. Receive vehicle health updates
EV telematics systems such as those offered by Trakm8 are integrated right into the heart of your fleet vehicles. Once deployed, easily installed hardware keeps track of vehicle metrics and components so that it can provide fleet managers with an insight into vehicle health.
For example, an EV telematics system like Trakm8 might use sensors to keep tabs on wear and tear on critical components, tyre pressure levels, and battery health issues. When a problem is detected, an alert can automatically be sent to fleet managers who will then be able to schedule servicing and maintenance from within the platform.
2. Efficient route planning
As we mentioned, one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption in commercial fleets is range anxiety. While this is slowly being solved by the rapid introduction of more widespread charging infrastructure, efficient route planning will continue to play a key role in enabling fleet managers to get the most out of their vehicles’ batteries.
EV telematics platforms can be used to quickly and easily plan routes based on factors such as battery capacity, available drive time, and proximity to charging infrastructure, thus helping to ensure that the drivers won’t run out of charge mid-route.
3. Monitor driver behaviour
It’s important for fleet managers to have an insight into what their drivers are doing while on the roads. One accident could easily cause your insurance premiums to skyrocket, so you want to be sure that your drivers are behaving safely.
EV telematics systems like Trakm8 gather data about fleet vehicles and provide fleet managers with a real-time look at how drivers are behaving behind the wheel. Data gathered can include routes taken, average speed, total distance travelled, driving time, and instances such as speeding and harsh braking. This level of insight provides you with a chance to improve inefficient driving and reduce accidents. Educating drivers to drive more efficiently will lower the impact on the battery, leading to improved vehicle range.
4. Create charging schedules and alerts
Keeping an EV fleet charged and running requires careful planning. Unlike petrol and diesel-powered fleets which can be refuelled quickly on the fly, recharging an electric vehicle takes longer, which means that, wherever possible, it needs to be planned so as not to cause fleet operations to be affected.
EV telematics solutions like Trakm8 use real-time data to help fleet managers plan charging priorities based on schedules and routes. They also help drivers to keep their vehicles suitably charged by alerting them with battery warnings and selecting the best routes based on real-time charge levels.
5. Get accurate charge costs
Despite what some people may believe, recharging an electric vehicle isn’t exactly free. It costs money to use EV charging infrastructure, and just like with petrol stations, not all EV charging stations are created equal; it’s all about location, location, location.
Well, it’s about far more than location, actually. Other factors that can affect the cost of recharging an EV include weather conditions, vehicle model, agreements with infrastructure operators, and even the time of day. These can make recharging either cheaper or more expensive, and the right EV telematics solution like Trakm8 can provide fleet managers with accurate charging costs based on these factors.
Learn more about EV telematics
At Trakm8, we’re the leaders in fleet tracking and fleet telematics technology. We help our customers to monitor their EVs in real-time and from anywhere to deliver significant leaps in operational efficiency and cost savings across the board. Read more in our Guide to Electic Vehicle Telematics.
Is your fleet ready for the transition to Electric Vehicles? Find out today by completing the free Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment tool from Trakm8.
Talk to us today to learn how our innovative electric vehicle telematics technology can help you.
