Companies under pressure to electrify
New government regulations, such as the LOM law (Mobility Orientation Law), require companies with over 50 employees and fleets of over 100 vehicles to order 10% low-emission vehicles. The acceleration in the introduction of electric vehicles can be partly explained by the new laws, which stipulate that the sale of combustion-powered vehicles will cease by 2035.
The European Parliament's Environment Committee has voted to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035. This text is reinforced by theoi Climate and Resilience aimed at reducing global CO2 emissions by 20% by 2025 and 55% by 2030.
Also read → The end of combustion-powered cars in 2035 is confirmed
1. How to choose your electric vehicles?
The electric vehicle market The electric vehicle market is varied and diversified, with a wide range of offers for businesses, but it's vital to ask the right questions before choosing the right model.
What are my company's needs?
In order to evaluate the costs of its vehicle fleetIt's important to carry out an audit to assess your company's needs. This audit will enable you to select reliable and appropriate vehicles based on a number of factors (fuel consumption, distances covered, traffic zones).
Also read → How to carry out an audit of your vehicle fleet?
Whatrange do I need for my electric vehicles?
Depending on your company's field of activity, it's crucial to address the issue of autonomy. If your employees need to travel long distances, it will be essential to choose models that allow them to space out recharging sessions as far as possible.
For example, an Opel Corsa-e with its 359 km range will be more suitable for an office worker making journeys mainly in urban areas. The Volkswagen ID.3 with 424 km seems a good choice for a salesperson who drives a lot during the year. Finally, an electric van such as the Renault Kangoo e-Tech with 300 km range is ideal for a craftsman who needs to run from one site to another.
What equipment do I need for my employees?
A range of equipment is essential to enable your employees to work as comfortably as possible:
- GPS: this navigation system will make it easier for employees to get around in unfamiliar areas,
- intra-connectivity: Wifi, Bluetooth and 5G will enable employees to be in constant contact with their customers,
- Heated seats: if your employees have to travel in cold weather, heated seats will greatly enhance their comfort,
- a reversing camera: if your company operates bulky electric vans, this will make it easier for your teams to park.
Finally, in addition to improving their safety and driving experience, all this equipment will contribute to long-term job satisfaction of your employees, as well as to their mission productivity.
Also read → How does technology improve the professional driving experience?
2. Train your employees
Specific training for electric vehicle drivers on recharging and driving procedures is crucial. This is a fundamental element of a fleet's electrification strategy, and differs from ordinary training.
Turn your employees into thrifty, responsible drivers
There are a number of fairly minor differences, but nonetheless worth noting, which mean that a driver adopting an electric vehicle won't get the most out of it.
Acceleration is sharper and deceleration greater. Driving too aggressively also considerably reduces battery life. All these bad habits have consequences in terms of safety and efficiency.
Passing on best practices to future drivers through training courses can only benefit your business. These include vehicle familiarization, how to charge electric vehicles and carry out appropriate vehicle checks, as well as courses focusing on safe driving.
Get your employees used to maintaining their electric vehicles
Maintaining an electric vehicle is an important step for employees, both in terms of safety and efficiency at work. Offering in-house training (1 to 2 days) will enable them to :
- understand the risks associated with electricity (both vehicle and charging station),
- identify and repair a simple fault,
- master safety procedures,
- know the regulatory context surrounding the electrical environment.
There are even external training courses that can be financed by the professional training account (CPF) to raise awareness of best practices among your employees.
Find out more → AFPA training / Apave training
3. Carry out constant preventive maintenance
It's true that electric vehicles are much easier to service, requiring less maintenance than their internal combustion counterparts. However, they remain complex machines. They also need a great deal of attention.
Planning a maintenance schedule: the key to organization?
With the growing popularity of electric vehicles among businesses, it's crucial to minimize fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions, while extending the longevity of your vehicles. When it comes to your fleet, it's imperative to draw up a maintenance schedule that's meticulously tailored to the different models you own.
It's true that maintenance programs can differ, because not all electric vehicles are identical in terms of needs.
For example, a Tesla Model 3 and an Audi e-tron GT have different maintenance requirements because they have different cooling systems, and their software updates may also differ.
In addition to traditional maintenance, preventive maintenance programs must be carried out for the vital electrical components of electric cars.
What are the benefits of preventive maintenance?
To ensure a healthy, reliable fleet of electric vehicles, it's essential to keep an eye on maintenance, which has a number of advantages:
- improve efficiency: regular tire checks keep your tires properly inflated, which is also a plus for the safety of your employees,
- battery monitoring, and the battery itself, to identify faults more quickly and resolve them in good time,
- in the event of a breakdown, regular maintenance helps reduce vehicle downtime and save money.
4. Use tracking technologies
Maintenance is the key to ensuring equipment availability, performance and safety. Maintenance monitoring technologies enable us to collect and analyze data on equipment, to better understand its condition and optimize maintenance interventions.
What are the different fleet management systems?
Mobile applications for professional electric vehicles offer a wide range of functions designed to simplify vehicle management and use. These features enable drivers to personalize their driving experience and organize their journeys efficiently.
Here are a few examples of fleet management tools:
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Fleetio |
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Plugshare |
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How do you monitor performance and costs?
In addition to the various fleet management systems, various methods are also available for evaluating the performance and costs associated with a fleet of electric vehicles. These methods include :
- Data capture: The first step towards performance and cost evaluation is data capture. A variety of sources can be used to collect this data, including charging points and telematics systems.
- Data review : Once the data have been collected, they need to be reviewed to identify trends and areas for improvement. This review can be carried out manually or using data analysis tools (on-board sensors, cameras, tracking systems).
- Continuous optimization: The conclusions drawn from the data should be used to optimize fleet use and minimize costs. Optimizations can be made in various areas, such as route planning, fleet management and driver training.
Conclusion
Electric vehicles offer many advantages, including lower maintenance costs. By opting for an electric vehicle leasing fleet, companies can further reduce their costs. By following our tips above, companies can further optimize their maintenance expenses and benefit from the economic and ecological advantages of electric vehicles.
Ready to take the plunge? Contact our experts Beev if you have any questions. We'll get back to you within the hour.
