Home > Electrify your fleet with Beev > Fleet manager: how to control total cost of ownership (TCO) with electric vehicles?
In the current context, where the transition to electric vehicle is accelerating, mastering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is becoming a crucial strategic lever for optimising the profitability of your vehicle fleet electric vehicle. TCO encompasses all the costs associated with a vehicle over its life cycle, from purchase to operation, including maintenance and tax incentives. It provides a clear and comprehensive view of the economic performance of an electric fleet. Switching to electric vehicles is no longer simply an ecological approach: it's a truly profitable investment, thanks to the significant reduction in energy and maintenance costs, the impact of financial incentives, and optimised fleet management.
In this article, we'll look at how a fleet manager can analyse, manage and effectively reduce the TCO to maximise the profitability of his electric fleet, while meeting today's economic and environmental challenges.
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) represents all the expenditure involved in owning and operating a fleet of company vehicles over a given period. It goes far beyond the simple purchase price, providing a global view that is essential for any fleet manager wishing to control their budget effectively.
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of an electric vehicle covers all the costs associated with its acquisition, use and ownership over a given period, generally 3 to 5 years. For a fleet manager, understanding and controlling these components is essential to optimising the financial management of an electric fleet. Here are the main elements that make up the TCO:
By integrating these components, the fleet manager can accurately assess the TCO of an electric vehicle, compare different options and models, and thus control the total cost over time for optimised fleet management.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is a key indicator for a fleet manager, as it provides a global and accurate view of the expenditure linked to the use of a vehicle over its entire lifetime, over and above the simple purchase price. Here's why it's essential:
In this way, TCO is not just a financial indicator, but a strategic tool that guides fleet managers in the sustainable development and cost control of their electric vehicles. This global approach guarantees greater profitability and finer control of resources.
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The integration of electric vehicles into company fleets is profoundly transforming the calculation of total cost of ownership (TCO). While the initial investment is often higher, electric vehicles offer significant savings over the long term, thanks in particular to lower running costs, easier maintenance and attractive tax incentives.
Understanding how each of these factors affects TCO is essential for fleet managers who want to optimise their budgets while meeting today's environmental and regulatory challenges.
The cost of acquisition and the cost of operation are the two essential pillars for controlling the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an electric vehicle in fleet management.
For a fleet manager, understanding and comparing these two components (acquisition cost and running cost) is crucial. Even if the initial investment may seem restrictive, controlling running costs and making the most of subsidies can significantly reduce the electric TCO compared with internal combustion, making electric vehicles profitable over the long term and virtuous for fleet management.
Switching to an electric vehicle fleet enables fleet managers to make significant savings on servicing and maintenance, which contributes directly to controlling the total cost of ownership (TCO). Here are the main savings levers associated with electric vehicles:
In short, the servicing and maintenance of electric vehicles offers a significant reduction in costs compared with combustion vehicles, thanks to simplified mechanics, fewer wearing parts and innovative braking technology. This is a key lever for fleet managers looking to control the TCO of their electric fleet.
The impact of grants and tax incentives on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric vehicles is a major lever that fleet managers need to master as part of their energy transition strategy. These schemes play a direct and significant role in the cost of acquisition, recurring tax charges and investment in recharging infrastructure.
Here are the main points to consider in 2025:
So, for a fleet manager, understanding and incorporating these tax breaks and incentives into the TCO calculation is essential to maximise savings and ensure the long-term use of electric vehicles within the fleet. These advantages need to be combined with savings on maintenance and fuel to achieve complete control over TCO.
To control the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an electric fleet, it is essential to adopt a global and strategic approach. TCO is not limited to the purchase price of vehicles alone, but encompasses all the costs associated with their acquisition, use and maintenance over time. Optimising this cost therefore means taking action on a number of interdependent levers, from precise fleet sizing to advanced recharging solutions.
In this context, there are four key areas of focus for fleet managers wishing to maximise the profitability and performance of their electric fleets:
These levers combined can significantly reduce TCO, ensure sustainable fleet management and anticipate regulatory and technological developments. We will go into more detail on each of these points to guide you towards optimum control of the total cost of ownership of your electric fleet.
To keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an electric fleet under control, it is essential to size the fleet according to how the vehicles will actually be used. This is crucial to avoid overcapacity or undercapacity in terms of the number and type of vehicles, which can quickly undermine overall profitability. Here are the key points to consider for optimal fleet sizing:
In short, precise, scalable sizing can maximise the use of electric vehicles, reduce unnecessary costs associated with under-utilised vehicles, and effectively control the TCO of the electric fleet.
To keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an electric fleet under control, choosing the right vehicle models is a crucial step that has a major impact on profitability and operational efficiency. Here are the key points to consider when selecting the most suitable models for your fleet:
To keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an electric fleet under control, deploying the right charging infrastructure is a crucial step in ensuring efficiency and budgetary control. Here are the key points to consider for optimum deployment:
In short, a well-designed recharging infrastructure that complies with regulatory constraints and is based on detailed management of needs and consumption is an essential lever for optimising the total cost of ownership of an electric fleet.
To control the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an electric fleet, implementing a smart charging strategy is essential. Smart charging optimises energy consumption by adapting the charging of electric vehicles to the capacity of the network and actual needs, significantly reducing electricity and infrastructure costs.
Here are the key points for effectively integrating smart charging into fleet management:
In short, adopting an intelligent recharging strategy not only makes it possible to smooth out energy consumption and avoid the costs associated with peaks in demand, but also to improve the sustainability and operational reliability of electric fleets. This approach is an essential strategic lever for optimising TCO in the transition to electric vehicles.
To effectively manage the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a fleet of electric vehicles, it is essential to use tools and indicators that are precise and adapted to this specific situation. Precise management of the TCO of electric vehicles is based on the collection, processing and analysis of a wide range of data, combining technology, operational performance and environmental responsibility.
To control the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an electric fleet, dashboards and fleet management software are essential tools. These technological solutions provide real-time visibility and accurate data on all electric vehicles, their usage and associated costs.
Here are the main functions and benefits to be exploited:
One of the best-known solutions is Beev Fleet Manager, which combines these advanced functions to provide precise management of TCO and energy performance for both small and large fleets.
To control the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a fleet of electric vehicles, it is essential to analyse driving and recharging data. This data can be used to optimise the use of vehicles and the management of recharging infrastructure, thereby reducing operating costs.
Here are the key points to consider:
To sum up, detailed analysis of driving and recharging data is a strategic tool for a fleet manager wishing to optimise electric TCO, by improving performance, availability and control of energy and maintenance costs.
Environmental and financial reporting is an essential lever for controlling the total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric fleets. It involves integrating precise tools and indicators to monitor the ecological and economic impact of electric vehicles within the company, in line with growing regulatory requirements, in particular the CSRD directive. For a fleet manager, this translates into several key areas:
To keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a fleet of electric vehicles under control over the long term, it is essential to adopt strategic and operational best practice. These optimisation levers not only reduce operating costs, but also maximise the fleet's economic and environmental value. Success requires a comprehensive approach that includes driver training, careful anticipation of the vehicle life cycle, and rigorous cost monitoring to adjust management as closely as possible to the realities on the ground.
To keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric vehicles under control over the long term, it is essential to train drivers in electric eco-driving. This specific training helps to optimise the use of vehicles while reducing energy consumption and associated maintenance costs.
Here are the key areas to include in this approach, as part of best practice for reducing TCO :
By systematically training drivers in these methods, the fleet manager has a direct impact on the operational efficiency of his electric fleet, with a visible reduction in costs and an improvement in vehicle durability. This approach is essential good practice for any sustainable and economical fleet manager.
To keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your electric fleet under control over the long term, it is crucial to regularly reassess this TCO in order to adjust your management strategy. This proactive approach enables you to remain agile in the face of technological, economic and regulatory developments. Here are the best practices to adopt:
Regular, rigorous reassessment of the TCO ensures optimised, sustainable fleet management, reinforcing cost control and the overall performance of your electrical strategy.
In conclusion, the transition to electric vehicle (EV) fleets represents a strategic and profitable investment for fleet managers. Although the initial acquisition cost of EVs may be higher than that of combustion-powered vehicles, this difference is more than offset by significantly lower operating and maintenance costs.
Calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) is the key indicator for assessing the economic performance of an electric fleet. TCO includes not only the purchase price, but also the substantial savings made on energy, maintenance (fewer mechanical parts, regenerative braking) and tax incentives (tax exemptions, ecological bonuses).
Resources on the taxation of electric mobility






Do you have a question about fleet electrification?
Electrification makes it possible to reduce running costs (recharging, maintenance), meet regulatory requirements (LOM law, ZFE) and improve the company's CSR image. Electric vehicles also offer greater comfort for drivers.
Since 1 January 2025, companies with more than 50 employees and a fleet of more than 100 vehicles must include at least 20 % of low-emission vehicles in their annual renewals. This quota will rise to 40 % in 2027 and 70 % in 2030. There are financial penalties for non-compliance.
Companies can benefit from subsidies such as ADEME's "Tremplin pour la transition écologique" scheme, which finances studies, diagnostics and investment in sustainable mobility.
Beev offers a personalised audit of your fleet, identifies vehicle and charging infrastructure requirements, and provides a free platform to manage your electric fleet, track costs in real time and monitor CO₂ emissions.
Electric vehicles cost around four times less to recharge than internal combustion vehicles, and require less maintenance. What's more, they save money thanks to the financial assistance available.
We recommend using management tools such as the Beev platform, which allows you to view key vehicle data, monitor the status of charging points and optimise the fleet's energy performance.