Electric cars in the fleet

What challenges lie ahead for carriers?

Electromobility, the global megatrend of our time, is increasingly making its presence felt in the commercial road transport (CRT) sector. The pressure to reduce emissions is affecting not only manufacturers but also carriers themselves. The operation of battery-powered vehicles poses specific challenges and requirements.

Although electromobility is still in its infancy in commercial road transport, the potential it offers is already huge. Data shows that 90% of transport orders are for journeys of less than 300 km. What’s more, these journeys account for almost half of all road freight km travelled. First generation electric trucks offer a range of 200 to 300 km. It follows that battery-powered truck technology can already handle a large share of transport orders.

Electric cars in the fleet

However, long-distance transport is still just a plan for the future. Diesel vehicles are therefore likely to maintain their dominance here for some time to come. Transport companies are therefore looking forward to a period of so-called hybrid (or mixed) fleets, in which they will gradually implement battery-powered vehicles in their current fleets.

Fleet electrification presents new challenges

Battery-powered vehicles place new demands on fleet managers, dispatchers and logistics company owners.

Common operational issues come into play, such as: how to implement top-up payments in corporate systems? How to adapt vehicle operation and maintenance to battery health requirements? How do drivers prepare to drive electric cars? How will the seasons affect business?

Traffic data is the key

To operate mixed fleets efficiently, carriers will need the right tools, such as telematics and digital fleet management platforms. Indeed, the very decision on whether and how to electrify their fleets depends largely on actual traffic data. This is the basis for calculating how electrification can save costs and what the return on investment is.

The right tools bring more efficiency and savings

The need for new solutions to make it easier for carriers to electrify their fleets and manage hybrid fleets is recognized by more and more companies. Eurowag has therefore developed the EVA platform. This on-board unit combines powerful telematics, toll payment and a patented fuel anti-theft system.

Thanks to solutions like EVA, transport companies have the key information they need to operate efficiently. In the case of battery-powered vehicles, this includes the aforementioned state of charge, battery status, estimated time to full charge and many other useful data. Advanced telematics allows transport operators to analyze data and draw conclusions about traffic – either in real time or through long-term statistics. This information helps optimize the operation of a hybrid (or any other) fleet, making it more efficient and cost-effective.

Wondering what specific parameters telematics can monitor in electric trucks? Want to learn more about freight electrification and total cost of ownership (TCO)? Read the report Electromobility in the commercial freight segment. You can download it from the Eurowag website.

Photo Source: Eurowag