Video case study: Making the switch to an all-electric fleet

Delegates at Fleet & Mobility Live were given tips on expanding their electric vehicle (EV) fleets with an in-depth case study from OVO Energy.

Ben Guest, OVO Energy field services director, spoke about the company’s initial challenge to move to an 100% EV fleet by 2030 and stated that this could now be achieved by 2025.

The business has already taken on 26 Nissan e-NV200 vans this year and is taking delivery of 1,084 Vauxhall Vivaro-E’s over the next 14 months, in-fleeting them all by December 2022.

The presentation shared some of OVO’s experiences and challenges in bringing its teams of drivers on a journey towards full electrification.

The session also looked at OVO’s approach to incentivisation and recognition of its drivers in order to build support and advocacy of the use of EVs.

Guest said: “The biggest challenge so far has been finding a van that gives us the load capacity, range and driver comforts at the right price point.

“We’ve now committed to a partnership with Vauxhall, via our leasing provider Zenith, and will work closely with them to ensure we achieve our 90% battery powered EV commercial fleet goal by 2022.”

Around half of OVO’s drivers will depend on a reliable public charger network, which Guest said “unfortunately doesn’t exist today”. 

He says: “I’m hopeful that with sustained investment the availability of chargers that can recharge our vans in 10-15 minutes max will improve and we’ll be able to offer our drivers a similar experience to what they are used to today when filling up at a forecourt.”

Guest’s advice for fleets planning their own EV switch include planning for requirements in the short-term, as well as the long-term.

He adds: “Start with a small fleet of EVs and look for new digital tools that can help with direct payments for charging; select suppliers that will help you with financing, maintenance and repair, selecting the right vehicles and helping your drivers transition to an electric vehicle.”

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