The rise of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution is encouraging businesses to examine the potential gains of electrifying their fleets. The benefits of EV-powered fleets are well-documented, with considerable savings over the lifecycle of vehicles.

For example, the Rocky Mountain Institute discovered maintenance for electric delivery vans averaged $0.03/mile compared to $0.10/mile for gasoline-powered delivery vans.

Realizing these advantages begins with planning and deploying an EV pilot program. So, let’s discuss how to lay the foundations of your EV initiative.

Establish a Charging Strategy                                                  

Charging strategies begin with determining the “How” of a pilot program. Instantly, organizations may consider building depot charging hubs. However, depot charging hubs are expensive to build and could take years to bring into service.

Instead, consider adopting an agile pilot program. For example, provide support for installing electric chargers in employee homes. According to the Department of Energy, most drivers charge their EVs at home –for good reason.

Charging at home is considerably cheaper and more convenient since EVs can be charged overnight. On the other hand, this isn’t always practical, so supplementing pilot programs with known public chargers is essential.

Overall, opting for a strategy that mixes at-home and rapid public charging points minimizes the upfront investment and simplifies fleet electrification.

Location, Location, Location

Planning an EV pilot program’s infrastructure is crucial. Whether opting for depot charging or public charging points, managers must plan where vehicles will be charged to minimize downtime and achieve maximum efficiency.

Employees who can charge their vehicles at home simplify this issue because the location issue becomes predictable. Regarding public charger use, managers should monitor their vehicles’ locations and routes to develop future charging plans, including go-to hubs.

Meticulously monitoring the location issue can help reduce future installation costs and enable businesses to get the most from their fleets.

Achieving Peak Performance With Telematics

Telematics empowers fleet managers with a 360-degree view of their fleets and each vehicle within. By adopting a reliable telematics solution, fleet managers can answer several questions in real-time, including:

·  What is the current charging state of each vehicle?

·  How are our drivers behaving on the road?

·  Which vehicles need extra maintenance?

·  What are the costs of running our fleet, and are these costs preventable? 

More control over EV fleets helps organizations manage potential downtime, enforce high driver safety standards, and operate their vehicles cost-effectively. This is why 93% of U.S. fleets with 50+ vehicles utilize telematics products.

Controlling Charging Expenses

Charging expenses represent the biggest for EV fleets. Any effective EV pilot program must have systems in place to track the energy delivered to vehicles and the total cost of charging.

Total charging costs must cover every charging medium, including at-home, public, and depot charging. Access to these figures is crucial for businesses to understand where their expenses originate and whether they’re optimizing them.

Conclusion: Make Your Pilot Program a Success With Bluedot

Data forms the heart of successful EV pilot programs. Strong oversight lets businesses see their savings and provides insights into optimizing operational efficiencies. But how can you make this a reality? 

Make Bluedot your go-to solution. This all-in-one solution offers countless features for firms embarking on EV pilot programs, including real-time public charging locations, telematics, analytics dashboards, and a system covering 80% of all U.S. public chargers.

To learn more about how Bluedot supports your EV pilot program, sign up now.