How to electrify your company car fleet
The government of India aims to have EV sales surpass the ICE vehicles over the next decade. It is working closely with the Indian automotive industry to achieve the list of objectives in the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP). As per NITI Aayog, the plan is to have a maximum number of vehicles electrified by 2030. Currently, there are only about 1,800 charging stations in India. The aim is to install at least 29 lakh charging stations across the country by 2030.
Considering these interesting developments in the automobile space, it is imperative that corporates shift their focus towards emerging automobile technologies as well as having the suitable infrastructure set up for accommodating both hybrid and electric vehicles in their fleet. This will help in having their vehicle fleet electrified in a timely manner. It means cost-effective operations leading to companies making higher profits when it comes to employee transportation.
As a leading provider of leased vehicles in the country, ALD Automotive is best placed to cater to your mobility needs with our range of leasing options - ALD Pro - Corporate car Lease for field staff and ALD Ugo – Salary packaged car lease for corporate employees are ideal in helping you migrate your fleet.
Below are some important steps to be followed towards electrification of your car fleet:
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Operational suitability: As companies contemplate electrifying the entire fleet, it is important to start with reviewing and understanding the current fleet usage. Factors such as the total number of vehicles, type of vehicles used as per the hierarchy and operational need (medium and heavy-duty vehicle required for cargo and others for transporting people), total kilometres covered (per trip per day), areas of operation, duty cycles, traffic logs on any given usual route, vehicle's load requirements and the driving culture of the employee should be taken into consideration. These factors would help in understanding the current and future capacity needs for each vehicle and also provide ample information required for vehicle procurement.
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Technology requirements: Companies can determine the charging infrastructure requirements depending on the usage. Also, depending upon whether a vehicle would need a quick charge or can afford to wait overnight for slow charging, the company can draw the necessary costs involved in charging.
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Vehicle Selection: Even though most organisations have subject matter experts who should be well acquainted with the functioning of ICEs since EVs are a relatively new concept in India, even these experts might struggle to have a full understanding of the hardware and software that goes into the making. Therefore, it is advisable that organisations partner with automobile leasing companies like ALD Automotive and seek expertise on selecting a vehicle depending on who and what it should exactly cater to.
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Charge point installation: To analyse the energy demand for the fleet is the single most important factor before installing the charging points. For example, Engineering and Supply chain management companies will heavily rely on DC Fast charging technology to provide enormous amounts of energy required for their heavy-duty vehicles. Businesses should then reach out to specialist contractors to ensure that the necessary site surveys are completed and accordingly the charging infrastructure is installed. Companies will also have to consider the below points before having EV charging points installed at the employee’s house:
- Whether the employee lives in her/his own house or a rented house
- Study the electric capacity of the house and make the necessary upgrades for EV charging
- Provide smart charging solutions to the employee so that the company can get data on the amount of charging done for making the necessary reimbursements
Car charging at the workplace has its own benefits especially for employees who do a desk job and do not travel much during work hours. It means that the car would be mostly charged while it is parked in the office premises. Therefore, the company need not invest anything in installing charging points at the employee’s house. Also, the company can get direct information on the charging units for each of its employee’s vehicles. However, the benefit for vehicles charged at home being that you can travel in your own vehicle during work hours as the vehicle would be fully charged at home already.
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Team transition: There should be no significant difference between driving an ICE and an EV. However, considering that not every driver will be able to quickly adopt this change, it is important that the organisation arranges training and upskilling sessions for all the drivers. This will not only help the driver get rid of all the inhibitions of using an EV but make them get acquainted with the new driving habits. In the long run, EVs offer better mileage and employees will save a lot of time from being stranded in long queues in gas stations for a refill. With a transition to EVs, companies will save a lot in time and money invested on each employee.
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Testing phase: With every change, comes a challenge and in most scenarios, people find it difficult to adopt a change especially when it is tech-related. Educating and spreading awareness about EVs is the first step. By gathering data taken from telematics, the EV manufacturers, EV partners and corporates can study the changes in driving trends, understand the efficiency regarding safety and security and also figure out if any new features need to be added. This data should also be able to clearly show the lowered costs in fleet management.
Why should organisations electrify their fleet?
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Low maintenance: ICE vehicles are run on petrol and diesel whose rates are skyrocketing every few months and many people are already unable to afford these costs. By adopting EVs, companies would help achieve sustainable mobility. Also, these organisations could use their CSR funds in setting up charging stations as it would overall contribute to a larger social cause. Unlike the ICE engines, EV engines have fewer mechanical parts and therefore require less maintenance and therefore it would save costs in vehicle servicing.
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Healthy and Safe: EVs have zero tailpipe emissions which would keep Indian roads pollution-free. EVs also have state-of-the-art telematics that would notify the customer and the manufacturer of any probable technical failures.Companies can therefore be assured of the overall safety and good health of their employees upon electrifying their fleet. At ALD, we go to great lengths to maintain our vehicles in pristine condition to ensure a safe ride, every time.
Organisations in India should start taking initiatives to electrify their fleet to make the most of various incentives, and to contribute to the Indian government's mission of having 100% electric vehicles by 2030. Companies and fleet managers simply need to follow a few important steps to introduce EVs in the day-to-day operations, to reap wide-ranging rewards.
Take the first step towards electrifying your fleet. Talk to your ALD Relationship Manager or contact us here.