Electrifying business fleet guide

Is your businesses looking to make the leap to an electric vehicle (EV) fleet? Here are some important things to consider to make sure your EV journey is a success.

Can an EV fleet meet the demands of my business?

There’s never been more choice when it comes to EVs. But finding the right fit for your businesses takes careful planning. Every business has their own needs and uses their fleet in different ways. When planning to include EVs in your mix of fleet vehicles, consider how many employees will travel together in the vehicles. How far do they typically travel?  What are their regular routes? How remote are their destinations? And, crucially, is there enough charging infrastructure available near your business and job sites? Or will you need workplace or home charging infrastructure to meet your fleet’s needs?

Answering these questions will help you plan for charging needs and expected maintenance costs of running an EV fleet.

Will an electric fleet be beneficial for my business?

Knowing your numbers is key to getting your EV fleet project off the ground. The potential benefit depends on three key factors:

1. Usage Patterns: Can an EV effectively do the job that my current fleet does?  It’s good to understand the daily demands of your vehicles - the types of vehicles, daily mileage, routes, and other requirements. It may be necessary to maintain a mixed fleet of EV, hybrid, and petrol/diesel depending on the needs of your business.

2. Operating Costs: Based on what you know about how the EV fleet will be used, how much do you expect to pay for running costs? While electricity is generally cheaper than fuel per kilometer, how the vehicles are charged impacts your bottom line. And take account of servicing. 

3.    Infrastructure Needs: Figure out if you’ll need to install charging equipment at your workplace or set up employees’ homes with EV home charging stations. Your fleet may need Level 2 or DC fast charging based on the types of EVs in your fleet, how they’re used, and how you plan on charging them, overnight and at home, at work, or on the go.

What's the right EV charging solution for my business?

If your vehicles are returned to the depot/workplace to sit overnight, or if employees are office workers who could charge their cars during the day, it might make sense to install on-site EV chargers at your workplace.

If your employees are regularly on the road, you can already find over 130 fast and ultra-fast EV charging bays at select Z service stations. Queues and loss of productivity while employees charge are real concerns, but helping your employees take breaks, plan, and avoid peak times (lunch!) can swing this to your favour.

If your employees take their cars home, they'll probably want a home charging solution that meets WorkSafe guidelines, is easy to install, and has a simple expense reimbursement process. Contact us.

Keeping your EV fleet moving

If you do decide to electrify all or some of your business fleet, you’ll want to be sure your employees can seamlessly charge, pay, and be on their way.  

The Business charge tag makes it simple to manage a mixed business fleet. It can be connected to individual vehicles, used for charging payments, and because it stays attached to the keys of the vehicle, it makes it easy for different drivers to share vehicles in your fleet. Business charging tags also work seamlessly with our billing report software, so you can keep track of everything across your fleet, allowing for easy monthly payments for your charging costs. 

Z is for businesses making the move to EVs

There are heaps of good reasons to consider electrifying your business fleet, – from potentially reducing your carbon footprint, to being part of the global move towards lower carbon energy. Z supports businesses making the electric move with a broad range of services - from getting set up, to everyday charging on the go. Not to mention our 24/7 customer support, simple reporting systems with rich data insights, and smart software platforms to optimise your charging operations.

If you’re thinking about making the switch, get in touch with the team today.