Most discussions we have now tend to focus on fleet strategy and how to plan for fleet electrification. Many people who are responsible for fleet understand that a switch is happening in the market and they need to be a part of that. The question is typically, when to switch and then how best to switch.

During the how part, the Powertrain discussion starts to come into focus. What is the best Powertrain? Which one offers the best TCO? Which offers better future proofing? What is best for our drivers?

There is no one size fits all. But what we can say for certainty is the need to survey your drivers on their needs and behaviours.

Selecting the best powertrain

You may already capture data on your drivers mileage for fuel expenses and you may also have telematics data showing more detailed driver behaviour. This is essential data for a healthy fleet. This data is typically for business trips only.

However, the driving patterns for business and private journeys need to be captured and understood to help make an informed switch to fleet electrification. You need to understand the Mobility Profile of your drivers.

Powertrain Selector

When implementing electric and plug-in hybrids into the car policy, a few extra steps are now needed for the ordering process. You now need to establish what is the best powertrain option for the mobility needs of the employee. This is typically achieved by assessing commuter, business and private usage of the car.

The question is how to achieve this in an efficient, subjective manner without face to face meetings.

At Fleet360, we have developed a Powertrain Selector (PTS) tool. This enables you to translate your EV and PHEV policy into a decision tree providing the best powertrain options for your drivers based on their mobility profile. A tailormade PTS allows you to automate this process providing objective outcomes with minimal driver discussions.

Uncovering Driver Mobility Profiles

The core need in better understanding the best Powertrain is to better understand your drivers mobility profiles. As we mentioned, you may already capture Business trips but may not fully understand how Private mileage can affect powertrain selection.

Analyse trips:

• The split between Business and Private mileage
• The commute distance
• All trips and their average frequency, distance
• Highlighting any exceptional trips eg. holidays
• Analysing average time between trips during the day
• Analysing average time between trips from evening to morning
• Analysing IDLE time at an office location

Uncover driver interest

You may be considering a switch to electrification for many reasons. Reducing your CO2 footprint, reducing your TCO and generally improving company image under the corporate social responsibility banner.

However, as well know, uncovering staff thoughts and feelings on any subject is key to successful change management for any project. Cars, as we know, are often emotional benefits, so understanding driver sentiment is key.

You need to understand what blockages may exist:

• Knowledge of the types of powertrain available to a driver eg. PHEV, EV etc.
• Knowledge of the types of cars available
• The perceived range anxiety especially for longer trips
• Knowledge of charging and location availability
• Ability to install home chargers

Making the right choice

Fleet electrification can be a big change for many organisations. The simple fact of conducting a survey can send a positive message to employees that their opinions are valued and they are part of the changes ahead.

At Fleet360 we help fleet owners facilitate ongoing communication that improves employee engagement. Your drivers feedback is essential to provide actionable results to help you make the switch to the best Powertrain options tailored to your driver needs.

As technology improves many of the barriers to change will start to fall away and indeed many countries are speeding up the transition to EV only. We’ve said it before, it is not if, but when you change once you have the feedback you need.

One more thing

Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids secured record market share for August 2021 according to data for 26 European markets. Time to start planning.

Get in touch to see how we can help you make the right best Powertrain choice for your drivers and your organisation.