Electric Vehicle Fleet Management: Track and Manage Your EV… | Itefy

Electric Vehicle Fleet Management: Track and Manage Your EV Fleet

EVs can transform your fleet with their efficiency and cost-saving capabilities. Let's explore some robust electric vehicle fleet management strategies.

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Electric vehicles are gaining immense ground as climate change takes center stage in national and global policy-making and people seek more affordable transportation solutions. 

Today, several transportation companies have started using electric vehicle fleets, which makes electric vehicle fleet management a crucial subject. This market is expected to enjoy an annual growth rate of 13.7% and reach $951.9bn by 2030.

Electric vehicles are slightly different from regular vehicles. Instead of a combustion engine that burns fuel, they have batteries that need electricity. Due to their difference from conventional vehicles, electric vehicles fleet require a renewed and modified maintenance approach. 

Let’s discuss that approach and understand how to track your EV fleet effectively. 

What is EV Fleet Management? 

Electric vehicle fleet management means gathering and analyzing data from the fleet. The purpose is to reduce costs, boost productivity, and ensure the fleet runs in excellent condition. It also means taking care of the unique EV aspects, such as battery life, charging, energy consumption, charging infrastructure, specific laws, and the like. 

electric vehicle fleet management

The EV market is experiencing rapid growth in many regions.

EVs have several benefits over traditional vehicles, such as less maintenance, lower energy costs, and more. Given that the government also subsidizes them with legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, it's no wonder many companies are looking to electrify their fleets.

The job of a fleet manager is to ensure healthy ROI from EV fleets, which requires discerning the following:

  • EVs keep your fleet sustainable.
  • During their lifetime, their benefits significantly outweigh the costs, including maintenance, repairs, charging, battery replacements, and similar expenses.        
  • EVs are as profitable for your fleet as traditional combustion engine vehicles. 

Electric Vehicle Fleet Management: A Detailed Strategy 

Switching to EVs might seem daunting, but with the right strategy, you can unlock this technology's true potential for your fleet. The best part is that your plan doesn't need to be extra complex - all you need is to get the basics right, and you are set for a smooth sail. 

Analyze Your Current Fleet Composition 

Before you order new, shiny EVs, it is crucial to assess your current fleet. If you have telematics placed in your fleet, you can make a highly accurate assessment. Many fleet operators have a misconception that EVs cannot cover long distances, but data suggests that most can cover 200+ miles, depending upon temperature fluctuations. Once this myth is debunked, you can unlock various roles for EVs in your fleet that you might have thought were unviable. 

Sure, trip data isn’t the only data point that matters: the other limiting factors could be vehicle type, operational requirements, towing capabilities, power take-off, and more. Still, trip data should be your most important guide in electric vehicle fleet management. Obsessing with 4WD capabilities might be a mistake, as your EVs might hardly ever go off-road.

Determine the Electric Fleet Charging System 

Charging is a critical component of any effective electric vehicle fleet management strategy. 

Some companies opt for the 1:1 charging ratio, which means one vehicle per charging bay. This helps managers track each vehicle separately and analyze their charging performance easily with smart charging infrastructure. Each vehicle is almost always plugged into the charging bay when not in use. 

Fleet managers who want to save costs opt for tighter charging ratios, such as 1:2, 1:3, and even 1:4. However, it also means more juggling and swapping vehicles around charging bays. Suppose you are targeting charging ratios higher than 1:1. In that case, you need telematics and EV fleet management software that provides charging data remotely. It can tell you crucial things, such as:

  • Whether an EV is currently plugged in. 
  • How much charge is left in an EV? 
  • The range you can cover with the remaining charge.

With this data, you can plug in vehicles that need charging and leave others for later. It is also useful for drivers to know if their vehicle can actually take them to the desired destination. 

Understand the Charging Levels of Electric Fleets 

EV charging has three levels: Level 1, 2 (AC chargers), and 3 (DC Fast Charger). One can assess these levels based on voltage, charging duration, and range per hour. 

Level 1 

This is the most basic and slowest charging method in electric vehicle fleet management. It uses the standard household outlet of 110v. Its biggest advantage is that almost everyone already has it, requiring no extra or special equipment. It charges the vehicle in 6-10 hours and provides 4-5 miles of range per hour of charging. 

Level 2 

It reaches the charging level of a home appliance using a 204-208v source. It provides 10-60 miles of range per hour of charging. This charging method is popular for most charging stations and home installations. 

Level 3 

Also known as DC Fast Charging, this is the fastest charging level available for EVs. It has a voltage of 480v that bypasses the vehicle's onboard charger and provides energy directly to the battery. A full charge takes 30-40 minutes, and one can go 75+ miles per hour of charging. It is crucial to note that not all EVs are manufactured to this standard, and constantly using Level 3 charging can degrade the battery quickly. 

Level 4

This is the fastest charging level for EVs available today. Providing power up to 1MW, it can charge a vehicle in as little as 15 minutes. However, most can charge the EV battery from 10-80% in 20 minutes. Many commercial fleets use Level 4 chargers, but they aren't as widely available as the other chargers.

As EVs become more popular, we can expect more and more people to use these chargers to save time. 

State of Charge (SoC) 

The State of Charge (SoC) measures the energy available in the battery that can take the vehicle over a certain distance. Expressed as a percentage, it is equivalent to the fuel gauge in combustion engine vehicles. The SoC is a critical metric for determining battery performance and lifespan. Similarly, determining the time each vehicle takes for a full charge cycle is also crucial for electric vehicle fleet management. 

When drivers have a precise SoC reading and analysis, they can make trips without worrying about the battery giving up in the middle of nowhere. The following are the most crucial SoC parameters to keep an eye on:

  • Range: SoC has a close relationship with a vehicle's range because higher charge availability means more kilometers on the road. On the contrary, a lower SoC number means the EV cannot travel as long.
  • Performance: All EVs have an ideal SoC range at which they perform optimally. Keeping the battery within that range means longer life and an improved driving experience. 
  • Battery Life: Any battery kept at a very high or very low SoC is bound to degrade and lose its capacity over time. It is ideal not to overcharge or over drain the battery, especially at extreme temperatures. 
  • Safety: Monitoring SoC for battery safety is also critical. Complete discharging of the battery should always be avoided, as it could potentially damage the cells and even cause irreversible damage. 

State of Health (SoH) 

The State of Health is a comparison of the current state of the battery with its condition when it was brand new. It offers useful insights into the overall battery lifespan, performance, and efficiency. The SoH inevitably declines over time due to the following factors:

  • Battery Cycles: Battery degradation is directly linked to the number of charge and discharge cycles it has experienced over its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular choice for EVs, and their capacity to hold charge diminishes over time as they experience more charge cycles. 
  • Temperature: Extreme temperatures, whether too high or too low, harm batteries and result in health degradation. High temperatures lead to electrolyte breakdown and thermal runaways, while extremely low temperatures can increase internal resistance. 
  • Depth of Discharge (DoD): The usual recommendation is that Lithium-ion batteries have the longest lifespan if one charges them below the 80% mark. Discharging the battery completely can increase the rates of degradation. 
  • Charging Rate: Many fleet managers prefer fast charging because it saves them time but can also quickly degrade the battery through excessive heat. It is crucial to control the charging speeds and have cooling mechanisms to mitigate that. 
  • Chemical Degradation: Batteries contain chemicals that react during charging and discharging cycles. These reactions can create by-products that could damage the battery.

Why Tracking EVs Matters

It is crucial to have a system that helps you evaluate EVs' performance to ensure that they are utilized to their full potential. By tracking your EVs, you have peace of mind knowing how your assets are being used and where they are for informed decision-making.

Here are some significant benefits of tracking for your electric vehicle fleet management.

Determining Suitability 

The most critical question a fleet manager has to answer is how many EVs they should bring on board. Many managers do not perform a technical analysis. They either rely on anecdotes or metrics such as vehicle suitability and range. 

Instead, it is optimal to have telematics on your fleet, which gives you accurate data about actual profiles, which you can use to make informed decisions. It is also crucial that your tracking solution aligns with the new vehicles for robust electric fleet management. 

Maximizing Utilization 

Many fleet managers and drivers experience range anxiety. After all, nobody wants their vehicle to give up on them in the middle of the road. Preferring traditional, fuel-churning vehicles over EVs is understandable because the latter can be refilled at stations scattered across the country. 

electric vehicle fleet management

EVs are much cheaper per km than traditional vehicles.

However, EVs have a bad rep based on shaky evidence. You can easily monitor their battery level and range. With this information available to drivers and managers, they know if a particular vehicle can complete a trip. 

Centralized Management 

Many modern EVs come with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) telematics, but they might not offer a unified management experience because of their brand specificity. Pick EV management software that tracks both conventional vehicles and EVs. It will provide a unified system for your entire fleet, showing you the performance and status of each vehicle. As you acquire more EVs, you won’t need to acquire a new electric vehicle fleet management system. 

Charging Strategy Support 

The real-time information from the software will also tell you if an EV is currently charging. When this information is combined with awareness of the battery level, you can determine the level of fleet EV infrastructure you need.  For instance, when you see a vehicle fully charged or nearing a full charge, you can swap it with an EV with low charging. 

This analysis tells you how many chargers are needed to charge EVs. Since fleet management software lets you manage charging, you can save money by ditching the 1:1 charging method.

Manage and Track Your EV Fleet With Itefy’s Transportation Fleet Management Software 

The future of fleet management lies in electric vehicles running in tandem with capable software programs. With proper EV fleet solutions, managers can easily transition to EVs. It will help reduce costs, save the environment, make their fleet more efficient, and whatnot. 

Itefy’s Transportation Fleet Management Software is the standout choice for electric vehicle fleet management. Its modern features, such as condition tracking, maintenance management, scheduled equipment usage, and a cloud equipment database, work perfectly with both EVs and conventional vehicles, meaning no extra costs. 

So, experience a full-fledged, free 14-day trial, and once it ends, you can choose a package that suits your requirements. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • An EV management system is a detailed plan to handle the charging, driving range, battery capacity, synchronization with the existing fleet, and improve the overall efficiency of the fleet. It utilizes advanced fleet management software to keep every aspect in check.
  • BMS stands for Battery Management System, a crucial part of electric vehicle management. It monitors a battery's State of Health (SoH) to ensure that it operates within an optimal range, enhancing its lifespan and overall safety.
  • There are significant differences between regular and EV fleet management. The latter has to deal with various battery aspects, such as charging/discharging, battery health, optimal temperatures, range per hour of charging, and the like.
  • Adding EVs to the fleet is an excellent decision, as it promotes environmental sustainability, saves fuel costs, and incentivizes drivers to work for your company.
  • EVs are much more efficient than traditional fuel-based vehicles. They convert 77% of energy coming from the grid into wheel power. On the contrary, fuel-based vehicles only convert 12-30% of gasoline energy into wheel power.
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