Real-time EV data: up to 24.5% savings on your fleet
In the European Union, during the first six months of 2023, only 12% of new vehicles purchased by companies were electric. Yet it was widely expected that the corporate market would play a leading role in the automotive energy transition. To the credit of fleet managers, the transition to fully electric vehicles is no small feat. It involves radical changes in the company’s organization, mindset, habits, and even infrastructure. And it carries a significant risk of productivity losses and financial setbacks.
However, fleet managers are not entirely at a loss when it comes to this necessary transition. By carefully analyzing the usage of their current fleet, they can determine which vehicles and/or drivers are eligible for a switch to electric. This is the kind of analysis enabled by a tool like Echoes’ Carfleet, which centralizes data transmitted in real time by the vehicles. And it does so without requiring the installation of any devices or changes to the fleet.
Electric Vehicle Transition: France Lags Behind
Si l’on prend l’exemple de la France, la part de marché des voitures électriques dans les flottes d’entreprise ne dépassait pas 11% sur le premier semestre 2023, soit moins que la moyenne européenne. Pourtant, la Loi d’Orientation des Mobilités (LOM) promulguée fin 2019 imposait aux entreprises un calendrier strict dans l’acquisition de véhicules verts (<60g CO2/km):
- 10% of fleet renewal starting January 1, 2022;
- 20% of this renewal starting January 1, 2024;
- 40% of this renewal starting January 1, 2027;
- 70% of this renewal starting January 1, 2030.
Unfortunately, without penalties, it is difficult to motivate companies to meet these targets. According to the NGO Transport & Environment, last year, “66% of companies, 64% of local governments, and 87% of state agencies failed to meet the legal quotas for greening their fleets.” (source)
Real-time data comes to the rescue of fleet managers
In this context, it is essential to help fleet managers prepare for and implement this transition. To this end, Echoes’ Carfleet tool provides an in-depth analysis of the usage of both internal combustion and electric vehicles within a company, using real-time data generated and transmitted directly by the vehicle to the manufacturer. This data is collected by Echoes without any intervention on the vehicle, thanks to agreements with all manufacturers, and is then processed, consolidated, and displayed in the interface.
This valuable information helps provide a clear understanding of how the internal combustion engine fleet is used, with the aim of identifying which drivers or vehicles are the best candidates for conversion to electric vehicles. To this end, Echoes allows you to view the following information for each vehicle:
- Trip history (location, mileage, driving time)
- Average and total consumption
- How often to refuel
This allows for a detailed analysis of drivers’ habits and helps identify those most likely to make the switch to electric vehicles: employees who only make short trips, those with low average fuel consumption who are already mindful of eco-driving, or those who keep their vehicles at home overnight and can potentially charge them there.
Real-time management of the electric fleet
Better yet, for electric vehicles (EVs) purchased by the company, real-time data analysis will enable fleet managers to optimize the use of their low-emission fleet:
- By identifying vehicles that remain plugged into the company's charging stations even after they are fully charged
- By identifying plug-in hybrid vehicles that aren’t charged often enough, which risks causing their fuel consumption to skyrocket
- By alerting them to potential excessive energy consumption by certain EV drivers and, if necessary, educating them on eco-driving.
- By ensuring the best possible rotation of electric vehicles among staff
An electric fleet is also less expensive
However, environmental concerns cannot and should not be the sole motivation for companies to switch to an electric fleet. Indeed, the superiority of zero-emission vehicles in terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is now well established. On this topic, the long-term leasing company LeasePlan analyzed the European market and determined the average TCO of a car by taking into account the cost of fuel/energy, depreciation, taxes, insurance, and maintenance in 22 European countries*. It thus highlighted that:
- For Segment B, the average TCO is €697 per month for an EV, compared with €774 for a diesel car and €753 for a gasoline car.
- For the C-segment, the average TCO is €735 per month for an EV, compared to €904 for a diesel car, €868 for a gasoline car, and €961 for a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
- For the D segment, the average TCO is €861 per month for an EV, compared to €1,140 for a diesel car, €1,066 for a gasoline car, and €1,114 for a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
For the D segment, switching to electric vehicles can therefore result in savings of up to 24.5% compared to diesel. This is reason enough for a fleet manager to take a proactive approach to this transition.