HAVE YOU CHOSEN AN EV STRATEGY FOR YOUR TAXI FLEET YET?
As we enter October - I’m writing this article at a time when the country is in the grip of panic buying petrol and diesel creating a shortage of fuel at the point of sale. The fuel crisis dominated headlines leaving millions of drivers, including public services such as cab operators, struggling to find petrol, with long queues being seen around the country.
As the panic evolved, analysis of Google search data revealed online searches for EVs in the UK rocketed by 1,600%. Searches for terms such as: “Electric cars UK 2021” or “Best electric cars 2021” leaped over 1,350%. Google Trends data unveiled the questions being asked, with drivers eager to find a viable alternative and know more about EVs. The search question: “When will all cars be electric UK” had an interest spike of more than 5000%.
After experiencing huge disruption over Covid, many of you will be deliberating when to switch to EVs - faced with penalty charges for entering CAZs for non-compliant vehicles and the looming ban on new fossil fuel car sales in 2030.
With so many specific issues relating to the viability of EVs to run your businesses you may have found yourselves panic-googling: “Which EVs have the longest range?” • “What EVs are available?” • “Will EVs come down in price?” • “What is the cost to charge an EV?” • “How are EVs charged?”
EVs are now capable of over 230 miles real-world range and choice is increasing with plug-in versions of most brands’ model line-ups. The big difference is the emergence of entirely new full-battery EV models with significantly longer ranges.
EVs have also come down in price - the MG5 for example makes an affordable and ideal roomy SUV cab at c.£22,000 with over 200 miles range. Better still, cities such as Oxford and Manchester are subsidising newly licensed EV cabs by £5,500 and £6,000 respectively - making it a highly attractive proposition at around £16,000.
For not a great deal more - VW have their new ID 3 and ID 4 SUV - the EV of choice for the UK’s largest cab operator Addison Lee - which recently announced it is spending £160m to transition it’s entire fleet to electric between now and 2023.
With all of this information, if you manage a taxi fleet you are likely to have some practical questions I can help with.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO CHARGE AN EV?
Although cars and batteries come in various shapes and sizes, it’s comforting to know that EVs with a 250+ mile range can actually fill up for as little as £4.50. After all that queuing to finally get to the over-priced fuel at the pumps - that last fact (and also that you can charge at home while you sleep) might be the tipping point you need to take action!
42 HOW ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES CHARGED?
Among other benefits EVs bring, such as cleaner air and a nicer driving experience, the transition to electric also high- lights a shift in fleet operations and supporting infrastructure. It is a no brainer, so with all this in mind...
DO YOU HAVE AN EV STRATEGY FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Successful EV uptake at the fleet level requires careful forward planning defined by income, profit, car ownership, off-(and-on)-street parking availability, numbers of vehicles and chargers, types of chargers and energy management.
EV uptake also requires businesses to determine: travel patterns and where EVs are likely to be driven, how far they travel - energy consumed, and when and where they might require charging.
It is also important to know that in order to implement sufficient EV charging at depots, grid upgrades are often required and as these have become in high demand, the costs can escalate along with the timelines - so firstly it is really important to plan ahead.
After speaking at this year’s PHTM Expo, it was evident that drivers and fleets are in need of independent, expert insight on all things e-mobility. In an ideal world choosing the EV strategy for your business would be easy but in a new and rapidly evolving market, what’s best isn’t always so clear.
The Connect Consultancy
www.theconnectconsultancy.com is here to give you the certainty you need to make informed decisions on how you move forward with an EV strategy for your business that is going to be cost effective, serve a specific purpose and importantly, is designed to last.
An independent EV consultancy and chargepoint installer since 2013, through expert consultancy support we give taxi and private hire businesses the support and direction they need to make informed decisions about their EVs and EV charging solutions. In doing so we prevent mistakes and regretful decisions and save time and money for businesses. As part of this we can also supply all makes and models of vehicles and install EV charging solutions.
We want to see businesses thrive in this transition and we will help you to do just that.
Article supplied by Tim Scrafton
THE CONNECT CONSULTANCY CONSULT
DESIGN SUPPLY INSTALL
The UK’s leading independent electric vehicle infrastructure consultancy 0161 635 6553
hello@theconnectconsultancy.com
OCTOBER 2021
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