Fleet profile
to demonstrate that even in a landscape with limited charge points, it's still feasible.”
Topping up the charge
Many of the company’s 500 fleet drivers are office-based for four hours per day or more, allowing for an investment in chargers on site through a partnership with BP Pulse that supports their commute and allows them to charge while they’re at work, further minimising range anxiety. “The vast majority of cars are just topping up and there are very few of them who would need eight hours of charge,” says Openshaw.
Together with the charging infrastructure provider, the group has installed a total of 20 chargers which are a mixture of 18 7kW and 22kW at its Preston head office. “These 20 charging points can easily top up 60 cars in one day and we have the capacity to double or even treble that in the next five to 10 years,” Openshaw comments.
Openshaw also notes that to support its drivers if needed, the public charging network has grown significantly since the early days of electrification compared to when he took on his Ampera.
Openshaw frequently commutes to the company's Dumfries offices. He remarks, “It's entirely feasible, especially when overnight stays are planned for safety reasons after covering such a long distance.” While the company currently provides a pay-and- reclaim system for electric vehicle charging, Openshaw mentions that they would explore alternative approaches if the fleet were to embark on more frequent, longer journeys.
“Perceptions quickly changed when individuals recognised the tax benefits.”
As part of the commitment to electrification, Eric Wright fleet drivers have also undergone environmental driver training with the Energy Saving Trust, and the group is collecting and analysing data on transport and energy use from all areas of the business to find new ways of further reducing its carbon footprint. While currently dedicated to electrification efforts, when asked about the potential inclusion of hydrogen in the fleet's future, Openshaw expressed his view that hydrogen holds great promise for heavy vehicles — a category absent from Eric Wright's vehicle line-up. To meet the group’s overall decarbonisation targets, Openshaw says the fleet is a big part of leading the change as it’s responsible for contributing to overall carbon output. The fleet is 22 to 29g of CO2
less than
the construction sector average and we are projected to reach 0g by 2030.
“I’m being told we’re well on the way to achieve overall group objectives, which reflects how we are constantly looking at ways to reduce cost from fuel usage, telematics and journey planning.”
Safety and sustainability go hand in hand While the most talked about benefits of electric vehicles are their lower emissions and reduced running and tax costs, Eric Wright Group has discovered another: increased
safety. The adoption of EVs has seen the company significantly reduce the rates of their drivers getting into incidents.
The main reason behind this change, says Openshaw, is regenerative braking, which assists the traditional brakes by slowing the car down, conserving energy.
Driving electric makes them focus on better driving and lends itself to giving more distance between people to get the max out of the regenerative power.
“Of course, people still run into our drivers, but the number of our fleet drivers running into other drivers has reduced,” he explains. “Our drivers are learning to leave a bigger gap in front of them as more gradual braking will conserve the battery.”
Openshaw explains there is also a calming influence from driving an EV because of how easy they are to drive. “The fact they’re concentrating on conserving the battery also often makes them better drivers,” he continues. When someone in the fleet takes on an EV and the company does the vehicle handover, they’re walked through the changes they should make to their driving style, explains Openshaw, who is now qualified as a driving assessor. “I can go out with people and carry out driver assessments, sharing my industry knowledge and my driving experience too,” he says.
www.businesscar.co.uk | March 2024 | 21
Above: The Group has installed 20 chargers its Preston head office, which are capable of charging up to 60 cars a day.
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