• • • ELECTRIC VEHICLES • • •
Five steps to decarbonise
and digitise your fleet By Justin Coetzee, CEO and Founder of GoMetro
industry has refocused its efforts on decarbonisation. If fleet managers are to end their reliance on oil and natural gas, they must look at alternative energy sources that are less harmful to the environment. Fortunately, clean, renewable energy, by virtue of wind, water and solar power, is becoming more accessible. Modes of transportation that rely on fossil fuels like cars, trucks and aeroplanes are now being developed to run on renewable fuel sources. The introduction of electric vehicle (EV) technology has been successful in the UK, with ZapMap reporting the existence of over 1,145,000 passenger and commercial EV’s on domestic roads as of June 2024.
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A fully electric delivery fleet isn’t feasible just yet, but now is the time to plan and prepare for this future. Here are five steps that fleet managers can incorporate to ensure the smooth transition to an exclusively EV fleet.
1. Analyse your existing data Start by examining your company’s existing operations. Gather information from your fleet
s the supply of fossil fuels declines, coupled with global acknowledgement of the associated environmental risks, the haulage
telematics system on current routes, vehicle load capacity, typical cargo and available drivers. Next, look at the quality of the road network around your premises and your vehicle replacement schedule. In-house telematics data will provide months of very rich operational insights to form the foundation of your transition strategy. It can take some effort to pull all of this information together, but once it has been compiled and analysed, you will have a detailed overview of your operations. This will significantly assist you in the remaining steps of the process. Although it is possible to complete this analysis in-house, getting help from experts will produce far more accurate results and an in-depth plan of action for the next steps.
2. Invest in solar
Despite the stereotype that the UK suffers from a distinct lack of sun across all seasons, solar power represents a renewable energy source that UK fleet operators should be looking to adopt on-site. There has been a huge push in the UK for solar panel installations, with the incoming Labour government revealing ambitious plans to invest £8.3 billion into state-owned power company Great British Energy (GBE). This investment is set to transform the
energy landscape, which includes the expansion of solar power. One of the biggest incentives for businesses to invest in solar panels is the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which allows them to deduct a percentage of their installation costs from their taxable income. This reduces the overall costs of going solar.
While there are appealing tax breaks, decision makers at haulage companies must apply strategic thinking to solar power adoption. Instead of investing in just enough roof panels to overcome power outages, entire roofs should be covered. Yes, it will produce more power than you can use right now, but that won’t be the case for long as later down the line, you’ll replace your fossil fuel costs with green, renewable ‘fuel’ to operate your fleet. Your solar investment will pay off in the long run, when highway electrification becomes more feasible for toll companies, and you can invest in larger trucks that can travel longer distances with more cargo.
3. Invest in your first electric vehicles
With the fleet telematics gathered in Step 1, investigate which electric trucks and vans will best suit your business. There are affordable
26 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • NOVEMBER 2024
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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