August 15, 2024

Fleet Risk Management Strategies in EV Integration

5 Min. Read

Fleet electrification is revolutionizing the transportation and logistics industry, but this transition introduces a new set of risks.

While electric fleets are generally cheaper to run and electric vehicles are easier to repair than gas-powered cars, also known as internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, fleet managers will encounter new challenges as they adapt and adopt this new technology, such as battery degradation and navigating their EV charging infrastructure planning and management.

Effective risk management is crucial for a smooth shift to electric vehicles (EVs) to address these challenges, enhance driver experience, and ensure better employee retention.

Fleet Risk Management Strategies in EV Integration

Compliance, driver training requirements, collisions, repairs, and cargo loss are risks all fleet managers are familiar with, regardless of vehicle type.

In addition to managing these risks, your fleet electrification plan should assess, prioritize, and mitigate new risks unique to EVs.

EV Fleet Charging

Access to reliable EV chargers is essential for the efficient operation of electric fleets. Without dependable charging infrastructure, drivers may experience range anxiety and route optimization becomes increasingly challenging. Ensuring widespread and dependable charging solutions is critical to overcoming these hurdles and maximizing fleet performance.

It is also crucial to look at the average range for your EV fleet vehicle. Choosing the right vehicles for your fleet and developing an effective charging strategy can ensure that your vehicles have adequate charge to stay on track.

Battery Degradation

Charging and range concerns can worsen as your fleet vehicles age and the battery capacity deteriorates. Newer EV models typically lose 1 to 2% of their range every year, but developing charging strategies such as using a Battery Management System to ensure you are optimizing charging of your vehicles and planning accordingly for extreme temperatures for weather can help to preserve battery health.

Regulatory Compliance

Going electric might subject your fleet to additional regulatory requirements at the industry or state levels. For instance, some states require EV registration, while some public fleets must follow specific acquisition requirements to replace ICE vehicles.

In California, for example, the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation is a policy initiative aimed at accelerating the transition of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to zero-emissions vehicles by 2045. Enacted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), this regulation mandates fleet operators to gradually increase the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) over time. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and promote sustainable transportation solutions.

While the transition to electric vehicles will bring a greater return on your investment, enhanced operations, and can help you meet customer expectations as well as corporate ESG goals, it does come with an upfront investment in the vehicles and charging infrastructure you will need to power an electric fleet.

Thankfully, there are many financial incentives and savings you can take advantage of at the local, state, federal, and utility levels to help offset initial costs. However, be aware that qualifying for these incentives may require meeting specific criteria, so be mindful of any specifications before purchasing any equipment or installing any charging stations.

Driver Training and Safety Protocols

In addition to reducing collision risks, driver training can enhance confidence and satisfaction during the transition to EVs.

It is critical to develop a new driver training process that targets how to properly drive an EV as well as creating protocols and planning to ensure safety and satisfaction.

Driving an EV

While the overall process may appear similar at first glance, there are several notable differences between driving EVs and ICE vehicles.

For example, EVs tend to be far more responsive during acceleration, and releasing the “gas” pedal too quickly can cause sudden deceleration. Additionally, electric vehicles offer regenerative breaking which diverts unused energy back to the battery when braking, helping drivers to conserve more power and increase their driving range between “refuels.”

Drivers will need to adapt to a new way of driving, a shift that will become even more apparent as new EV models are released and technology continues to evolve.

Energy Management

Learning how to manage range also offers a new opportunity for learning for fleet drivers that can be supported with dynamic route planning tools that consider range and charging.

Driver training should also cover some strategies for enhancing EV range, such as avoiding high speeds and utilizing regenerative braking, which can increase range by as much as 20%.

Safety Protocols

Electric fleets need safety and emergency response protocols adapted to the unique risks of driving and charging EVs.

Implement a quick checklist for drivers to complete at the start of each route, including tasks like checking tire pressure and battery levels. Additionally, following best practices such as visually inspecting charging stations and cables before plugging in a fleet vehicle can enhance charging safety.

To ensure drivers will always be supported, implementing an emergency line in case drivers need assistance is essential.

Infrastructure Resilience and Contingency Planning

The scope of your fleet risk management plan needs to include your charging infrastructure since it can significantly affect fleet operation.

As many as 25% of public EV chargers are down at any given time, so developing your own infrastructure is the best way to mitigate charging risks. Options include rolling out at-home Level 2 charging for fleet drivers, building a centralized charging hub, or using a mix of the two.

You’ll also need to partner with a trusted EV charger installer or technician who can inspect your charging equipment regularly, perform maintenance for routine and seasonal needs, and prevent downtime to fully optimize the time your drivers can spend on the road and less time waiting to charge.

In case of charger downtime, partnerships with local charging networks, municipalities, or even other businesses can give you access to alternative charging locations and keep your fleet vehicles on the road.

Enhance Fleet Risk Management with Qmerit

Going electric introduces new risks, including those related to charging and EV regulations. You can ensure a successful transition by assessing potential pitfalls and developing strategies to address them. Driver training, updated safety protocols, and charging strategies are emerging as priorities.

Being proactive about risk management is a key component of successful fleet electrification. One of the best ways to manage charging risks is to develop a network of at-home charging stations for drivers.

As the largest and most trusted electrification outfit in North America, our network of certified electricians has installed over 450,000 EV charging stations in homes and businesses across the U.S. and Canada.

We’ve earned our reputation as the most experienced and high-quality electrification service and EV charger installation network and can help make your transition easy with our experience and commitment to your business.

Find out how an electric vehicle fleet can help build your business for the future. With a simple and seamless installation experience and top-quality service you can trust, Qmerit makes going electric easy no matter where your drivers need to charge.

Contact Qmerit today to learn how we can support your fleet electrification project and help you enjoy the benefits of a seamless EV experience without the typical complexities of EV charger installation.