Local authorities could reduce the cost of electrifying their vehicle fleets by up to 30% by taking a more data-driven approach to early planning, according to fleet electrification specialist VEV.
The company, which has analysed operational data from more than 100,000 commercial vehicles including buses, vans and refuse collection trucks, warns that poor upfront planning for infrastructure, energy demand and grid capacity is causing many electrification programmes to stall.
‘Most fleets don’t fail at electrification because of technology – they fail because they don’t start in the right way,’ states George Hobbs, Data Lead at VEV. ‘Using real-world operational data allows us to remove uncertainty, demonstrate viability, and build a clear, investable roadmap that allows operators to scale with confidence.’
VEV says early-stage data analysis can reduce costly grid upgrade requirements by as much as 70% and identify energy savings of up to 20% through smarter charging strategies.
The firm points to work with Derby City Council’s waste fleet as an example, where data-led planning supported a funding application to the government’s Depot Charging Scheme, delivering an estimated return of up to 10 times the initial consultancy cost.
Photo: CHUTTERSNAP
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