This post was originally published on Autonews
Switching to an electric vehicle comes with a host of considerations, including when and where to charge it.
For fleet operators, moving away from gasoline-powered vehicles also comes with business implications. Some companies might be interested in adding EVs to their fleets but don’t know how to begin.
General Motors and Ford Motor Co. want to make it easier for business customers to go electric. GM has launched a turnkey program called EV Starter Kit to give companies more confidence that battery power can meet their needs, said Jennifer Costabile, director of marketing and sales enablement for the GM Envolve fleet and commercial business unit.
Ford offers a digital tool, E-Switch Assist, that analyzes gasoline vehicles’ energy usage and estimates the energy needs for comparable EVs, based on data about driving distances, cargo loads, terrain, heating and climate, and driver behavior. E-Switch Assist, part of the Ford Pro commercial division, uses the data to suggest which vehicles could be a good fit to make the switch to EVs.
Ford said the tool has assessed more than 38,000 commercial vehicles and found that close to 53 percent could be suitably replaced by an EV.
“We are aiming to provide those insights to help fleet managers make those best decisions,” said Nate McDonald, cross-vehicle brand manager for Ford Pro, whose work includes EVs. “It’s about getting rid of the unknown.”
GM starter kit
GM’s program pulls in several components to help fleet customers make a successful EV transition — surveying drivers to determine the likeliest adopters and the best routes, installing home chargers and using OnStar telematics data to help businesses figure out how to reimburse employees who charge company EVs at home.
The program includes customizable training for drivers to increase comfort with EVs, Costabile said. OnStar analytics also can help fleet managers analyze ownership costs and compare them against internal combustion vehicles.
GM believes it is “coming out with something that is complete, holistic and gives the business and the fleet manager — but more importantly, the driver — the confidence that EVs can do this work,” she said. “And we’re here in the long run to support them.”
GM has a few EVs aimed at commercial customers, including work truck versions of the Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric commercial vans from its BrightDrop brand, which will become part of Chevy in the 2025 model year. But the automaker said other models, including the Equinox EV, also could be options for fleet buyers.
Fleet companies can use the EV Starter Kit to determine which drivers might be willing and able to transition into an EV and use the findings to identify the best-suited routes, Costabile said. GM also is providing its PowerUp Level 2 charger and standard home installation at no cost to fleet customers, some of whom have drivers take vehicles home. The installation process includes procurement, permitting, quotes and inspections, Costabile said.
“This is not their area of expertise,” she said of fleet managers. “It takes a lot of time and energy off their plate so they can continue to manage their business like they need to.”
Zurich North America ordered about 90 Chevy Equinox EVs in the spring and 90 more this fall to reduce emissions in its vehicle fleet, said Megan Kock, a business consultant for the insurance company.
Many drivers who have moved into EVs are claims adjusters and risk engineers who do site visits and take their vehicles home overnight, Kock said. Those still in gasoline vehicles include crop claims adjusters who drive pickups, employees who can’t charge at home and those who drive more miles a day than an EV can accommodate, she said.
Zurich’s switch came as GM was developing the EV Starter Kit, and the training it offered has been helpful, Kock said.
“They’re the expert,” she said. “It’s the manufacturer talking about your car.”
Ford EV incentives
In addition to Ford’s E-Switch Assist tool, the automaker is offering bundled services including a Level 2 EV charger to commercial customers in California and Massachusetts who subscribe to Ford Pro charging software. The software itself is more widely available to fleet customers and helps manage energy consumption and related costs.
Ford Pro also will give commercial customers a $2,000 incentive to offset EV charging costs, whether at home, a central depot or a work site, the automaker said.
“Our solutions are aimed at making this transition easier and potentially reducing the total cost of ownership,” McDonald said.