Switch to Electric Vehicles made Simpler with new Tool

Fleet operators who want to switch to electric vehicles can use a new web-based automated AI tool- the Teletrac EV Readiness tool. It has been developed by telematics solutions, company Teletrac.

In the UK the government mandates the production of new petrol and diesel engines will cease by 2035. OEMs and operators need to therefore find effective ways to transition fleets into the world of electric.

Teletrac’s EV Readiness Tool integrates with their fleet management and tracking platforms. It analyses all telematics data to provide operators with detailed recommendations of where electric vehicles could be adopted into their operation. The tool can analyse the feasibility of switching. It can also calculate the total cost of ownership of an EV switch versus the existing fleet (purchase price, residual value, taxes, insurance, maintenance, electricity costs). It also calculates the total CO2 and fuel savings the business would make.

The EV Readiness Tool will even recommend the ideal EV vehicles to switch to. It can advise on how many and what type of chargers are required to run the recommended vehicles. It calculates the cost of the chargers, as well as where they should be located to ensure no loss of battery based on the trips being undertaken.

The tool uses AI and historical telematics data to provide evaluations for fleet operators. The platform analyses everything, from the average number of trips overall and per vehicle, the distance, regularity, usage times, usage patterns, and time spent moving versus idle.

Nicholas Wilson, Environmental Project Co-Ordinator at Stockport Homes trialled the tool. He commented: “As the ALMO managing the housing stock for Stockport Council, we have targets to have at least 60% of our fleet fully electric by 2025. We need to reduce CO2 emissions and become carbon neutral by 2038, in line with Greater Manchester. So, the opportunity to put the EV Readiness Tool to the test was such a valuable exercise, and the results are strong. It shows we’re able to electrify a large proportion of our fleet. This will help prevent CO2 emissions, improve fuel consumption, and make significant cost of ownership savings over five years. It also advised us on how many chargers to install and where. What’s more, the ease of the evaluation was really impressive – it took no time at all.”

Barney Goffer, UK Product Manager at Teletrac Navman, added: “We all know a major EV transition is coming soon but it’s still an unknown space for a lot of operators. However, in the long-term it’s best practice to start considering which vehicles are already viable for that switch. Where financially feasible we can begin the changeover.

“The EV Readiness Tool’s AI functionality takes the headache away for operators. It uses the power of AI to help our customers go from data to decisions. It very easily sees where they can electrify, making it a quicker, easier, and more informed discussion with internal stakeholders and financial decision makers within the business as to the best road to take towards their future electric fleet.”