As a fleet manager, you are often faced with the difficult question of which investments in mobility are really worthwhile. Like many users, you may still have doubts about whether and when electric cars are really suitable as company vehicles. Sometimes, however, it's the managers who are asking you questions. Can e-bikes make your colleagues even more mobile?
Sven Hirschmann, an employee in SachsenEnergie's vehicle fleet, provides insightful answers in an interview with umschalten.de. He reports on his own experiences with a fleet that currently has a total of 96 electric vehicles in operation. The best prerequisites for applying his knowledge to your own vehicle fleet. Comfortable, clean, fast: That's why e-cars and e-bikes are the ideal company cars in the city!
For fleet managers: 7 QUESTIONS ON THE ELECTRIC CAR AS A SERVICE VEHICLE
What are the advantages for a company that uses e-cars instead of petrol cars in its fleet?
"A big advantage is the lower maintenance costs. The inspection costs are also usually lower, as is the vehicle tax. Operation is not fundamentally different from vehicles with combustion engines. The coverage of charging options, on the other hand, is still expandable, especially in rural areas. Uniform payment options such as the StromTicket must also become more widespread."
You and your colleagues are regularly on the road in electric vehicles. What do the users of e-cars say?
"Anyone who has ever been on the road in an electric vehicle knows the advantages. The quiet driving behaviour, the automatic gearshift comfort and the often good equipment are the best side effects of electric mobility. That's why we have many "regular drivers" in our city traffic. In addition, we have a large number of electric vehicles that are permanently assigned to employees.
If the fleet is larger: What should be considered when several e-service vehicles are purchased?
"A charging management system is virtually indispensable for a large number of vehicles. It ensures that at peak times - for example, when many vehicles return and are connected at the end of the working day - they do not all charge at the same time and thus overload the power grid. For "beginners", however, one socket is sufficient."
Do the drivers need a separate briefing?
"Many first-time users of e-vehicles want to be introduced to the car at their leisure. However, this is not necessary, as the operation is not significantly different from cars with internal combustion engines."
Which vehicle types are particularly suitable as e-service vehicles?
"From our experience in the supply area, it makes sense to use cars and smaller delivery vehicles, especially for urban trips and shorter interurban routes."
What share do e-cars have in the total vehicle fleet?
"Across all types, one in 10 of our vehicles is an electric vehicle. In addition to cars, this also includes special vehicles and vans, for example.
What is borrowed more often? Petrol or electric car? And how high is the utilisation rate?
"E-vehicles are mainly used for city trips and distances of up to 100 kilometres. For business trips, for example to other federal states, internal combustion vehicles are still more popular. However, most everyday journeys are shorter. For these, the e-vehicles are quite popular; on average, each one is used at least once a day."
Fleet Manager Special Knowledge: 3 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE E-BIKE AS AN IDEAL SUPPLEMENT
Let's move on to our second topic. Are e-bikes also suitable as company vehicles?"More and more employees are also using our electric bicycles, for example for journeys between the main offices or for short trips within the city area."
What should e-cyclists keep in mind?
"We make helmets compulsory when using the e-bikes on duty. At the moment, however, we are not yet able to offer helmet rental. As with other vehicles, however, all business trips with the e-bike are covered by company insurance."
How are the electric bikes received?
"Although our two e-bikes have only been available for hire via our internal booking system for a short time, the bikes are already being used diligently. But the great weather over the past few months has certainly contributed to this."
Conclusion Fleet managers need a lot of up-to-date know-how!
We hope we have been able to give you some interesting answers that you can bring into your business. One thing is clear, a fleet manager must always be informed about the latest developments in the field of mobility. Have you missed any questions about e-mobility that are still burning under your nails? Write to us in the comments or on our Facebook page. Fleet employee Sven Hirschmann will continue to answer your questions here.
