Helping businesses benefit from EVs

Advice on how to introduce electric vehicles into company fleets is provided by Drive Electric.

The EV advocacy group has released its latest white paper Building an Electric Fleet: a ‘How-to’ Guide for Businesses Considering Transitioning to Electric Vehicles.

Meridian Energy procurement manager Nick Robilliard is a key contributor after successfully transitioning half of the company’s passenger fleet to EVs.

White paper sponsor Meridian owns a mix of second-generation near-new Nissan Leafs and late model all-electric Hyundai Ioniqs, along with 2018 Nissan Leafs.

Considering used and new EV options is vital, Robilliard says.

“I asked, ‘Why do we buy brand new vehicles?’ For a lot of the around-town functions, where people aren’t doing huge kilometres, why would I put a brand-new vehicle there?”

While the new Hyundai Ioniqs cost more than their non-electric equivalents, the money he saved on the Leafs made great financial sense.
“I actually spent less electrifying the fleet.”

EVs also stack up in terms of maintenance, servicing and resale value, Robilliard says. “By converting to electric, we’ve managed to save between $5000 and $6000 per year on operating and maintenance costs for each vehicle.

“After 14 months ownership, the Ioniqs have retained 87% of the original purchase price. This compares favourably against the vehicles we would usually have purchased, where 70-75% of value is retained.”

Robilliard says it’s important to get staff buy-in. “Taking people on the EV journey was really important.”

Thinking about charging infrastructure needs – both onsite and out in public – is also essential, he says.

Installing charging infrastructure at an owned or leased building isn’t always simple.

“The cost to put in chargers varied massively according to the site, and the reasons for that are a whole other consideration. Every site will have a different power provision to it.
“How does your landlord feel about it? It’s an improvement to their building, so are they going to contribute? Are you going to separately meter the power? Who’s paying for the power? So, there’s lots to consider here.”

Charging places for staff doing longer road trips also had to be considered, particularly the 330km between Christchurch and Twizel.

Robilliard says he kept in contact with Alpine Energy and ChargeNet, and now there are eight 50kw DC chargers on that route.

However, that won’t matter so much when the early generation Leafs are replaced with the latest 40kW model with about 250km range, he says.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) chief executive Andrew Caseley says fleet buyers are playing a hugely important role in transforming New Zealand’s light fleet from fossil-fuelled vehicles to EVs.

“The majority of new vehicles bought in New Zealand are purchased or leased by businesses. These then filter into the consumer market as used vehicles.”
He says informed advice is important in bringing down the barriers.

EECA, also a white paper sponsor, helps fleet managers by supporting the rollout of infrastructure and car share projects through the low emission vehicles contestable fund and by providing EECA’s online “Total Cost of Ownership” tool.