Global EV lessons from Custom Fleet NZ

This story first appeared in the december issue of evtalk CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

New Zealand is a great place to test and refine EV-related projects for larger markets.

So says Element Fleet Management president and chief executive officer Jay Forbes, who intends taking lessons learned about EVs and related subjects during a two-day visit to Custom Fleet NZ to other countries in the group.

The Element-Arval Global Alliance is the longest standing strategic alliance in the fleet management industry, managing more than three million vehicles in at least 50 countries with Custom Fleet also under its wing.

It’s Forbes’ first visit to New Zealand – and he’s impressed.

From Nova Scotia in Canada, Forbes joined Element in June 2018 and aims to put New Zealand’s EV lessons to use in his home country, the US and Mexico.

He rates New Zealand among world leaders in driving sustainable practices and EV uptake.

“You guys are big time, amongst those like Norway as leaders on the world stage.”

New Zealand’s small size, renewable energy, innovation, government encouragement and regulation, plus closeness to Asia where EV battery technology is rapidly developing, are factors in the country’s favour for EV uptake and development, Forbes believes.

“Adoption of alternative fuelled vehicles, your 30% committers challenge – you don’t know until you tackle these issues.

So much more credibility comes in which helps clients’ evolution of their fleets to EVs.”

Custom Fleet itself made a public commitment to transition 30% of its fleet to EVs by the end of 2019 and has achieved that, with country leader New Zealand, Michelle Herlihy, adding it expects to get to 50% by 2021.

Herlihy says one of their customers met their 30% EV target earlier this year and reported that post transition they have saved 100,000 litres of fuel year-on-year.

Even though there’s still a lack of suitable EVs in some quarters – like electric utes and four-wheel drive workhorses – Forbes says such a goal encourages others to get on board, especially if they want to be seen as sustainable.

Custom Fleet held a customer event while Forbes was in the country to promote their EV+ product (a wing-to-wing EV solution). The event included a panel discussion with representatives from Hyundai, Schneider Electric, ChargeNet NZ and Watercare.

Forbes says he also learned much from the panel of OEM, tech enablers, infrastructure and end user representatives.

“Steve West from ChargeNet NZ was talking about ‘building it and they will come’ for instance.

“Hyundai is interested in coming here with EVs and others are coming to put more research and development in,” Forbes says pointing to Zephyr Airworks’ Cora pilot-less electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft project.

“They’re starting to ratchet each other up and it feels close to the tipping point here.”
But Forbes says that’s “nowhere near” the case in places like Mexico, the US, Canada and even Australia, where much work has still to be done.

“None of them seem willing to make that big commitment up front – but you’ve already done that here.”

Asked if the EV product model being developed for New Zealand is something Element could look to leverage for application in other markets,

Forbes responds: “Absolutely”.

“I think you are at the cutting edge of EV adoption here.

I’m looking forward to taking those lessons to show our colleagues in other countries.”

He believes New Zealand could help the world overcome barriers to wider EV adoption, particularly in educating people about the advantages and helping with the political will to foster such a move.