We live in an age where sustainability is a business expectation, and brands need to keep ahead of that curve to survive. For this reason, you’ve probably gone paperless, put money into local charity initiatives, and taken visible steps to reduce your carbon footprint. But, did you know that your business fleet could be majorly letting you down?
If you’re going green in the office but still running a full fleet of fossil-fuelled vehicles, accusations of greenwashing could be just around the corner, and they won’t be easy to deny. You need to make sure that you practice what you’re preaching in all areas of operations, and that’s a goal you can achieve by simply switching to a fleet of electric vehicles.
Now, we won’t lie; this change isn’t without its issues. Potential downsides include higher upfront purchase costs and longer refuelling times. But, electric vehicles also bring undeniable plus points which, for many brands, far outstrip the negatives. Let’s take a look at what they are!
# 1 – Low Operational Costs
As it stands, you can expect to pay up to $250,000 for a new EV fleet. Yet, shocking as that figure can be, it doesn’t tell the whole story. For one thing, even those upfront costs look significantly better once you factor in current federal and state incentives for EV adoption. It’s also worth remembering that EV operations are more cost-effective, bringing ROI within reach even after eye-watering investment.
In fact, all-electric fleets tend to cost just 6.1 cents per mile. This, and the fact that electricity costs are far more stable than volatile fuel prices, makes it far easier to budget for an affordable, fully electric fleet with ease.
# 2 – Environmental Benefits
The environmental benefits of a fully electric fleet are undeniable, and you can bet that customers will notice this sustainability effort. Fleet electrification is actually helping countless companies work towards their net-zero goals, and is even thought to reduce greenhouse gases by around 50%.
The environmental efficiency of your electric fleet can become especially notable if you make a dedicated effort to prioritize the use of renewable electricity during charging. Equally, infrastructure management like bidirectional charging via vehicle-to-grid technology can see you really giving back. It also pays to enhance vehicle efficiency through efforts like using DC/DC converters to reduce the amount of battery power required for auxiliary systems, and even simply optimizing routes to get the most out of each charge.
# 3 – Positive Brand Image
Nowadays, there’s no question about whether consumers favor sustainable brands – we already know that they do. As such, publicly using a branded electric fleet is guaranteed to win you sustainability brownie points. And that could help your business to impress old and new customers alike.
Of course, this is true of all sustainability efforts, but it’s especially the case with fleet electrification, as you’re investing time, money, and significant internal changes into putting the environment first. And, customers who see your new vans on the road will witness that effort upfront.
This can be particularly important for small businesses that are trying to grow their position on the market against large competitors. A car rental dealership, for instance, can actually grow its customer base even against big brands if they offer EV rentals. Besides, it’s also worth noting that dedicated electric car rental insurance coverage may come at a much more advantageous cost in this industry sector.
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