EV FLEET MANAGEMENT & SMART CHARGING

With the increasing global climate crisis at hand, companies are slowly but surely switching from ICE to EVs for their fleets. But it’s not only for the reasons you think. With EV fleet management, you can:

With electric vehicles, you have the ability to charge up virtually anywhere. EV charging station locations aren’t limited in the way that petrol stations are.

Workplace EV charging

If you operate an electric fleet and already have charging stations at your company site, you can make them privately accessible and enable your employees to charge their private EVs.

In a survey we ran with Kantar, over 80% per cent of EV drivers globally said they expect to be able to charge at work. EV charging stations for employees have become a popular tool for employer branding and strengthening the employee experience.

Home EV charging

88% of people would like to charge their electric car at home, according to our survey with Kantar. This makes it all the more important to make it possible for your employees to charge their company and service cars at home conveniently. For field workers, charging at home is often the only option.

Virta provides EV charging stations and a back-end system for home charging. Your EV drivers only have to enter the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) into the system, and Virta takes care of the rest.

Your employees automatically receive a reimbursement for the electricity they charge at home every month, and they can keep track of everything via the Virta mobile app.

But why stop there? You also have the potential to create a business out of EV charging by offering public charging for on-the-go charging. 

Public EV charging

When it comes to your own EV charging stations, you can also choose to make them available to the public. All you have to do is set your charging prices, and Virta will do the rest for you. As part of our charging network, your charging stations

Everything you need to know about electric vehicle fleets & EV charging will be on the radar of over half a million EV drivers.

Your revenue from your charging stations is paid monthly straight into your account. Opening your EV chargers to the public ensures that your chargers are fully utilised even when your fleet vehicles are not charging and offers new revenue streams to your business.

Another entirely untapped opportunity is the possibility to create local EV charging hubs around residential apartment homes. EV charging hubs are public stations solely dedicated to electric car charging. 

These “hubs” can be built either as standalone stations or directly on an existing premise, like your own corporate site. They would be especially valuable for areas with block apartments that don’t have enough EV charging stations or any EV chargers at all.

Get access to 520,000+ charging stations throughout Europe and beyond

The charging infrastructure around the world continues to expand and improve. If you join an existing network like the Virta Charging Network, you can charge all your fleet and electric company cars at over 75,000 public Virta charging points. Thanks to roaming, in cooperation with Hubject and Gireve, two major roaming hubs we partner with, you get access to over 520,000 charging stations throughout Europe. Your drivers won’t have to worry about range anxiety.

Have the same upfront investment, if not less, for EVs

In 2021, global plug-in vehicle sales reached 6,75 million units, more than double than in the previous year. The rapid growth of EVs and the abundance of new, affordable EV models both contribute to the accelerating price drops of electric cars. So much so, that the price parity between EVs and traditional ICE vehicles is expected to close within the next five years.

What’s more, the split between capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) of traditional vehicles versus electrical vehicles is drastically changing.

Have a single bill for your entire electric fleet

Another benefit is convenient billing. No matter how many vehicles you’re managing, you have the option to get a single invoice per month for your entire fleet. Alternatively, if you’d like to get costs allocated by car, driver, or geographical location, that’s possible, too!

Get real-time insights

Have complete control of your fleet and gain real-time insights into driving, charging status, charging behaviour, and energy consumption.

Operate more sustainably and efficiently while fighting climate change 

With EV fleets, you are consciously taking steps to reduce global CO₂ emissions, allowing you to position yourself as a sustainable employer.

Vehicle Price and TCO

As mentioned earlier, the price gap between EVs and ICE vehicles is quickly closing. In a study by LeasePlan, they found that the average total cost of ownership (TCO) for EVs is lower than for ICE cars. The major items used when formulating a TCO comparison or calculation between EVs and ICE vehicles are depreciation, maintenance, car taxes, and fuel costs, 

LeasePlan studied 912 scenarios across 13 countries and found:

• EVs had a lower TCO than the ICE vehicles in 508 of the 912 comparison scenarios, equating to a majority at 56%. 

• The costs of an EV was 5% lower than for a similar ICE vehicle.
  

One of the most significant benefits of EVs is the ability to opt for higher replacement cycles. Here’s an example from Automotive Fleet:

• Current ICE Replacement cycle 36 mo. / 120 700 km

• Proposed EV replacement cycle 60 mo. / 241 400 km

In many cases, OEM drivetrain warranty coverage for ICE vehicles is shorter than EVs. EV drivetrain warranties include the most expensive parts—battery and AC induction motor— thus getting rid of the costliest repair items of a vehicle.

Maintenance Cost

EVs have fewer moving parts compared to ICE vehicles which mean there is less maintenance needed and further cost savings. EVs aren’t required to go through emission checks (since emissions are non-existent), and they don’t require much of the regular maintenance required for ICE vehicles such as:

• Regular oil changes

• Replacing various filters: oil, transmission, gas, and air

• Topping off fluids: transmission and radiator

• Replacing spark plugs

Moreover, the brake pads and brake rotor last longer with EVs—around double the distance needed before brake work is required. This is because EVs are engineered to generate a charge back to the battery when you release the accelerator, which recaptures inertia energy. 

Cost of EVs – Batteries

Global battery demand doubled in 2021 from the previous year. The sheer demand for EVs means that production of batteries is growing and the technology is constantly improving. However, in early 2022, prices for battery metals increased significantly. 

Fuel Price: Electric vs Fossil

In a study by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, EVs were found to cost less than half as much to operate as gas-powered cars. At the time of the study in 2018, the average cost to drive an EV in the U.S. was $485 per year, while the average for a gasoline-powered vehicle was $1,117. The price difference does depend on the current gas and electric rates of the location, along with the type of car you drive.

Vehicle Range – Charge Capacity

Range anxiety refers to the concern of reaching a destination before an EV’s batteries run out. The truth is, EVs already exceed most drivers’ needs. Most electric cars can travel an average of 300 km on a full battery charge; the latest Tesla S Long-Range can even go for 610 km on a single charge.

In terms of charge time, EVs can now fully charge in 30 minutes, thanks to the High Power Charging stations (or HPC). Moreover, as of 2021, the ratio for EV per PCP (Public Charging Point) was approximately 7.5 EVs per PCP, and we find that most countries already fall under the recommendations set by the EU in 2014 - 10 EVS per PCP. In addition, there were on average 5 fast public charging points for every 100 km on EU highways in 2021.

Emissions Regulation & Government

Many governments worldwide have already enacted laws that ban the sale of ICE vehicles in the coming years. Already in 2030, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway. and India will ban petrol and diesel vehicle sales. Israel will also ban the importation of all fossil-fuel cars. 

By 2040, the UK, France, and potentially Germany have committed to banning all ICE sales. Each of these government mandates puts public pressure on OEMs to transition to zero-emission vehicles to meet their climate and air quality goals.

When you’re ready to transition to electric vehicles, there are different fleet management solution options to consider.

Option 1: Utilise a vast existing network of smart EV charging stations

If you’re not looking to invest in your own chargers, your company can join an existing charging network and charge your entire fleet within that network. All of your fleets can enjoy convenient billing and have all charging events organised under a single invoice.

Option 2: Option 1 + invest in own smart chargers

If you’d like to have chargers at your corporate location, several sites, or even at the homes of your drivers, you also have the option to purchase your own EV chargers.

Option 3: All of the above + set up public charging stations

If you’re a company that wants to make a business out of EV charging and generate additional revenue, you have the once in a lifetime chance to set up public charging stations.

Time is of the essence if you want to take advantage of this opportunity because many industries—energy, petrol, automotive, retail, etc.—are quickly realising the business potential of smart EV charging. Market share gains after 2025 will likely become extremely expensive and latecomers will have a tough time entering an occupied market.

With your own branded EV chargers, you can also sell home charging as part of your EV offering. And, if you really want to extend your brand reach, you can join Virta network of over 520K drivers, which continues to grow. When you join Virta, your public stations will be added to the EV charging station map, which will bring the customers to you.

Now that you (hopefully) understand the benefits, revenue potential, and different options for EV fleet management, we’re here to help! Virta is the leading EV charging platform in Europe, and we can provide you with an end-to-end fleet charging solution.

The Virta Fleet solution for EV charging takes care of your fleet’s billing and management and always keeps it moving. The solution runs on our back-end system, the Virta Hub, and can be controlled via the cloud – anytime and from anywhere. All data can also be easily transferred into your existing fleet data tools.

The Virta end-to-end charging solution: Hardware, software & everything in between

As an end-to-end service provider, Virta takes care of every step of the process until your EV charging operations are up and running - and beyond. We conduct location and feasibility analyses, procure suitable

EV charging stations and provide our back-end system, the Virta Hub. EV charging stations are integral to our solution and are ready for immediate use. During operation, we take care of maintenance and firmware updates for all your charging stations and support for your EV drivers.

All payment flows under control

No matter where your fleet vehicles charge or what prices you set at your charging stations, Virta controls all payment flows. And if your EV drivers cross borders, complex VAT processes for cross-border transactions are also handled for you. All charging sessions are automatically consolidated within one single bill. What’s more, Virta will provide you with all the data you need to allocate costs the way it fits your processes best.

Renewable energy for your fleet

A fleet of vehicles powered by renewable electricity underlines your sustainability efforts and sets the CO2 emissions of your fleet to zero during operation. With our service called Virta Origin, we guarantee certified renewable energy wherever your vehicles are charging and provide you with the corresponding certificates and data. This means that all data for your sustainability reports and the calculation of your CO2 emissions are at your fingertips.

Check out the video below to learn more about the Virta Fleet Solution 👇

Worldline, a world leader in payment services with more than 18,000 employees in 40 countries, has turned to Virta to simplify the management of its electric vehicle fleet, reduce its carbon footprint, and provide an additional service to employees at its sites in France.

Worldline chose Virta because of its presence in Europe and Asia-Pacific. This enables Worldline to deploy EV charging services in Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium while complying with local legislation.

With the Virta Fleet solution, Worldline employees can access EV charging stations at their workplace. The service is available for company vehicles, service vehicles and personal vehicles. The charging infrastructure consists of 44 charging points at Worldline’s six sites in France. More than 750 charging sessions are carried out each quarter, with the usage rate increasing by 24% over six months.

The results showed an increase in the on-site presence of employees on Mondays and Fridays - thanks to EV charging. The comprehensive administration panel provided by

Virta makes it possible to assess the total cost of ownership (TCO), monitor the occupancy rate of charging points and raise employee awareness of the environmental impact of their daily journeys.

In the future, Worldline plans to extend EV charging to employees’ homes with smart EV charging stations while continuing to work with Virta to meet its CSR objectives.

The transition to EVs for fleets is inevitable and advantageous on almost all fronts. However, if you want to take advantage of the business potential of EV charging, the window of opportunity is closing quickly. No matter what option you choose now is the time to start leading the charge of the EV fleet revolution – our planet depends on it.

There is only one future for fleets, and it‘s electric.

We at Virta know that different fleets have different needs. But the need for a holistic charging solution is what they all have in common. The Virta Fleet solution covers all areas of EV charging. It ensures that charging always complies with national and international legislation, norms, standards, and VAT law.

At Virta, we always have one focus: you - the fleet operator or the fleet manager. The Virta Fleet solution takes care of all the nitty gritty in the background so that e-mobility is not an obstacle but an opportunity for your company.