The benefits for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids continue to evolve as battery-powered vehicles get more robust and more affordable. That affordability translates to several elements of your fleet budget, including a change in your approach to service, maintenance, and repair, or SMR.

A recent study showed that only 54 percent of EV drivers required service last year. While there has been an overall reduction in driving due to COVID-19, those stats are still a trend to watch for EVs, as a lack of oil and fossil fuels help improve EV health overall.

In the interview, Cranny explained that EV’s new structure doesn’t require oil, leading to longer service schedules and reduced wear on systems like brakes. Even when compared to hybrid models, EVs save 1/3 in costs when compared over the same number of miles.

So how do fleet specialists maximise these new opportunities for tomorrow?

Stay focused on Preventative Maintenance

Staying proactive in planning a preventative maintenance (PM) schedule for your EV fleet can make a massive difference in maintenance costs for your business. While you may not need oil changes, there are still pieces of your maintenance schedule that require attention, including:

• Battery health
• Tyre replacement
• Telematics
• Onsite Charging
• Potential for higher upfront costs

Fleet specialists also want to consider the impact of this emerging technology on garages and maintenance specialists in general. A pre-existing shortage of repair specialists will be compounded by the even smaller number of technicians qualified to work on EV technology, which may lead to increased downtime for repairs until EVs are more widely accepted.

Understand infrastructure

While EVs continue to become part of the new normal, the next vital consideration lies in infrastructure needs that will support EV demands.

Infrastructure takes two fundamental forms: the maintenance network needed to sustain EVs and the charging and fuelling locations that keep a fleet moving, whether charging spaces in your garage, home charging or alternatives beyond the standard currently available.