The Road to EV Adoption: Step 4 Pilot

Drive fleet sustainability with an EV test program.
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The Road to EV Adoption – Pilot

 

A pilot program is the time to test what works and what doesn’t for your fleet in real life, without fear of major issues impacting your operations. Think of this as a safe space to work with your FMC as a strategic partner that can help you take the lessons you learn and implement them as part of a larger adoption plan in Step 5.

EV Adoption

The Road to EV Adoption
1. Learn
2. Align
3. Plan
4. Pilot
5. Adopt
1
Learn
Educate yourself and gather resources to educate your organization about the EV landscape, including makes and models, related technologies, and the ecosystem of core industry players that offer support services like charging and infrastructure.
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2
Align
Develop your organization’s position on EVs, match EV implementation to Environmental Social Governance (ESG) goals, and then get organization-wide buy-in.
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3
Plan
Assess where EV adoption fits into your fleet, and determine your starting point. Outline the transitional steps, including infrastructure needs, public mandates, driver training, and EV ordering strategy. Clearly define your budget, including any grants or incentives to offset costs.
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4
Pilot
Perform a focused test, implementing EVs in a select portion of your fleet to learn, assess, and understand how to scale across your operations. Determine a pilot timeframe and focus on data gathering and field feedback so you understand how your EV strategy might impact operations.
5
Adopt
Work toward full EV adoption and integration, optimize EV performance, and track progress toward sustainability goal achievements. Remember to revisit your progress and update your EV vision regularly.
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Why Partner with a Fleet Management Company for EV Adoption?

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EV Experts Merchants Fleet has a team of fleet electrification experts ready to help you bridge the gap between strategy and execution. Their knowledge in vehicles, charging infrastructure, financial incentives, and more can help you become an industry leader and embrace the EV adoption journey.
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Charging Infrastructure Installation Guidance Electric vehicles are loaded with the latest and greatest in technology, but they also require an upfront investment of the right chargers to keep them moving. Our Fleet Electrification Team has the infrastructure experience needed to scope out plan for your installation needs.
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Zero-Risk EV Adoption The automotive industry is heading towards an electrified future, during this transition we understand that EVs won’t be right for every application. The best way to learn this is through a pilot test. Merchants has programs in place to help fleets get the right vehicles if their first EVs don’t meet their needs.

Benefits of EVs

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Lower Total Cost of Ownership Less moving parts means less maintenance downtime. Plus, EV telematics and data reveal game-changing business insights that can maximize efficiency for long-term cost savings. Learn More
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Fast Lane to Sustainability EVs are regarded as one of the fastest ways to achieve a positive sustainability impact, while also driving the bottom line. Learn More
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Drive ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Initiatives Eliminating tailpipe emissions in your fleet by switching to EVs is an incredible way your organization can reduce its carbon footprint. Learn More
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Operations EV models generally have the most modern driver assistance tech available, helping increase driver safety. Learn More
Types of EVs
Types of EVs

EVs come in a variety of makes and models, and more are continuing to be developed. Our EV finder tool makes it easy for you to search by vehicle specs, battery capacity, range, and more.

All-Electric Vehicles or Battery Electric Vehicles (AEVs or BEVs)

AEVs/BEVs run entirely on an electric motor powered by a large internal battery. They must be plugged in to charge and use regenerative braking to reduce wasted energy while driving.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)

PHEVs have both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. They can charge their batteries through regenerative braking, like a HEV, but have a larger battery and can be plugged in to be charged. Some PHEVs can be propelled by their battery for short distances, thus reducing gasoline consumption. They can be refueled with gasoline like an internal combustion engine vehicle.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

HEVs are powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor that uses a smaller internal battery compared to a BEV. A traditional hybrid is recharged through regenerative braking and receives most of its energy through gasoline.

Types of EVs

Types of Electric Vehicles

Charging Station Types
Charging Station Types
There are two primary factors that determine how fast an electric vehicle charges; the amount of power that the charging station can dispense, and the amount of energy a particular EV can accept. As for the supply, there are three “levels” of charging.
Charging Station Vehicle Level 1
1 Level 1
This is essentially plugging into a standard household wall outlet. Level 1 charging presents the slowest charging speed as it provides around 1 kW of power.
Charging Station Vehicle Level 2
2 Level 2
These are commonly found in parking lots, at businesses, and in homes. This is the type of charger you would likely install at your garage/facility for recharging a fleet.
Charging Station Vehicle Level 3
3 Level 3
These are the ultra-fast chargers that you’ll find on the side of highways and in highly populated electric car areas. These are beginning to proliferate across the U.S.