EV Magazine May 2023 | Page 93

TS : Are companies already adopting fleet-as-a-service ?
NJ : Fleet services can include hiring vehicles from a hire company when demand increases . Alternatively , some companies , if large enough , have their own vehicles to utilise ( Pool vehicles ), reducing the need to outsource from other organisations .
The shift towards electric fleets and alternatively-fuelled fleets is most definitely catching on , but it all comes back to the issue of country infrastructure to support EVs and making sure that your offerings are adequately supported by the necessary charging points and user-friendly monitoring required , such as keeping an eye on battery levels and ensuring that off-site locations have charging points .
TS : What does the fleet of the future look like ?
NJ : Only time will tell what the future of the fleet looks like . The key lies in investing in the infrastructure now . The critical support that this service requires will determine the pace at which it is rolled out and the rate at which companies adopt it .
For the time being , it could be a hybrid model , one that provides the carboncutting benefits of EVs but doesn ’ t require the immediate investment in infrastructure . In essence , the fleet of the future cannot be fully electric until the time investment and energy is put towards the infrastructure needed to achieve this goal .
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