Adding an electric vehicle to your last mile delivery fleet might seem like a one-for-one swap in comparison to traditional ICE vehicles. Aside from the charging infrastructure, a vehicle is a vehicle… right? Rather than considering an EV “better”, “worse”, or even “the same”, the real answer is that it’s different. Here’s three big changes an EV could make to your delivery route planning.
Optimize routes based on EV-specific factors
ICE vehicle routing is often based on reducing costs - less fuel used, less time on the road, and so on. With EVs, fuel isn’t a consideration. Batteries, on the other hand, are a consideration.
Battery specific optimizations
Range anxiety (that is, being worried about how far your EV will go before needing a recharge) has proven to be not much of an issue in last mile delivery. While a full charge will definitely get you through a delivery shift, there’s still ways to optimize your route for battery performance.
- Batteries drain faster with a heavier cargo load, so you could optimize to drop off heaviest deliveries first
- Battery performance varies depending on incline, so you could optimize for the flattest route
- Battery performance also varies depending on the temperature, and while you can’t control that, you can factor it into your routing and battery performance monitoring, or model it before buying an EV to make sure it can handle your local climate
Read more about EV-specific optimizations.
Optimize for total cost of ownership
If you’re in the market for new vehicles, making sure you’re getting the best TCO should be a factor you’re considering. For example, if you’re modeling a fleet renewal, EVs might not be suitable replacements for longer ranges. Running a TCO exercise can also work to “right size” the fleet as a whole.
TCO can be modeled using the FlexOps Fleet Simulator - input your routes with different vehicle models and see how their performance varies the routes and their optimized versions.
Extra shifts per day
There are two reasons why having EVs in your fleet could result in changes to your shift structure. The first is to give the battery a top up charge if needed. The second reason is much more interesting.
If your routes happen to be in areas that have noise restraints during certain times of the day (common in residential areas to prevent noise complaints early in the morning or in the evening), those restrictions prevent ICE vehicles from operating during those hours.
An EV’s noise levels are lower than these restrictions, so you’re able to fit an entire extra shift in.
Night shifts face less congestion and faster routes, too. Cities like New York City even have a grant available to incentivize fleets to run shifts at night where possible to reduce daytime traffic. EVs would allow those fleets to access these kinds of incentives and lower costs.
This isn’t restricted to just delivery vehicles - think maintenance, garbage trucks, or other large, loud vehicles that follow set routes. Having more time in the day to run your fleet is a huge bottleneck remover for fleets that are impacted by noise regulations.
Human factors: It’s easier on drivers
Driving an ICE vehicle takes a physical toll on the body and no one knows this more than your drivers. Exerting more effort to turn, enduring shakes and vibrations, and the air pollution constantly surrounding drivers is soon going to be an outdated practice we can’t believe we used to put people through.
EVs are quieter, smoother, and easier to handle. Many drivers who are at first apprehensive to try, end up enthusiastically switching to EVs after they’ve had a test drive. Studies have shown that after exposure to an EV, drivers call out enjoyment, ease of use, and relative advantages are all significantly better.
Happier drivers are happier employees, and they tend to stick around longer!
Fleet owners are happier, too
It’s not just drivers, fleet owners and operators show a preference for including EVs in their fleets. Specifically, they report higher satisfaction scores for:
- Total cost of ownership
- ‘Ability to complete the business purpose’
- Vehicle usage and capacity
- Overall satisfaction
For low emissions cities, EVs will soon be the only choice
More and more cities are joining the likes of London, Berlin, Seoul, and Shenzhen in implementing low-emissions zones in their city centers.
If your customers are inside these zones, soon you’ll be forced to adopt EVs into your fleet. Be prepared for that change by understanding how this will change your routes, and simulating your transition to incorporating EVs in your fleets with FlexOps Fleet Simulator.
