Custom Fleet reveals top recommendations to accelerate fleet decarbonisation for Australia & New Zealand businesses

With the adoption of EVs in Australia and New Zealand skyrocketing, Custom Fleet A&NZ, part of Element Group globally, has today released its top recommendations to support organisations and fleet decision- makers to decarbonise their fleet as part of its 2024 Accelerating Fleet Decarbonisation Regional Spotlight on Australia and New Zealand .

This follows the release of the 2024 Global Electrification Report - Accelerating fleet decarbonization by Element-Arval Global Alliance in collaboration with RMI.

Custom Fleet Senior Vice President and Country Head - Australia and New Zealand, Christopher Tulloch said: “Governments around the globe have set ambitious, near-term carbon reduction and net-zero targets, while public sentiment increasingly demands greater action against climate change. These developments, coupled with corporate sustainability objectives and regulatory pressures, are propelling organisations worldwide towards the electrification of their fleets.

“At Custom Fleet, in Australia and New Zealand, sustainability is one of our strategic drivers, so we walk the talk aligned to our strategy; this is why we’ve already achieved full electrification in our internal ANZ fleet.

“As sustainability becomes the standard rather than the exception, we’re seeing that organisations in Australia and New Zealand are increasingly recognising the importance of aligning their operations with sustainability targets.

“At Custom Fleet, we operate within a global network that spans over 50 countries, giving us access to valuable insights, world-leading best practices and learnings that help inform our approach to effective and efficient fleet management, including the electrification and decarbonisation of fleets.

“As the shift to EVs picks up pace in Australia and New Zealand we’re well positioned to support and empower businesses to better navigate the transition to electric vehicles in line with their financial and sustainability objectives,” he said.

The top recommendations for organisations to decarbonise and electrify their fleets include:

#1 – Create a roadmap for fleet decarbonisation

Transitioning a fleet from ICE to EV is not an overnight proposition. Thorough change management planning is required to give any organisation the best chance for success. The plan should articulate the company’s vision, how to engage with each stakeholder involved, a detailed roadmap describing the “how-to” transition, updated policies, a monitoring and evaluation process, and impact assessment.

#2 – Assess EV readiness

EV readiness plans help to outline and assess the EV-related policies, infrastructure, services, and other factors that organisations need to have in place to support a scaled rollout of EVs in their fleets.

#3 – Apply telematics data to enable EV transition and operations

Telematics data can be an effective tool to help inform a fleet’s EV transition and operations. Analysing telematics data, such as location and route information, speed, fuel consumption, vehicle diagnostics, and vehicle utilisation can improve safety, compliance, and productivity such as smart charging that fuels when Time-of-Use electricity rates are lowest.

#4 – Design first EV deployment to inform wider fleet’s needs

A small-scale EV deployment is a valuable opportunity to learn more about how EVs impact fleet operations in real-world conditions. It is helpful not only in providing quantifiable data (operational impact, cost visibility, and effectiveness of charging) but also in alleviating potential concerns such as range anxiety amongst drivers.

“We believe that the insights and recommendations outlined in this Regional Spotlight can support and empower businesses to better navigate the transition to electric vehicles in line with their financial and sustainability objectives,” said Mr Tulloch.

For further information and to download the report: https://www.elementfleet.com/global-electrification-report