Large fleets use vehicle fleet management and inventory software systems to track fleets in real time and over their entire life cycle. The best fleet management systems for electric vehicles, however, don’t only track vehicle maintenance or location but many more data points to help teams make smarter decisions and operate with the highest standards.
How should companies, especially fleet companies, track their equipment? And what are the best fleet vehicle tracking software tools doing? The key is understanding essential electric vehicle tracking metrics for EV fleets that track not only electric vehicles, but also charging equipment.
Must-Have Electric Vehicle Tracking Points for Fleets
State-of-Charge (SoC)
The state-of-charge is the current state of the battery in percent. It shows how “full” the vehicle's energy storage is. This is the most critical information for electric fleet vehicle tracking. If the vehicle starts a trip, it should have a sufficient battery SoC. When it returns, it typically has a low SoC.
Kilowatt Hours (kWh)
The kilowatt hours of the vehicle is the amount of energy left in the vehicle's battery. It gives information similar to the SoC, but in absolute terms. This is helpful for the operator since they can compare the energy requirements of a planned trip with the vehicles on site. Tracking kWh helps the fleet operator to dispatch the vehicles.
Location
Not surprisingly, the location is important for tracking electric fleets. Since the vehicles is often relying on the charging infrastructure at the depot, fleet managers want to avoid charging on the route. Its more expensive and creates unplanned downtime of the vehicle. The scheduler and fleet manager should always able to track where the electric vehicle is and how far it is from its charging depot.
Average Consumption
It will take some time until the world gets comfortable with thinking in kWh/mile or kWh/km, but this is a new measurement that is important to track for electric fleet vehicles. Again, the operators must match trips or remaining trips with the vehicles. Potentially even have alerts for low SoC based on the vehicle's average energy consumption.
Remaining Range
Much easier to understand is the vehicle's remaining range. This is again a KPI that is less interesting for ICE vehicles due to easy ways to fuel up large electric vehicles. However, electric vehicle tracking is crucial for electric fleets to closely monitor the remaining range to pre-plan charging stops or get vehicles back to the depot.
Vehicle alerts
While the driver typically has a direct view of the vehicle’s health, it's important for fleet operators to get real-time vehicle alerts. Electric vehicle tracking is crucial not only when the vehicle is driving but also for the time at the depot. For example, telematic systems for EV fleets should alert when vehicles are not fully charged for the next trip or about to return at the depot.
Must-Have EV Charger Tracking in Fleet Solutions
Live Power
Shows the output or speed of the charging station at this moment. Especially when there are multiple charging stations, it is critical to monitor which charging station is faster or slower. Certain charging stations are showing low live power, it could also be caused by an issue. Live power is measured in kW.
Connector Status
The charging station plug (=connector) has different modes. The most common connector status types are “charging”, “available”, or “preparing”. Preparing refers to the vehicle is plugged in to the charging station but not yet charging. Other modes are “EVsuspended”, “EVSEsuspended”, or “faulted”. This status information is key to track the charging station at fleet depots.
Uptime
For commercial fleets, charger uptime is critical. Without functioning charging equipment, the fleet won’t be ready for the next day, which can lead to loss of business. Tracking charging station uptime is typically in percentage and calculated based on the total time the charger is either charging or available for charging. Downtime is the time when the vehicle is faulted or malfunctioning. A good uptime is >98%.
Connectivity
The charger's uptime is potentially related to its internet connection (=connectivity). Also measured in percentage, it shows how often the charger is disconnected from the internet due to cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi issues, or router problems. Many modern systems don’t need internet connectivity for charging. Systems like the AmpEdge can charge EVs offline.
Charger Alerts
Modern charging stations can send information about issues to a charging management system (CMS). A CMS can have advanced alert functionalities, escalation policies for support teams, and more. The bigger the fleet, the more this will benefit the infrastructure team. The only way to achieve 98% uptime is with advanced alert tracking.
All-in-One Charging Management Systems for Fleets
By combining electric vehicle tracking and charger tracking into a unified software tool, operating electric fleets will become more efficient. Electric vehicles will operate at lower costs, have higher uptime, and allow for on-time delivery. Fleet companies such as WattEV, Revel, and Electrada have shown the market that they can save up to 45% of fuel costs and achieve a 99% uptime of their fleet over a long period.
Some other relevant sources:
Report: Telematics for EV Fleets
Report: Energy Management for Fleets
Webinar: Energy Management for Electric Fleets
