By George Hobbs, Data Lead
At VEV, we’ve analysed data from over 100,000 vehicles – from 3.5-tonne vans up to 44-tonne trucks – across emergency services, critical-infrastructure fleets, supermarket deliveries, local and national logistics, and long-haul shuttles. Our key lesson learned is that 99% of vehicles could go electric with the right solution.
- Deploy EVs where they fit today, with no operational change.
- Prime the next wave through driver training, cost optimisation and battery right-sizing.
- Unlock more challenging vehicles with digital job scheduling and live telematics.
- Close the loop via a partner network of out-of-depot charging hubs.
Below is the chronological journey – how you electrify each tranche of vehicles, reap benefits at every step, and build the confidence and capability to bring the entire fleet on board. Each phase has supporting activities that can be kicked off today to make sure that you can electrify at the pace you want to.
Engaging drivers early is critical. Proactively reach out to understand their perspectives on EVs, explain the changes coming, how you’ll support them, and gather feedback to co-design a tailored training programme. By involving drivers in communication and hands-on education before vehicles arrive, fleets build trust, surface practical insights and create employees who are true champions of the electrification journey. The worst thing you can do is introduce EVs to your drivers by handing them a different set of keys.
Phase 1: Deploy EVs Where They Fit, Today
Our analysis shows that in many fleets, up to 40-50% of vehicles already operate on duty cycles perfectly suited to electric models
no rerouting, no extra depots, nothing more than swapping vehicles for EVs and plugging in at shift end. These first wave vehicles deliver immediate emission cuts and energy-cost savings if drivers are properly engaged, and they prove reliability in your own operations.
Fleets will also see these benefits right away:
- According to the Van Stress Delivery Test, EVs operate at roughly 25% the noise levels of diesel and reduce driver stress and fatigue (Stellantis Media).
25% of fleets report fewer service visits and reduced downtime after introducing EVs (Avral).
By the end of this first phase, you’ll have real data on EV uptime, energy consumption and driver acceptance – evidence you can use to justify further investment. In many cases, these vehicles can already be TCO-positive.
Phase 2: Prime the Next Wave with Soft Efficiency Levers
With your initial tranche in place, the next 20-30% of vehicles become reachable through targeted interventions rather than heavy infrastructure:
Driver Training
Eco-driving coaching lifts real-world EV range by 14-15% for vans and 22% for HGVs, cutting unplanned charging detours by nearly half.
Battery Right-Sizing & Cost Optimisation
Matching battery capacity to predictable routes – and negotiating the best available depot-charging tariffs – means many of these second-wave EVs already deliver positive total cost of ownership when compared with diesel.
Early Digital Familiarisation
Telematics portals provide live battery-state monitoring and charge-aware route guidance, helping drivers and planners grow comfortable with EV behaviour before rolling out heavy infrastructure (Energy Saving Trust ).
These soft levers not only extend electrification but also sharpen your financial case: more efficient EVs use less electricity, immediately reducing energy costs and also further lowering the investment required for chargers and grid upgrades.
Phase 3: Unlock Further Share with Digital Scheduling and Telematics
After your initial rollout and driver training, the next boost comes from software. Dynamic dispatch rules check each job against real-time battery, schedule, and route data to see if it fits an EV (enough range, no tight turnaround). Eligible jobs are assigned to EVs by default, increasing EV mileage with zero new infrastructure.
Meanwhile, real-time telematics ensure you avoid charging queues and maximise asset utilisation. Continuous state-of-charge tracking and charge-window optimisation feed back into your planning. This digital layer can unlock further real-time efficiency savings and enable you to adopt new operational models, including remote operating centres and real-time optimisation.
Phase 4: Close the Loop with Partner-Network Charging
The final 10-20% of duties – true long-haul corridors, multi-depot assignments and nomadic crews – require guaranteed access to high-power charging beyond your home depot, to reduce downtime. A small ecosystem of semi-private or partner-depot fast chargers closes that gap. Our own analytics showed that by leveraging a fleet’s own depot network and limiting detours lifted readiness from 34% to over 70%.
Building these hubs or opening your own network also unlocks future revenue opportunities, for example, by supporting partner fleets on their own decarbonisation journey.
Bringing It All Together
Electrification can be turned from a distant aspiration into a predictable step by step project by adopting this sequence:
- Electrify the first wave vehicles and learn (40-50%)
- Prime the next segment with training, right-sizing and early digital tools (20-30%)
- Accelerate with dynamic scheduling and live telematics (add 15-20%)
- Bridge the final gap via partner charging networks (approach 100%)
Our analysis of 100,000+ real vehicles shows that over 99% of today’s fleet has a path to EV
the only barriers are cost sequencing and implementation order. Start with what you can electrify now, validate each phase with your own data, and you’ll find full-fleet decarbonisation closer than you think. While the percentage of your fleet that falls into each bracket will vary, it is likely that your fleet follows elements of this make up and can start, accelerate or future-proof your journey today.
If you’d like to start your electrification journey, get in touch with us today: Ask@vev.com
October 2025
