One of the biggest questions for businesses and fleet managers looking to electrify is: “how should I get started?”
In this blog, we share practical tips for getting underway with your transition to electric fleets, drawing on insights from Jon Booth (AV Dawson), Dr Rishabh Ghotge (Cenex Netherlands), and Warren Engall (VEV)
Addressing internal scepticism
Change can be uncomfortable, especially when it affects critical operations like your fleet. When we asked Jon, in our recent collaborative webinar with CILT, for his top tip, he said:
Jon explained the importance of arranging a trial, telling us that,
‘”at the end of the day, there’s no better time to start than now.”
Jon explained that even if you’re sceptical, it’s important for your team to look at the data, address concerns, and build the confidence you need to start your electrification journey. Jon and his team went from thinking that it probably wasn’t the right move for them as a business, to saying ‘we can’ – and it was now a question of ‘how soon’, therefore changing the narrative.
As Jon describes:
‘[The pilot] really helped to address a lot of the scepticisms that we had as a business prior. So I’d say there’s absolutely no harm in doing a pilot, and at least then you’re in an informed position as to how you progress thereafter.”
Ultimately, their experience shows that taking the time to test the solution firsthand can transform scepticism into clarity and momentum, helping you move forward with confidence towards a fully electrified fleet.
Understanding your data
We recently collaborated with Dr Rishabh Ghotge from Cenex Netherlands, who also shared his top tips for fleet managers starting their journey:
“Understand your fleet data very well; it doesn’t matter whether you’re using free tools or going to a consultant. Knowing where your vehicles are going, how much grid connection you have, and charging availability are all important data points to know.”
Dr Rishabh emphasises that literacy is just as important as technology when preparing for electrification. By grounding decisions in detailed, reliable fleet insights, organisations can avoid costly missteps and build a transition plan that works in practice.
As well as data points, Dr Rishabh advises looking for financial subsidies, as there are many options available.
You can read the full blog here.
Setting up a successful project
From Warren Engall at VEV, the focus is on turning intent into a structured, actionable project. First, Warren recommends clearly defining your project goal and being honest about why you want to transition.
Common reasons include:
- Learning about new technology ahead of regulation
- Unlocking operational cost saving opportunities
- Reducing emissions in line with ESG and Net Zero strategies
- Preparing for current or future client demand to reduce scope 3 emissions
Fleet managers should also look to secure a project sponsor, ideally at a broad, senior level, as this is the start of a wider business transformation.
Next, form an internal working group including stakeholders such as: Fleet, Facilities, Sustainability, the Energy buyer and the owner of delivery SLAs (such as Logistics). Any change involves all these roles; it is much more comprehensive than just a vehicle swap.
Echoing Dr Rishabh, Warren highlights the importance of understanding current vehicle operating patterns through telematics data to gain a true picture rather than relying on anecdotal assumptions. This is essential when planning and operating a future electric fleet.
On infrastructure, Warren notes that charging is most cost effective when located at your depot. Work with Facilities to understand:
- Your current grid connection capacity
- The typical load from existing site operations (heating, cooling, machinery, etc.)
This will give you an early sense of the remaining capacity. While solar helps, it can’t be relied upon every day, so don’t initially include it in your simple capacity calculation.
Finally, Warren suggests engaging with a specialist in fleet electrification such as VEV, as previously recommended by Jon. “Here at VEV, we have a very experienced team who have run many projects across the industry.”
“A specialist will help you optimise the scaling of all solution components: vehicles, battery, grid, chargers and solar.”
Final thoughts
Getting started with fleet electrification doesn’t have to be overwhelming. As Jon, Dr Rishabh and Warren show, the route forward becomes much clearer when you test the technology, ground decisions in real fleet data, and treat electrification as a cross-functional transformation rather than a simple vehicle swap.
By combining trials, data-led planning and the right internal stakeholders, fleet managers can move from “is this right for us?” to “how soon can we scale this?”.
If you’re ready to explore what this could look like for your organisation, VEV’s team of fleet electrification specialists can help you design, pilot and scale a solution tailored to your operations – giving you the confidence to move towards a net-zero fleet with less risk and more clarity.
If you’d like to know more, or arrange a trial, contact us at:
November 2025
