In a great post on LinkedIn Senior Associate at BMW I Ventures discussed the EV fleet management software landscape and its relationship to EV adoption with commercial fleets. The graph is very interesting looking at the volume of startups in the seed round life cycle flooding the market. Here’s what he had to say…

There is more momentum than you might think in the commercial EV space. With mounting pressure from governments and a zero-emissions corporate agenda, many commercial fleets are accelerating their adoption of EVs. For example, Hertz plans to electrify 25% of its 500,000 vehicle fleet (125,000) by end of 2024. NYC already has more than 4,000 public EVs roaming through the city. Beyond reducing emissions, operators should stand to benefit from their electric fleet in the long run through reduced fuel costs, fewer maintenance needs, and potential revenue opportunities through vehicle-to-grid integration. But with the availability of charging infrastructure and limited vehicle range, they also face challenges in this transition, namely:

1) Installing and operating charging infrastructure: Commercial fleets may need to install and operate charging infrastructure on their premises. This can be a challenge, as it requires careful planning with the local utility company and orchestration with the fleet.

2) Managing energy draw from the grid: When several EVs are charging simultaneously, it can put a strain on the local power grid. Fleet operators will need to manage energy draw to avoid overloading the grid and driving up electricity costs.

3) Planning efficient routes: Fleet operators will need to plan routes based on the state of charge of their EVs to ensure they don’t run out of power before reaching their destination.

4) Monitoring the fleet in real-time: Fleet operators will need to monitor their fleet in real-time to track utilization, state of charge, and charging session data. This will help them to identify potential problems like low battery and maintenance alerts to optimize their operations.

5) Managing reimbursements for charging transactions: Fleet operators will need to manage expenses such as charging transactions, with sometimes both public and private chargers. This can be a challenge, as it requires tracking the cost of charging and ensuring that drivers are reimbursed accurately.

6) Analyzing energy usage: Fleet operators will need to analyze energy usage to assess the return on investment (ROI) of their EV fleet. This will help them to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption.

At the end of the day, fleet operators need to ensure their EV transition does not impact their bottom line. More recently, there have been a number of startups that’ve come onto the scene to address these challenges, with new solutions covering charging management, route planning, payments, energy monitoring, and beyond. As the commercial world embraces EVs, these startups are well-positioned to play an important part in powering the next generation of intelligent fleet operations.