Electric Vehicle Fleet Management Features by Verizon Connect

Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise. Many fleets are looking to add hybrid or fully-electric options to their vehicle lineups—in August 2023, a total of 124,294 plug-in vehicles were sold, up 71.5% from August 2022.¹ As more fleets add EVs, they need a telematics system with the right features to help simplify vehicle management while increasing their uptime and productivity.

Verizon Connect's Reveal customers have access to updated EV features and functionalities. Now, fleet managers can easily manage their EVs and gas-powered vehicles together within one holistic dashboard, providing reliable data across all vehicles.

Making the leap to EVs

Mixed vehicle fleets need one single source of truth for status, location, routing and utilization. Using a fleet managment system like Reveal, fleets can monitor charging status to determine if vehicles are plugged in correctly and charging. They can also gain visibility across their fleet with diagnostics for both EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Managing a mixed fleet of EVs and ICE vehicles can seem like a daunting task, but with the right telematics solution, fleets can: 

• Easily identify EVs among the mixed fleet when viewing the Live Map.
• Enhance visibility into the charging status of EVs to help drivers get from one job to the next and schedule their daily routes more effectively.
• Have access to all EV battery percent remaining information and overall battery performance.

What are the key features for EVs within Reveal?

Fleet managers always need to know which EVs are charged, ready to go and best suited for the work scheduled that day. Here are some of the features that can help:

• EV icon: Quickly identify EVs on the Live Map and Spotlight App amongst all vehicles and Assets.
• Mobile app support: See the location and status of ICE vehicles, EVs and assets.
• Charge status: Charging status informs fleet managers of which EVs are actively being charged at any given time and access near real-time battery level percentage.
• Reporting: New EV-specific reports to monitor charging activity by highlighting details such as when, where, how long a vehicle goes without a charge and how it maintains its battery level.
• EV Alerts: Receive configurable alerts for any EVs experiencing a “Low Battery” or certain battery percent threshold.

The benefits of EVs for your fleet

Embracing EVs can deliver several operational and cost benefits to fleets. Significant cost savings can be gained when switching to electric by reducing or eliminating the need for traditional fuels altogether. And by using a telematics solution like Reveal, managers can take advantage of near real-time intelligence on EV power consumption, charging status and battery behavior. This allows fleet managers to plan and schedule employee work days based on historic behavior and what affects travel range, helping them to get more from their EV usage for more savings.

EVs can also help reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions which demonstrates a commitment to operating with greener products and services, while at the same time conserving energy and reducing costs. Once companies gain a better understanding of the cost-saving and efficiency benefits with EVs, they may plan to make further investments to electrify or hybridize their fleet.

Tools to understand your EV fleet

Whether you’re adding EVs for the first time or expanding your existing fleet, the EV Suitability Tool for Reveal helps to simplify and streamline the electrification process. This tool allows companies to use their existing ICE vehicle data to analyze the best candidates to be replaced by electric vehicles and receive recommendations on: 

• The percentage of your fleet that could be replaced by EVs.
• Which vehicles are the best candidates for replacement.
• EV Suitability ratings for vehicles based on detailed usage data.

Armed with the right information, companies can determine if EVs are a good fit for their fleet and get them started on the road to electrification. Research and support tools can provide options for EV model selection, incentive eligibility and charging needs as managers determine the best approach for their specific fleet operations and goals. 

Through Verizon Connect’s integration with our partners NextEra Mobility and Sawatch Labs, fleets will also gain data and insights into:

• The financial implications of each vehicle addition.
• The total expected fuel cost savings by converting the portion of the fleet to EVs.
• The expected CO2 reduction achieved.
• Recommendations for specific models to match vehicle needs, including class, gross weight rating and range requirements.
• A comparison of estimated lifetime total cost of ownership for each vehicle.
• The number and type of charger needed for each vehicle.

Considering adding EVs to your fleet? Check out 4 Benefits of Using Electric Fleet Vehicles for more information. 

¹ https://www.anl.gov/esia/light-duty-electric-drive-vehicles-monthly-sales-updates