If you own an electric vehicle or you’re considering buying one, you’ve likely heard stories of people whose battery charge ran out in the middle of the day. An EV isn’t like a gas-powered car, where you can just stop at a fueling station and fill your tank in under five minutes. Batteries can take hours to charge. 

If you run out whilst you’re on your trip, that could potentially create a sticky situation. 

It means you may need to spend unplanned, extra time at a charging station for a few hours if you’re lucky enough to find one nearby. 

A 2019 study by Volvo found that more than half of the drivers surveyed were unwilling to buy EVs because they were afraid they’d run out of power before being able to charge their vehicle, while 49 percent voiced concern about the limited number of charging stations.

That’s a pretty big deal. 

But whether it’s infrastructure concerns or attitude towards a new technology – does it provide some insight as to whether or not range anxiety is still a valid concern? Let’s take a look.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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I’m sure that at this point, we’ve all heard of the 12 days of Christmas, right? Well, I figured that we’d do our own spin – thus we have the twelve days of Fleet FYIs leading up to the holidays next week. 

Let’s begin with the first up on the list. What exactly is the difference between the natural gasses CNG, LNG and LPG?

Natural gas is the fastest growing fossil fuel of the past decade and is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to diesel and gasoline. 

Like all fossil fuels, natural gases are unfortunately non-renewable, with supply estimated to run out in about 50 years. However, natural gas is far greener than its petroleum counterpart, making it a more favorable option in terms of environmental friendliness. Natural gas can be stored and used in different states, but each type burns cleanly and emits less than half the amount of greenhouse gases as regular oil or coal. 

But the different types? Tune in to find out more.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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If you remember, not too long ago, I recorded an episode about low emissions zones – specifically those in London (over in the UK), Norway and even the few that are starting to pop up here in the states. The so-named Green Zones operate in Santa Monica ahead of the, I believe, 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles – and right now, I think it only affects last mile delivery – ensuring that these vehicles that operate within the zone are completely tail-pipe emissions free.

The reason I’m bringing this up is that recently, as you may or may not have noticed, the London Ultra-Low-Emission Zone has increased in size.

But the question still remains - what exactly does this mean for fleets?

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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To give you a bit of a general overview - business intelligence seems to be one of those buzzwords that companies throw around when talking strategy and future-proofing solutions, but many find it hard to define – at least in a way that makes sense to the masses. Is it a system? A service? A strategic approach? Yes. To all of the above. But it’s actually more than that too.

Business intelligence (otherwise called BI) is the technology and practice used to perform data analytics and reporting for companies. It offers a view of current, historical and predictive data all consolidated onto one platform. However, the BI used for an overseas shipping company or a major manufacturer is completely different from the BI used for managing fleets. Successful BI implementation is best paired with people who know the ins and outs of the industry and what the data represents. Deep domain knowledge + a platform that helps you visualize your data in a way custom-tailored to your own organization? That’s where the magic starts.

Regardless of the industry though, BI is implemented with one common goal in mind –to help in making informed, data-backed business decisions.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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Today I wanted to dig into a topic that I’ve been noticing many people ask in many forums, comment sections and new launch announcements worldwide – and that is, will electric vehicles really have that much of an impact on the environment?

 We’ve all been told that a zero tailpipe emissions vehicle may be the solution to climate action mandates and policies – but what if it’s not as simple as that?

Fleets all over the world are quickly turning to electric vehicles as a solution to combatting climate change. It makes sense, as transportation is the largest contributor of CO2 emissions, making up about one-fifth of global emissions each year. It’s leading fleets and their managers to wonder whether or not the best solution is truly going electric, or if it’s more of a sustainable balance. (If you’re a frequent listener of this show, you’ll know that this is more of the side of the fence that I stand on).

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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As with any business organization, cost reduction and efficiency are key objectives in year-to-year strategy. Fleet managers are actively aiming to keep costs at a minimum, especially with how quickly they can add up when dealing with high-value assets. In order to know where costs can be cut, it is essential to fully understand each vehicles’ total cost of ownership (TCO).

TCO is the sum of all costs associated with acquiring a vehicle and keeping it operating throughout its lifecycle. This number can be expressed as an overall TCO or broken down into cost per mile, making it simple for managers to compare vehicles’ cost-efficiency. Of course, this makes TCO very subjective to a vehicle’s projected lifespan, as well as fluctuating factors like fuel costs and taxes.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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We all know how intrigued I am by the electrification of fleets. Although I’ve stated multiple times on this show that I think moving forward, electric will not be the only solution – it will have to be a balance – it’s still a topic that’s front and center of mind more often than not.

Fleet electrification is well underway within many different sectors across the globe – from municipal fleets to last-mile delivery vehicles. With sustainability goals becoming stricter and more urgent, many fleet managers are drawn to electric vehicles’ promise of zero tailpipe emissions. Others are more attracted to the idea of less routine maintenance and associated upkeep costs. 

Despite the benefits of switching from ICE vehicles to EVs, however, there is an inarguable lack of EV options available to fit everyone’s needs. As of 2020, there were about 370 models of electric car on the market, with electric pickup trucks in very early production and electric utility vehicles being nonexistent. Because of this, total electrification is simply not a possibility for all fleets.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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We’ve all heard of the term telematics data right? 

It seems to be one of those things that as you enter the fleet industry – or actually, I should probably say the automotive industry at this point – it’s engrained in you from day one. But what actually is it aside from the collection of data points from a vehicle?

Why is it useful? Why is it still worth the hefty investment in the technology to collect it?

Well, my friends, that’s the question I’m here to answer today.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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In this last year where many events have been virtual – now that the world seems to be opening back up, we’re finding that any in-person event is being smushed into the latter couple months of this year.

This year at Fleet Forward, I think you could tell that most people were happy to be back at an in-person event rather than virtual. It was amazing to see so many people connecting and re-connecting, catching up with new friends and old colleagues that they haven’t seen in quite some time. 

Tune in to find out what happened and what the key themes and takeaways were from this year's Fleet Forward conference.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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Manufacturers have recognized the value of data in today’s world. For better fleet management, profitable decisions and pinpointing waste reduction opportunities, managers rely on accurate insights collected directly from their vehicles.

Before OEMs launched their own telematics options, there was a lost opportunity for both manufacturers and customers who needed more profound insights. For OEMs this is a huge opportunity to bring a product to the table that is ready-to-go off the lot and offers a deeper, more dynamic view into fleet statistics.

But will the integration of OEM telematics cause a stir in the fleet industry?

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

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