Turning your fleet into electricity: an economical solution?

Based on the manufacturer’s published prices, comparison of purchase prices
shows that the electric vehicle is 1.5 times more expensive than the combustion engined vehicle.

Added to this is the cost of installing an electrical terminal (€700 on average).
Following a study carried out with data from a fleet managed by FATEC
Group, comparison of the maintenance cost between an electric car and a combustion engined car revealed 2 observations: considering their use over equal contract duration, the electric car shows maintenance costs 4 times lower; while the cost-per-kilometre driven analysis shows identical maintenance costs.
The difference in costs over time is partly explained by the delta in
mileage (the electric having driven 4 times less than the combustion engined car on a 3 year contract). Moreover, when comparing maintenance expenses between a Zoé and a Clio, and between an electric Kangoo and a combustion-engined Kangoo we see that the maintenance visits were far fewer during the life of the electric vehicle.
In a similar fleet, the average €325 spent in 3 years in the garage for an electric vehicle probably concerns a change of tyres; against abundant expenditure for mechanical parts diesel and petrol cars.

Since electricity is suitable for short journeys, the mileage of
electricity is less significant than that of combustion engines.
Nevertheless, the difference in maintenance costs can also be explained by the technical components of the electric vehicle requiring less maintenance.
For example, “their automatic gearboxes have few complex mechanical parts which could break. The clutch, the exhaust system, particulate filters, and timing belt do not exist in the electric engine, whereas they are very expensive to maintain in a diesel or petrol engine”, explains Jean-Guilhem de Lanlay, salesman and specialist on electrical issues at FATEC Group.
On the other hand, the so-called “dynamic” braking system makes it possible to use kinetic energy (the momentum of the car) to recharge the battery, creating a magnetic resistance effect which slows down the vehicle.
The positive external effects of this regenerative braking
are twofold: the vehicle’s range is increased by 10% and the brake pads are
barely used.

Finally, a calculated estimate
according to fleet data managed by FATEC
shows that the energy used by an electric car
(recharge + battery) costs on average €11.41 per 100 km
travelled against €8.69 for a diesel car (average consumption at 6.25L / 100 and average diesel price at €1.39 / L).

Electric charging has an average cost of €2.90; Added to this is the average cost of the battery €8.41 / 100km (calculated according to Renault rentals).
For leasing, manufacturers offer annual mileage packages: in the case of a purchased Zoé, for 7,500 km covered in the year, the battery is rented at €69/month; for 12,500km, €89/month; etc. Rental allows you to benefit from free assistance and battery replacement if its capacity drops to less than 75%.
At the time of purchase, a new battery costs on average €10,000 (source: auto-moto) and benefits from a warranty for 8 years or 160,000 km (replaced if its capacity falls below 66%).

Although the cost estimates are almost equal, the uses are, nonetheless, different.
We note for example, that electric vehicles lend themselves better to carsharing fleets in professional contexts whose routes are known and regular, rather than to the routes of sales representatives who travel throughout France. Routes between sites within the same company or in the same city are easily manageable.
In these cases, the fleet manager can ensure that each vehicle is parked and plugged in at a specific location at the end of the day.

In addition, electric vehicles will be genuinely advantageous for short journeys , replacing internal combustion vehicles which do not travel far and whose maintenance and fuel supply are restrictive for everyone.
Nevertheless, the realities of use sometimes hold surprises.
We can cite the case of a building and public works company that decided to substitute electric cars for diesel cars going from the office to construction sites, without anticipating the fact that its night workers were used to lighting up the site with their car headlights: a technique that works with
the combustion engine, but which drains the battery in an electric car
very quickly.
In another case, employees who were allowed to take their company car home with them would have no way of recharging the car each night.

Finally, in addition to the comfort and savings generated,
electric can also be a way of sending a message throughout the company.
A boss who travels in Tesla, a quiet site, charging stations in front of the premises: these are all elements that can contribute to a brand image with a commitment to eco-responsibility assumed by an economic group; and, in addition, contribute to the comfort of employees.