On June 12th, FATEC, a specialist in corporate mobility, brought together its clients and partners for a day of conferences and workshops. The objective was to share experiences and advice on sustainable mobility, with the guiding principle of empowering everyone to "unlock the possibilities." The topic of fleet electrification was extensively covered from several angles: the current state of the electric vehicle market, the deployment of charging infrastructure, green taxation, change management for employees, and more.
Testimonies from committed stakeholders, such as Onet and Keolis Santé, have helped to identify concrete levers and best practices to initiate or accelerate the greening of fleets .
Breaking down stereotypes and preconceived notions
When it comes to electrification, old habits die hard! Fear of limited vehicle range, lack of charging infrastructure, high cost of electrification… there are many obstacles, real or imagined, that hinder the greening of fleets.
To overcome these obstacles in a pragmatic way, the players who have taken the plunge are unanimous about the need to rely on data and figures, starting with TCO in a complete view of costs, and not strictly limited to the vehicle rental.
Thus, during a workshop dedicated to green taxation, FATEC compared in detail the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) of internal combustion engine and electric vehicles. The calculation performed with a simulation tool yielded a clear result: a company can achieve savings of between 8 and 22% by switching from an internal combustion engine vehicle to an electric vehicle.
While list prices and monthly rental rates are indeed higher for electric vehicles than for internal combustion engines, the overall TCO clearly leans in favour of electric vehicles when the cost of energy and the cost of taxation are included, not to mention the impact of integrating electric vehicles on greening penalties.
For example, for a 48-month / 120,000 km mileage allowance:
● Peugeot 3008 1.2 Hybrid 145 e-DCS6 Allure:
- Monthly rent for landlord: €330
- Monthly energy cost: €253
- Monthly tax cost: €307
- List price: €33,683
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the holding period: €42,747
● Peugeot E-3008 Bev 73 kmh Pace:
- Monthly rent to landlord: €538
- Monthly energy cost: €133
- Monthly tax cost: €108
- List price: €39,567
- Total cost of ownership (TCO) over the holding period: €37,417
Beyond TCO, FATEC's modeling tools have also helped to dispel misconceptions, particularly regarding charging time: by eliminating the time spent traveling to a gas station and the time required to refuel (not to mention any potential waiting time), electric vehicle charging, which is mostly done during downtime at work or at home, saves time. For example, in a specific client case, the time savings were estimated at an average of 1 hour and 6 minutes per month per vehicle, taking into account three emergency charging sessions per week while driving.
Using data to assess actual usage
As a prerequisite to any electrification initiative, stakeholders emphasize the need to rely on actual usage patterns, particularly by leveraging data from fuel cards. Analyzing this data can, for example, enable audits of driver or vehicle compatibility with electrification.
Christophe Hégron, Director of Studies and Methods at Kéolis Santé, explains: “ It is also necessary to regularly reassess usage to establish a management of charging schedules consistent with the needs on the ground, particularly when the vehicles are an integral part of the company's production tool, as is the case for Kéolis Santé's ambulances .
Here again, modeling tools allow for a case-by-case approach and decision-making adapted to operational realities: reorganization of sectors, adjustment of routes, or optimization of vehicle allocation.
Practical tip: take care of your charging
From a practical standpoint, the installation of charging stations remains a major concern for companies undergoing electrification. Muriel Duguay, Director of Environmental Transition at Onet, emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting your charging station installer: “They must be able to manage the entire process, including the station monitoring system. This allows, on the one hand, for real-time monitoring of charging point consumption, and, on the other hand, for resolving 80% of malfunctions by reducing intervention times through remote access to the stations. It is also essential to ensure that the stations can be configured to grant access to employees and on-site personnel as needed.”
Muriel Duguay also advises vigilance regarding electricity access issues: “The distances between charging stations, electrical switchboards (TGBT) and delivery points must be carefully studied to optimize civil engineering costs. A proper project management approach must be implemented to avoid any supply-related pitfalls .
Change management and loyalty lever
Finally, the speakers discussed change management and presented their HR best practices for making electrification a lever for employee retention and recruitment.
Among the advice mentioned to get employees involved in the electrification process, experts recommend proceeding in stages: for members of Management (Executive Committee, Management Committee, Board of Directors), set an example by being the first to drive electric vehicles, then identify volunteers among employees and take advantage of their experience to evangelize others.
A common observation also emerged from the discussions: electrification should not be seen as a constraint, but as an opportunity, particularly from an HR perspective. Leveraging the upgrading of electric vehicles – often better equipped and more comfortable – is an effective argument for employees.
“For ambulance drivers, electric vehicles are much more comfortable. Offering them this type of vehicle is therefore seen as a sign of recognition. A real lever for building loyalty ,” adds Christophe Hégron.
To support this transition, many companies also offer training in electric driving, in order to help drivers adapt their behavior (accelerometry, brakingometry, etc.).
Katia Lehnert, Sustainable Mobility and CSR Project Manager at FATEC, concludes: “The market is now mature enough to meet companies' expectations on all levels: tax incentives, a wider and more attractive range, greater autonomy… all the indicators are green to activate the possibilities!”
