Operating a fleet of vehicles is complex, and its electrification represents a major challenge in terms of infrastructure and operation. Although most of the charging is carried out on the fleet's own charging network, the use of a public network may be required in many circumstances.
We only have to think of car rentals and passenger transportation (cab, Uber, etc.), delivery vehicles, long-distance transport or support and maintenance services to understand that many situations will require charging on the road during service hours. All of this, multiplied by dozens, even hundreds of vehicles for some fleet managers.
Optimizing schedules and limiting stops are important to ensure the profitability and full potential of electrified fleets. This makes it even more important for commercial fleet managers to have the simplest possible option when it comes to charging their large numbers of vehicles. Using a single account to charge is the solution that enables the scaling of charging operations across multiple networks.
The use of credit or debit cards (contactless payment) as a way of activating and paying for charging has a number of limitations: uneven coverage of the functionality, limitations on certain applications to know in advance whether this payment method will be accepted before reaching the destination, the inability to offer simplified charging (Plug & Charge) as well as advanced functionalities such as trip planning, including charging sessions.
Ultimately, integrating a fleet into numerous charging networks can be complicated by the multiplication of current and future networks, which may require numerous technical, commercial, administrative, and legal integration. It is therefore crucial for a fleet to be able to benefit from the advantages of EV roaming, so as to be able to fully embrace the transition to electric vehicles.
