Features
16 May 19

Electrification and e-mobility, supported by connectivity

Swift’s Fleet Manager Caroline Ceustermans, a strong promotor for electric and mobility, was invited to talk about Swift’s fleet. Already in 2015, Swift integrated electric BMW i3. Today, Caroline’s fleet includes 30 electric vehicles, 57 PHEVs; the integration of electric was given thorough thoughts: Swift provides for charging on premises, home chargers or smart charging cables.

Caroline uses her provider’s software to monitor energy consumption; 80% of charging seems to happen at work or at home. The software also enables her to make sure that the grid is able to handle the charging needs of her employees.

Caroline recognises that electric is not cheap, but Swift maintains a strategy towards a fully electrified fleet; she counts on the market to provide for more and cheaper alternatives. Swift’s leasing partner Athlon Car Lease advised 3 year contracts in order to optimise the fleet’s residual value. The goal is to increase the EV fleet penetration to 20% in the upcoming years. The Swift fleet counts 1,000 vehicles in total.

In order to manage employee resistance, Caroline is constantly improving the company’s charging network and organises engagement days and employee trainings. Employees who are still impacted by range anxiety, are recommended to use applications to find charging stations; nevertheless, Caroline is still hoping for a more comfortable and comprehensive solution.

Finally, Caroline also considering telematics as a driver aid, but needs to get the works councils on board to make this next step.

Authored by: Yves Helven