Australian based start-up Evenergi has launched a new software platform to make to support vehicle fleet managers make more informed decisions about switching to electric vehicles.
Evenergi has developed the Charge Together Fleets program in partnership with the Electric Vehicle Council, and aims to bring together hundreds of fleet managers to coordinate the sharing of knowledge in the transition towards zero emission vehicle fleets, and ultimately support the increased uptake of electric vehicles
The program includes the free BetterFleet platform, which has been designed to aid fleet managers assess the business case for switching to electric vehicles, and includes tools to help the preparation of procurement plans and assessments of the economic and environmental benefits that could be achieved, compared to a fossil fueled fleet.
“This is about offering Australian businesses, councils and organisations real choice,” Evenergi CEO Dan Hilson said in a statement.
“BetterFleet will reduce the cost of planning a migration by tens of thousands of dollars in many cases and managers should be able to clearly understand the options they have and proceed from that basis.
“On current projections, we anticipate this program will help deliver tens of thousands of EVs on to Australian roads over the next five years. In the future, it will also help businesses to acquire charging infrastructure.”
Electric Vehicle Council CEO Behyad Jafari said EVs are no longer an experimental novelty and fleet managers wanted to explore the electric option, even if managing that shift could be daunting.
“Obviously the natural human inclination is to stick with what you know,” he said. But we’re confident once we demystify the process of switching to EVs, many Australian fleet managers will consider them irresistible.”
The Charge Together Fleets program, has been supported by a $469,480 in grant funding provided by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), as well as funding support from the NSW Government, SA Government, Ausgrid, and the NRMA.
ARENA sees the shift towards electric vehicle as a means of supporting greater uptake of renewable energy technologies and helping to drive down greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector.
The Evenergi platform fill include tools for electricity network companies to better predict and respond to the increased uptake of electric vehicles, allowing companies to proactively manage the changing demands on the electricity system.
Network operator Ausgrid has already signed on to use the Evenergi platform, which will provide forecasts of electric vehicle penetration, estimated charging demand, network constraints and the management of distributed charging and renewable energy infrastructure.
By targeting the vehicle fleet sector, which represents around half of all new vehicle sales in Australia, ARENA also believes it can accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles, and help to establish a second hand market.
The Charge Together Fleets program has already succeed in securing support from over 100 Australian fleets, and will support fleet managers from groups that include the NRMA, Charles Sturt University and Ausgrid to share knowledge and
“Charge Together Fleets is a free, practical way for fleet managers and businesses to make commercial decisions about the future of their fleet and how they can best transition to EVs with minimal impact on their operations,” ARENA CEO Darren Miller said.
“Taken together, Evenergi’s online platforms will help businesses, consumers, and electricity networks make informed decisions about switching to electric vehicles and managing the potential impact.”
Evenergi plans to extend its platform to private consumers, including the development of a new app that will allow consumers to receive recommendations and arrange a test drive of the ideal electric vehicle to meet their needs.