Fleets planning to introduce BEVs should start by reading the Factors to Consider page on this website. Next, use the eight point plan below to help assess fleet suitability.

1. Baseline your operations

   • Understand your current vehicle emissions, daily mileage, and operational requirements.

   • Information required includes vehicle make and model, body type, powertrain, typical driving environment, annual mileage, fuel consumption, and ownership period.

   • Secondary information required may include applicable vehicle conversions, what is carried in the vehicles, and additional ancillary power requirements.

   • Use the information to segregate the fleet into different vehicle classifications (e.g., rigid and articulated trucks, or low/medium/high annual mileage).

2. Assess the market

   • Understand the range of BEV HGVs available on the market, and critical specifications including range, payload, and charging time.

   • Gather information via discussions with vehicle manufacturers, other relevant suppliers, and fleets.

   • Review detailed vehicle specifications to ensure BEVs can provide the power needed for auxiliary equipment such as refrigerated or compaction bodies.

3. Identify fleet opportunities

   • Use the Cenex operational suitability, cost, and emissions calculation tool (the Fleet Advice Tool) to look for areas in your fleet where BEV HGVs will perform well.

4. Deploy a demonstrator vehicle

   • Once you have identified a candidate vehicle in the fleet for replacement, source a demonstrator from a manufacturer or your leasing provider.

   • Cenex can introduce you to the right person at the manufacturer.

5. Monitor and evaluate

   • Collect data: energy consumption, vehicle reliability and availability, performance, range, maintenance costs and practicality of charging.

   • Compare results to an equivalent diesel vehicle on a like-for-like basis, i.e. similar duty cycles, drivers, payloads and operating conditions.

6. Scale deployment: vehicles

   • Use the real-world trial results to identify other candidate vehicles across your fleet which can be switched to BEVs. Align your procurement plan with your existing vehicle replacement schedule.

   • Depending on scale, aim to secure a discount for a bulk order.

7. Assess infrastructure needs

   • Use our guide on this website to establish how much infrastructure you need at your depot.

   • If opportunity charging is needed, use Zap-Map to review the public infrastructure network. Check for sites which can accommodate larger HGVs.

8. Driver feedback

   • Collect driver feedback covering perceptions and attitudes towards the vehicles. This will help identify any training needs that may be required when you deploy BEVs in the fleet.