Poor upfront planning is significantly increasing the cost and complexity of fleet electrification, according to VEV, which claims that a data-led approach to early-stage decision making can reduce transition costs by up to 30%.
Based on analysis of more than 100,000 commercial vehicles, the company says many operators are over-investing in infrastructure and underestimating operational requirements, putting both budgets and deployment timelines at risk.
The findings are based on analysis of operational data from more than 100,000 commercial vehicles, including buses, trucks, vans, and refuse collection vehicles (RCVs), across a range of fleet environments.
Many electrification programmes stall not because of vehicle technology, but because of poor upfront planning for infrastructure, energy demand and grid capacity, VEV argues.
“Most fleets don’t fail at electrification because of technology — they fail because they don’t start in the right way,” states George Hobbs, Data Lead at VEV. “Using real-world operational data allows us to remove uncertainty, demonstrate viability, and build a clear, investable roadmap that allows operators to scale with confidence.”
Analysis of project data suggests early-stage analytics can significantly improve the total cost of ownership by driving down costly grid upgrades by as much as 70% and identifying energy savings of up to 20% through optimised charging strategies.
This approach has been applied across a range of complex operations, including multi-site environments such as Manchester Airports Group, as well as large logistics fleets, emergency services and critical infrastructure operators managing fleets of more than 10,000 vehicles.
In a project with Derby City Council’s municipal waste fleet, VEV worked in partnership with Whitespace to develop an electrification roadmap and cost model using live operational and telematics data. The work identified immediate optimisation opportunities and supported a funding application to the UK’s Depot Charging Scheme, with the financial impact estimated at up to ten times the initial consultancy investment.
Grid connection delays are also emerging as a significant constraint on fleet electrification. As an Independent Connection Provider (ICP), VEV designs and delivers grid connections directly, helping to reduce project timelines and reliance on third-party network operators.
With grid lead times increasing, capital costs rising and access to funding remaining competitive, early planning is becoming a critical factor in meeting decarbonisation targets. The UK Government’s recent £1 billion funding package for cleaner transport adds to this urgency, intensifying competition for both funding and grid capacity.
Fleet operators are being urged to prioritise early-stage planning and data analysis to improve project viability, reduce risk and secure available funding, as delays drive up costs and restrict access to grid capacity.
