EV Fleet Management

Available EV Brands & Models

Below is an updated list of available EV models based on Ewald’s professional insight and recommendations. The best EV for your business fleet depends on what you need it to do - there is no one-model-fits-all. If you have any questions about specific models, would like professional recommendations, or want to learn more about the availability of specific models at any given time, Ewald’s EV fleet managers are here to help.

Why transition to an EV fleet?

Transitioning to an EV fleet is not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘when’. Transferring to an EV fleet is preparing your business for the future, and doing it correctly can provide a long list of benefits.

EVs Reduce Fleet Costs

Transitioning to an EV fleet can provide savings on fuel expenses, optimize electricity usage, and help you become a more sustainable business.

• On average, an EV will get 3-4 miles per kilowatt hour (kWh), Americans drive about 1,183 miles per month, and the average cost per kWh is $0.15 (as of June, 2022). This means it costs about $59 per month to charge an EV ¹, compared to an average of $150 - $200 to fuel a gas-powered car each month.
• In the United States, the price of gasoline is on the rise (see national average), while electricity costs remain relatively constant. The cost per mile to fuel an EV is about $0.03, while the average cost per mile for an ICE vehicle is $0.159.
• EVs are more energy efficient than ICE vehicles. EV systems only see a 15-20% energy loss while a gasoline engine sees 64-75% energy loss.²

Transitioning to a battery-powered business fleet also shields you from highly volatile gasoline and diesel prices. This allows for budgeting with a higher degree of confidence, as electricity prices are far more stable.

Tax Breaks for EVs & New Chargers

In August 2022, President Biden signed new U.S. climate legislation providing tax breaks for electric vehicles and new charging stations. This legislation, coming into effect at the end of this year, provides substantial tax credits for EV consumers.

Included is a clean commercial vehicle credit worth up to $40,000 per new commercial EV, and a refueling credit worth up to $100,000 per charger.³ Credits for used EV buyers are also included. These substantial incentives will make the transition to an EV fleet as affordable as it’s ever been.

Become a More Sustainable Business

Meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations, consumer demands, and even internal expectations means reducing your carbon footprint is no longer a non-urgent initiative. 

Electrifying your fleet can substantially reduce the carbon footprint of each one of your employees, and therefore substantially reduce the carbon footprint of your business as a whole. Most EV models have more than enough range for daily commutes and service calls, while producing a fraction of the greenhouse gases ICE vehicles do (if any at all).

For improving your environmental friendliness and reducing your business's carbon footprint, making the switch to an EV fleet can be a monumental step in the right direction. 

How to Transition to an EV Fleet

The fleet management pros at Ewald Fleet Solutions work closely with your company’s leaders to analyze how your vehicles are acquired, used, maintained, and eventually disposed of. Understanding the complexities of your business fleet and how you use it allows us to provide a tailored fleet solution to meet your business needs and financial goals. If you’re looking to electrify your fleet with EVs, we can help!

Free Fleet Evaluation Fleet Cost Calculator

Immediate or Near-Term Fleet Transitions

EV fleets today predominantly consist of sedans, SUVs, and light utility vehicles. Businesses who have already electrified their fleets tend to be local service providers - utility contractors (plumbers, HVAC, electricians), universities, government agencies, and personal transportation.

Local businesses don’t depend on nationwide charging infrastructure and are often able to recharge their fleet vehicles at the same charging stations every time - whether it be at a company facility or employee residences. This means making the transition to EVs today is much more tenable for local businesses and short-range business fleets.

Long-Term Fleet Transition

The long-term outlook for transitions to EV fleets includes more heavy-duty vehicles like semi-trucks and box trucks. As a nationwide charging infrastructure is established, long-distance fleets with high route variance will have more reliable access to charging stations and be able to transition to EVs with a higher degree of confidence. Advancements in driving range will also make electric power a more tenable solution for long-distance haulers.

EV Upfitting

Compromising on the utility of your fleet vehicles is simply a non-starter. Upfitting EVs for higher commercial utility is key to making them a viable fleet solution. Thankfully, upfitting an EV is not so different from upfitting an ICE vehicle.

The drawback is most commercial vehicle upfitters are still working to adapt to the new EV models. Because of where battery packs are mounted on most EVs, the standard anchoring points used for ICE vehicles are no longer viable - so upfitting techniques are needing to be adjusted. This is more of a small adjustment than a major hurdle and should no longer be too big of a concern.

Another variable to consider is how standard upfitting packages will affect the longevity and performance of EVs. They simply haven’t been around long enough to know. As more EVs hit the road, become integrated into a greater range of commercial applications, and stay in service longer, we’ll have a more precise understanding of the commercial EV lifecycle.

Fleet Electrification - What to Consider

Electrifying your business fleet can be a complex process with a lot to consider. There are new factors to take into account and variables you wouldn’t need to consider with a gas-powered fleet. But Ewald is here to help! 

Charging Management

Charging station infrastructure is still in the early stages of development throughout the United States. This makes EVs a less reliable option for long-distance fleets who need to refuel at different stations across the country and rarely stop at the same fuel stations. Local fleets are not as affected by this issue, especially if employee EVs can be charged at home or at a company facility every night.

EV Maintenance

As you might suspect, maintaining electric vehicles is a bit different than maintaining gas-powered vehicles.

Luckily, EV maintenance tends to be less expensive - an estimated ⅓ of what conventionally powered vehicles cost to maintain.⁴

**Every EV will have a unique maintenance schedule recommendation. Always reference your model’s recommended maintenance schedule.

Gas-powered vehicles, on the other hand, require more frequent maintenance on additional components - oil changes, tune-ups, cooling system flushes, transmission servicing, air filter replacement, spark plug replacement, and more.

The Future of Electric Vehicles

The switch to electric vehicles is not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘when’. Over the next decade, as battery technology improves, a nationwide charging station infrastructure is established, and EVs become more viable for commercial use, battery-powered vehicles could become the most popular type of vehicle on the road.

It’s only a matter of time before the major drawbacks of EV adoption are resolved, and those solutions will define how both businesses and consumers integrate EVs into their daily lives.

EV Infrastructure Challenges: Different Types of Charging & Public Stations

AC EV Charging - Steady Charge

Most EV chargers used today are AC chargers (Level 1 & Level 2 EV chargers). AC chargers are great for overnight charging and installation in compact spaces - perfect for residential or private use, but not ideal for long-distance commercial applications.

DC EV Charging - Fast Charge

The future of EV charging will be in DC charging development (Level 3 chargers). DC charging is much faster than AC, making it a much better solution for en-route rapid charging at gas stations. DC charging stations tend to be more complex in terms of both technology and ecosystem, and, therefore, have a higher price point. Improvements to DC charging will be critical to establishing public charging infrastructure.

Public Charging Infrastructure

For now, no companies in the EV charging industry have figured out how to make a profit. This is a major hurdle. In addition to the high cost of installing charging stations, the demand for public charging stations is still relatively low as most EV owners use at-home charging units. On the other hand, many consumers will not purchase an EV until a reliable public charging infrastructure is established. Installers are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Improving the speed and availability of charging will be key to consumer adoption of EVs. As noted, improvements to DC charging technology will be critical to achieving this.

EV Range

Improving EV driving range will be an ongoing pursuit - just like improving ICE fuel economy.

Advancements in battery technology will be necessary - improving energy storage while decreasing or maintaining size and weight. In 2022, increasing range means using a bigger, heavier battery. But there’s a trade-off between available charge and battery weight. EV batteries start to see diminishing returns around 300 miles of range, where it doesn’t make sense to add a bigger, heavier, and more expensive battery.

The current priority for most EV manufacturers, however, is not to extend range, it’s to minimize costs and make them more affordable to the masses. Improving range is most valuable to long-distance commercial haulers, who will need a more robust public charging infrastructure first. This means there are other delays where the most demand for extended range exists.

EV Charging Options & Cost for Setup

There are 3 types of EV charging stations - Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 (direct current).

Reasons to Work with Ewald for EV Fleet Management

Ewald Fleet Solutions has the resources and expertise to save your company money through fleet leasing and vehicle management services. We have the industry knowledge and experience to implement a tailored EV fleet solution for you. Contact us today to learn more about our EV fleet management services.