Telematics solutions provider Geotab’s ‘2024 State of Commercial Transportation Report’ has provided data insights into how transport businesses are using their telematics in the move to electric vehicles.
With electric vehicle importing and production continuing to grow in Australia, the reasons to go to an alternative fuel source keep on growing too.
Globally, Geotab reports a 300 per cent rise in the percentage of onboarded commercial vehicles in 2023 compared to 2022.
How those electric vehicles are used and what types of jobs they take on will be an important area to observe, Geotab Associate Vice President of Sales (APAC) David Brown believes.
“I would say one of the most common questions we get asked, or concern or challenge customers have, is around range on an electric vehicle.
“We don’t necessarily have the infrastructure, certainly not for the light truck as much as electric vehicles as in sedan cars. Can this vehicle do the job of what my combustion vehicle can do?
“We like that question because we can help with the transition, we’ll be able to tell you the range on that for the day. You’ll also be able to see on the platform the current state of charge on their vehicle for the day as well. If the vehicle falls below a set amount then you can get notifications to route you through to the nearest charging point, and it’s very customisable to the company’s needs.”
Smaller electric vehicles may be the way forward, David observes.
Doing inner city driving or last mile deliveries come with their own challenges like continually changing routes, but tracking the range on electric vehicles in these jobs will offer insights through data on how to maximise efficiency.
Additionally, the infrastructure to support electric vehicles in urban and industrial areas is much advanced than on long haul routes.
“We still need to ask if electric heavy trucks actually even make sense,” David says.
“A lot of people are talking about hydrogen. If it’s going to be heavy, it will be hydrogen because it’s going to be more cost effective and you’re going to get more longevity out of it.
“Long distance trucking is a foundation of the Australian culture and business. The whole industry’s based around the heavy truck.”
For the next 12 months ahead, David says Geotab will be monitoring and helping to support their customers who are still moving over from 3G, keep tabs on the continued fleet transition in Australia as well as continue to grow locally.
“From our perspective, the goals for the next 12 to 18 months are really to be the leading telematics business in Australia and to certainly increase our brand by focusing a lot on heavy trucks, local government accounts and mining resources areas where we’re strong already,” he says.
“We want to listen to our customers with the continued changes coming. The governments are incentivising a little bit more now in terms of electric and the transition.
“We’re investing heavily in Australia and it is an area where we’re strong, but we want to be the strongest.”
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