EV Fleet Trial - Bikeworld
Ray Duffy, Manager at Bikeworld, a motorcycle dealership in Walkinstown, Co. Dublin describes his experience of driving an Electric Vehicle for business purposes.
We decided to take part in the EV Fleet Trial to test the capabilities of an EV and to review whether an EV could sustain the organisational needs of Bikeworld. It was the first time I had driven an electric vehicle and I drove it every day during the trial.
Charging
We were allocated a Toyota ProAce van for 3 months as part of the EV fleet trial. The average distance driven per day was 132km, and although everyone at Bikeworld had access to the vehicle, I was the primary driver and drove it daily for work.
We relied on the Toyota ProAce van as a means of transporting various goods necessary for Bikeworld's operations. We have a charging facility on site, which allowed us to charge the battery every day.
For longer distances, we planned our charging in advance. We identified locations with fast charging facilities on our route and used those charge points during the trial.
The Toyota ProAce was a smooth drive and noise-free in comparison to driving an ICE van. There was also great satisfaction in knowing that the experience was pollution-free.
Favourite Features
Driving the Toyota ProAce was like driving an automatic car, it was incredibly smooth to drive! This was probably one of my favourite features.
I know EVs on the market have a reputation for lacking range, however we had no issues and even found the range was better when the weather was warmer.
We were also happy with the savings we made on fuel costs over the three months, this was one of the big wins!
Advice to Other Businesses
I would definitely recommend switching to an EV for business travel. The opportunity to save on fuel costs alone is a good reason. For SME's in particular, anything that can save on the bottom line is a bonus.
Do invest in your own charge point! You charge overnight and have a full batery the next morning. This will help avoid range anxiety or any hiccups while driving in remote locations where there may be a lack of charging infrastructure. If travelling long distances, you will need to plan your journeys in advance to include access to charge points.
Based on our positive experience during the trial, I can confirm that here at Bikeworld we are 100% planning on making the switch to using EVs for professional use with our business.
Learn more about EVs for Business