Emily Graham’s career achievements center on aligning business competencies while NAVIGATING the ever-evolving landscape of the AUTOMOTIVE industry. In her current role, she leads the development and execution of HOLMAN’S electrification and alternative fuel solutionS to drive innovative strategies and identify business transformation opportunities FOR FLEET OPERATORS across North America.
Here is a brief Q&A with Emily Graham, director, Sustainability & Electrification as a Service (EaaS), with Holman sharing insight about fleet electrification.
MWS: WITH SO MANY FLEETS LOOKING TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIFICATION, WHAT ARE SOME FACTORS THAT THEY MAY BE UNAWARE OF WHEN CONSIDERING THIS TRANSITION? CAN YOU DIVE INTO THESE COMPLEXITIES FOR OUR READERS?
GRAHAM: When an organization is ready to begin integrating electric vehicles into their fleet mix, the conversation is often centered around which EV model(s) is the best fit for their business. While this is certainly important, you’ll also need to carefully develop a comprehensive charging strategy that aligns with your business objectives. The reality is that your charging strategy is just as important—if not more so—as spec’ing and ordering the EVs themselves and you’ll need this solution in place before your first electric vehicles arrive. You’ll also want to be mindful of factors such as charging asset management, driver training, charge data management, and other administrative tasks associated with operating EVs at scale.
MWS: FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE STRATEGIZING LIST WHEN STARTING THIS TRANSITION?
GRAHAM: As you explore potential fleet electrification, you’ll want to work closely with various stakeholders from across the organization—procurement, sustainability, operations, facilities, HR, etc.—to identify overarching sustainability goals and determine how your fleet emissions aligns with those objectives. It’s vital that you begin your EV journey with clear objectives.
Once you know the need and business purpose for transitioning to EVs, you can begin to determine the incremental steps it will take to achieve those goals over the next five to 10 years. Remember, this transition won’t happen overnight, so it is best to plan for a gradual transition over the course of multiple vehicle lifecycles.
It is also important to keep in mind that integrating EVs into your fleet mix is a bit more complex than simply determining which model is the best fit. Of equal importance is focusing on infrastructure, driver behavior, power needs, charging location(s), charge data management, etc. A thorough analysis of your fleet’s profile and performance will allow for the most seamless transition. During initial consultation with our customers, we often help them think through the right vehicle application, the region in which they operate, driver fit, and the role these units play in supporting the business to develop a holistic, seamless path to fleet electrification.
MWS: WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES YOU’VE SEEN FLEETS ENCOUNTER WITH ELECTRIFICATION? HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THESE CHALLENGES BE NAVIGATED, OR EVEN AVOIDED?
GRAHAM: Perhaps the biggest challenge or misstep we see is taking a fragmented approach to fleet electrification. When the various aspects of fleet electrification—vehicle acquisition, charging strategy, infrastructure development, driver management, data integration, etc.—are siloed or decisions are made in a vacuum, the transition to EVs is awkward at best and often, significantly more costly and time consuming.
Additionally, many organizations launch their electrification program without specific goals or objectives. The best advice I can offer fleet operators is to let your environmental or CSR goals shape your fleet electrification strategy. For example, if your goal is to operate a fully electric fleet in 10 years, your strategy will need to prioritize the acquisition of solely EVs. However, if your goal is focused on reducing your fleet’s carbon footprint, you can make strides towards that goal with EVs as well as CNG-powered units, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, etc. and other fleet rightsizing initiatives. The strategy to meet a CO2 emissions reduction goal is likely to be vastly different from the strategy for transitioning to 100% electric vehicles by a particular date.
It is critically important that you begin your sustainability journey with well-defined goals and clear intent that aligns with and support your business’ overall CSR priorities.
MWS: HOLMAN RECENTLY INTRODUCED A SUITE OF FLEET ELECTRIFICATION SOLUTIONS. CAN YOU TELL OUR READERS MORE ABOUT WHAT THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE TO OFFER?
GRAHAM: The journey to fleet electrification is rather complex and developing an effective transition strategy can be a challenge for even the most seasoned fleet professional. Holman’s suite of electrification programs and services is designed to provide organizations the resources, tools, and expertise fleet operators need to transition to electric vehicles at scale and make it as seamless as possible for all fleet stakeholders.
Our comprehensive collection of fleet electrification solutions simplifies the transition to EVs by streamlining infrastructure development, charge management, data aggregation, and ongoing EV administration. These programs and services also centralize all EV-related operating and performance data in our fleet management and analytics platform for unsurpassed visibility and informed decision making. Additionally, as a certified woman-owned business enterprise (WBE), Holman is able to offer customers the option of adding equipment and installation expenses to their monthly invoice, allowing fleet operators to classify these EV-related costs a tier-1 diversity spend.
MWS: IT’S 2024, A NEW YEAR WITH NEW GOALS. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FLEET MANAGERS AND OWNERS FOR THIS YEAR?
GRAHAM: While the transition to electric vehicles won’t happen overnight, it’s clear that many businesses are now ready to embrace EVs. As we look ahead to 2024, we’re poised to see a growing number of OEMs introduce electric versions of popular truck and van models and the transition will continue to become even easier over time. The good news is that you don’t need to wait to begin your EV journey and as you develop your fleet strategy for 2024 (and beyond), now may be the perfect time to explore adding electric vehicles to your fleet mix.
Keep in mind, transitioning to EVs doesn’t have to be “all or nothing”. We often recommend a phased approach to fleet electrification, assessing factors such as vehicle type, role within your business, utilization, charging options, etc. to determine the segment of your fleet best suited to lead your transition. Then, you can build on your initial success, gain additional insight and understanding, and apply this EV knowledge to other areas or applications within your fleet.
And remember, you don’t have to navigate this road alone. There are a variety of partners and resources available to help simplify electrification projects. With the right strategic partnerships, you can streamline vehicle acquisition, infrastructure development, charge management, etc. to make integrating EVs into your daily business operations virtually seamless.
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Find out more at www.holman.com.
