It’s time to burst the EV mis-information bubble

Some of the reporting surrounding EVs tends to be negative, but thanks to our data analytics software, we can counter much of this mis-information easily. It’s time to let the facts do the talking, says Head of Software Richard Farren

Reading some of the reporting surrounding EVs, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they are at the root of most of the country’s transport problems… they collapse car parks and bridges thanks to their weight, they cause potholes, they actually produce emissions because they’re charged from coal-fired power stations… the list goes on.

This negative spin from some sections of the media hints at an anti-EV mindset, but anyone who works in the automotive industry and uses and analyses EVs on a daily basis knows the spin just isn’t true.

So how do we counter this seemingly wilful mis-information? FACTS… and at Dynamon we have lots of facts thanks to our analysis of data from some of the leading fleets in the UK.

Take, for instance, a key yardstick for fleet operators – SMR (service, maintenance and repair). Working with a major ‘last mile’ UK delivery fleet over the past five years, we have analysed real-world SMR data from 500 medium panel vans. The result? Electric vans cost 60% less to maintain throughout active service life compared to conventional diesel-powered models.

That figure takes into account servicing costs, parts supply and fitting plus other associated costs. Our analysis found that an average total maintenance cost for a diesel van over five years was £6,858, compared to just £2,214 for an electric van.

While we all expect EVs to cost less to service thanks to their simplified make-up compared to an internal combustion engine, the sheer weight of saving illustrated here is surprising – and an average £4,600 saving per van over five years is a huge consideration for any business. For our client’s 500-vehicle fleet, this equated to real-world savings of around £2.3 million. That’s nearly a quarter of a million pounds saving from just one aspect of the fleet budget.

Using our sophisticated analysis tools, we can forecast that even when the higher initial purchase price of a small electric panel van is factored in, EVs are still cheaper to run with a 5% TCO (total cost of ownership) advantage over a small diesel panel van driving in a similar operation.

But it’s not all about forecasted data. We’re seeing hard evidence as more and more businesses run electric vehicles and report on their operation. Take, for instance, battery degradation – this is not proving to be as significant as we at first thought.

Data from the ‘Which? Car Survey’ analysing more than 3,000 electric vehicles found that the expected battery degradation rate of 1% per year is looking to be conservative – the trend is towards a 0.5% per year degradation.

What this means in plain terms is that EV batteries which were new eight years ago (2015) will still maintain 95% of their capabilities today, with a useful service life far longer than was ever expected.

New battery chemistry and advanced battery management systems are making EV batteries of today even longer lasting. In addition, manufacturers will now offer 8-10 year battery warranties, giving fleet managers further peace of mind. Recycling of EV batteries are a growing industry and offer a cost saving over a newly produced battery pack, with 95% of the components within a modern EV battery being recovered.

As I said earlier, the facts paint a very different picture of EVs when you discount the negative reporting. Our job is to make sure the facts are shouted as loudly as the spin