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How can we reduce the CO2 emissions of our fleet? In the context of this sustainability goal, we have been switching to electric passenger cars for some time now. But we also have green ambitions for our service vans. That’s why four technicians tested an electric van for two weeks.
Colleague Maarten Serneels, project coordinator at TEAPlus, explains how the tests went.
ID
Location: Flemish Brabant, Ghent-Kortrijk region and Dendermonde.
Period: 2 weeks in October.
Stakeholders: TEAPlus for our client Fluvius.
Towards a more sustainable fleet
At Circet, we take our sustainability goals seriously. These objectives put a lot of emphasis on the protection of our natural environment. Making our fleet – i.e. more than 1,000 vehicles – more sustainable is one of the measures we are taking.
Maarten: “With this ambition in mind, we have been making the switch to electric passenger cars for some time now. But for the time being, our service fleet still consists entirely of diesel vans. With electric vans, there are still many uncertainties about range, charging points, time lost during charging, etc. We wanted to remove these doubts, hence this experiment.”
A two-week pilot project
“To investigate the feasibility of an electric service fleet, our technicians drove electric vans for two weeks to carry out their installation work,” Maarten continues. “The goal was to assess the impact on our schedule of factors such as charging time, range and charging options.”
In other words: can our technicians do their work just as quickly and efficiently with electric vans? TEAPlus proved to be the perfect candidate for this test. Maarten: “TEAPlus is subcontracted by Fluvius to install digital meters in people's homes, which means many addresses and lots of trips. We therefore tested the vans in a realistic work situation.”
“The purpose of this pilot project: find out whether our technicians can do their work just as quickly and efficiently with electric vans.” - Maarten Serneels
No empty batteries
As project coordinator at TEAPlus, Maarten was responsible for monitoring the pilot project in the field. Four technicians drove their electric vans across the regions of Flemish Brabant, Ghent-Kortrijk and Dendermonde. Maarten: “I kept an eye on things to make sure our work wasn't being hampered by this test. But that did not happen: the electric vans performed well in terms of comfort and driving range.”
“No technician ended up stranded on the roadside with an empty battery,” Maarten jokes. But what did each of them take away from the experiment? Johan Vanmechelen offers enthusiastic feedback: “Charging the van was fast and easy. I was able to complete my day's assignments on a full charge. So, this was a totally positive experience for me!”
“It was my first time driving an electric car,” adds Youri Van Accoleyen. “That was certainly a positive experience, although sometimes there was no fast-charging station in my area, which meant I had to make a detour. Usually a 30-minute charge at a fast charger during my lunch break was enough.”
“Charging was fast and easy. I was able to complete my day's assignments on a full charge. So, this was a totally positive experience for me!” - Johan Vanmechelen
First electric vans to be launched
Can we expect more electric vans in our service fleet after this pilot project? Maarten: “We kept track of consumption and the number of charges in Service Cruiser. This showed that one charge was generally sufficient for a full working day.
The expected 300-km range roughly corresponds to the average mileage covered by a technician in a day. Only travelling on large stretches of motorway sometimes required a second charge. Charging could be done during the lunch break to avoid disrupting the work schedule.”
Conclusion? “The pilot project was a positive experience for everyone,” summarises Maarten. “At Circet Belgium we will soon be launching the first electric service vans!”
