One focus of the specialist presentations at “Flotte!” will be on the availability and accessibility of an adequate charging infrastructure. Regardless of whether it involves trucks, buses or cars, having a certain number of charging stations is a key concern for companies operating large fleets. Installing freestanding charging stations, in particular, can be associated with high costs, especially if any part of the building infrastructure has to be adapted. The same applies to infrastructure in the wider sense, the suitability of traffic routes for electric vehicles and the availability of charging stations.
Moreover, fleet operators are dependent on continuing charging-capacity improvements. If battery technology were already so advanced that e-vehicles could be charged in just five to ten minutes, this would be on par with diesel and gasoline vehicles, and fewer charging stations would be needed. However, experts believe it’s still difficult to forecast how quickly such a technology might be implemented.
Ultimately, economic viability remains the most important consideration for companies looking into the electrification of their vehicle fleets. Government subsidies for e-vehicles were discontinued at the end of last year, but there are still countless advantages to making the move, says Ralph Wuttke: “Depending on the purchase price, a taxable non-cash benefit of a quarter to a half accrues, which boosts employees’ net wages while lowering companies’ social-insurance contributions and taxes.”
“Flotte!” delivers exciting expert insights into these challenges, along with the innovative technologies from the exhibiting companies making their way to the industry get-together in Düsseldorf. Asian manufacturers, in particular, see a lot of potential for this market. One thing is clear: the shift from combustion to electric engines in commercial vehicle fleets and beyond is moving forward. Companies definitely want to electrify their fleets, but the conditions must be right for that to actually happen.