By Maria Neve, VP-eFMC Services at Inspiration Mobility
When incorporating electric vehicles in your fleet, a well-crafted RFP is key to a smooth, cost-effective rollout for not only vehicle procurement but also energy and infrastructure.
Here’s how to get it right:
1. Expand Your Providers
Fleet management companies have traditionally optimized operations for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, with service models built around fuel cards, scheduled maintenance, and cyclical vehicle replacement. EVs shift those dynamics. Their lower maintenance needs, longer useful life, complex charging requirements, and specialized charging and tax strategies call for a different layer of support.
Craft your RFP to allow multiple providers, including FMCs, eFMCs, and consultants that specialize in EVs, to support your electrification goals.
2. Take a Systems-Integrated Approach
EVs and charging infrastructure must be considered together, but corporate procurement often addresses fleet and infrastructure separately. The more complex your fleet, the more essential it is to optimize depot, home, and public charging with a partner who can plan, finance, and manage every aspect from the outset and who is accountable for the entire system’s success.
3. Focus on Vehicle Fit & TCO
Choosing the right vehicles requires expertise. While many EVs are cost-competitive, higher upfront prices can be misleading. Your RFP should require a partner to deliver a full Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis — including fuel, maintenance savings, tax credits, and long-term efficiency.
Just as crucial, it should assess vehicle fit that analyzes routes, loads, and climate to ensure EVs deliver a strong ROI.
4. Demand EV-Specific Data, Telematics, and KPIs
Your RFP should require EV-specific insights on battery health, range efficiency, and charging behavior. Without these, you risk stranded drivers, downtime, and rising costs. Also ask how the data integrates into the fleet portal. Can you get the same granularity as with ICE vehicles? What KPIs define a successful EV program?
Bundling vehicles and key EV services into one RFP ensures you secure a partner equipped to manage all your electrification needs.
Click here to read more