Earlier this year, EO hosted its first-ever Customer Forum, a landmark event that brought together customers, partners, and industry leaders to address the key challenges and opportunities in fleet electrification. The aim was to create a platform for open dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, shaping the future of smarter, more resilient electric vehicle (EV) solutions. 

Moderated by Sean Geer, a seasoned journalist and media consultant, the event featured two insightful panel discussions and interactive workshops in the afternoon to discuss how together we can accelerate our net zero ambitions. In this blog post we summarise the key discussions from the day.  

Panel Discussion One: Navigating Industry Trends, Challenges & Opportunities in EV Electrification 

The first panel explored the real-world challenges of fleet electrification, featuring experts including Ashish Pandey, Principal Consultant at Xynteo; Josh Spencer, EV Sales Manager at Ford & Slater/DAF; and; Patrick Warner, Head of Zero Emission Transformation at Metroline. The panel focused on the critical need for long-term financial planning, better modelling tools, and real-world performance assessment as fleets transition to electric. 

Key takeaways from the panel included several challenges and opportunities for fleet electrification: 

• Financial Planning: Many fleets still face challenges with financial forecasting and planning, often relying on intuition rather than data-driven strategies. 

• Battery Performance: Fleet operators need to account for variables like duty cycles, load variations, and gradients to plan for battery performance and longevity. 

• Battery Technology: Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are gaining popularity due to their longer life cycles and lower environmental impact compared to lithium-ion batteries. 

• AI Innovations: Artificial intelligence advancements, such as predicting thermal events up to three weeks in advance, could significantly improve fleet safety and reliability. 

• Infrastructure Challenges: The reliability of public charging networks and space limitations at depots for megawatt charging stations remain key issues. 

• Collaboration Opportunities: Cross-sector collaboration, like repurposing bus depots for truck charging, was suggested as a potential solution to infrastructure issues. 

• Regulations and Reskilling: Clear regulations, particularly around safety, and reskilling the workforce are vital for overcoming cultural resistance and financial barriers, especially for SMEs. 

These insights underscore the importance of strategic planning, innovation, and collaboration to unlock the full potential of fleet electrification. 

Panel Discussion Two: The Trends Shaping the Next Era of Fleet Electrification 

The second panel explored the emerging trends set to define the future of fleet electrification, featuring insights from industry leaders Charles Anderson, CEO of Freightsafe; Alan Coad, Chief Revenue Officer at EO Charging; and Niall Riddell, CEO and Co-Founder of Paua. 

Key takeaways from the discussion: 

• Industry Maturity: Despite significant progress, the fleet electrification sector is still in its early stages, with only 3% of vehicles currently electric. Transition rates are primarily driven by vehicle replacement cycles, with larger fleets facing longer timelines for adoption. 

• From Range to Charge Anxiety: A key shift has emerged from "range anxiety" to "charge anxiety," with fleet operators increasingly concerned about the availability of charging infrastructure and ensuring vehicle uptime. 

• Prioritising Uptime and Cost: Rather than simply increasing the number of charging stations, the panel stressed the importance of strategies focused on ensuring uptime and reducing the total cost of charging. 

• Interoperability: Seamless communication between charging networks and software platforms (such as OCPI, OCPP, and ISO15118) is vital to scale the sector effectively and support interoperability across diverse charging infrastructure. 

• Planning for Grid Capacity: With fleets growing in size and demand, planning for regional grid capacity is essential to avoid potential bottlenecks and ensure sufficient energy supply. 

• Regulatory Alignment: To support the sector’s growth, the panel highlighted the need for standardised, user-friendly solutions and stronger regulatory alignment, helping to create a reliable, scalable charging ecosystem that can meet the needs of both early adopters and the broader fleet market. 

This discussion emphasised the need for strategic planning, cross-industry collaboration, and improved infrastructure to accelerate fleet electrification in the years ahead. 

Afternoon Workshops: Addressing Real-World Challenges 

In the afternoon, attendees participated in interactive workshops focusing on practical challenges in fleet electrification, with opportunities to engage with EO’s product, engineering, and commercial teams. 

Workshop 1: Driving Cost-Efficient Electrification 

• Focused on achieving Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) parity. 

• Key challenges: high upfront costs and energy price volatility. 

• Strategies discussed: smart charging, flexible tariffs, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions. 

• Bus operators are ahead in using data to optimise fleet performance, while truck and van operators are catching up. 

• Concerns raised: vehicle residual values, battery degradation, and limitations of public charging infrastructure. 

Workshop 2: Maintaining Business Continuity During the EV Transition

• Focused on operational impacts of transitioning to electric vehicles. 

• Key challenges: grid connection delays, charging downtime, and achieving parity with diesel fleets. 

• Bus operators need more EVs to meet service levels; HGVs face energy and infrastructure access constraints. 

• Emphasised the need for seamless charging, cost predictability, and reliable energy access. 

• Strategies: optimise charging infrastructure, upskill maintenance teams, and leverage data for fleet management. 

• Collaboration and flexible energy tariffs were seen as essential for overcoming challenges. 

Workshop 3: Maximising Impact with Limited Resources

• Focused on ensuring financial investments in electrification deliver strong returns. 

• Disparity in funding between the eBus and eTruck sectors: eBus has more subsidies, while eTruck funding is less predictable. 

• Discussed the role of data in improving operational efficiency and reducing costs. 

• Highlighted the importance of future-proofing infrastructure to meet long-term growth needs. 

EO’s first-ever Customer Forum provided a unique platform for fleet operators, industry leaders, and partners to come together and address the critical challenges and opportunities shaping the future of fleet electrification. Through insightful panel discussions and interactive workshops, attendees gained valuable insights on key topics such as financial planning, battery technology, infrastructure challenges, and interoperability. 

The event underscored the importance of strategic planning, collaboration, and innovation in accelerating the transition to electric fleets. By tackling real-world challenges and exploring practical solutions, EO is helping to drive the industry forward, ensuring a more sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective future for fleet electrification. The ongoing dialogue and partnerships formed at this event will continue to shape the path toward achieving net zero ambitions in the commercial sector.