{"id":13977,"date":"2022-07-02T16:49:53","date_gmt":"2022-07-02T14:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=13977"},"modified":"2022-07-02T16:49:53","modified_gmt":"2022-07-02T14:49:53","slug":"urban-routes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2022\/07\/02\/urban-routes\/","title":{"rendered":"Leveraging BEV benefits on urban routes"},"content":{"rendered":"

City delivery is the ideal application for fleets to begin making the migration to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Shorter routes and slower speeds are among the many reasons why.<\/p>\n

City delivery is the ideal application for fleets to begin making the migration to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Shorter routes and slower speeds are among the many reasons why.<\/p>\n

Steve Ivsan, head of program management at\u00a0Xos<\/a>, a BEV manufacturer founded in 2016, said that when a fleet considers purchasing a BEV, it should not look at it as just purchasing a vehicle. The fleet also is purchasing the necessary support that goes with that vehicle, along with the opportunity to reduce operating costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially with the price of fuel right now, it\u2019s fairly apparent that one of the major BEV cost-of-ownership benefits is fuel,\u201d Ivsan said. \u201cBut maintenance is arguably even more impactful when you move to an electric powertrain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are far fewer parts and systems to maintain on an all-electric van and less service required overall,\u201d said Andrew Walker,\u00a0Ford Pro<\/a>\u00a0commercial van brand manager. \u201cFor example, you don\u2019t need to perform a lube\/oil filter change or a transmission flush on an E-Transit.\u201d And since there are fewer mechanical parts, there\u2019s a lot less lubricating that has to take place on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Ivsan said brake life could also be extended on a BEV, which benefit from regenerative braking. An electric motor helps decelerate the vehicle by providing drag when the brakes are applied, or the driver\u2019s foot is taken off the accelerator pedal. That drag helps produce electricity, which helps charge the batteries. The other benefit is that the drag helps alleviate some of the work required of the braking system, resulting in less wear and tear on the friction brakes.<\/p>\n

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Xos, Inc.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Xos<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
Xos battery-electric step vans are being used by various fleets ranging from FedEx Ground operators to Loomis cash-in-transit vehicles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

BEV maintenance is still required<\/h3>\n

Despite all of the benefits of BEVs, brakes still need to be inspected regularly and serviced at the proper time. Furthermore, there are other key maintenance processes that must be completed at regular intervals on an electric powertrain, often every 12 to 36 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose include air compressor oil and filter changes, low-voltage battery checks, high-voltage wiring checks, e-axle or drive motor lubrication, and cooling circuit flushing,\u201d said Kevin Otzenberger, product marketing senior analyst for\u00a0Daimler Truck North America<\/a>, which makes Freightliner trucks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen some OEM maintenance schedules that recommend 5,000-mile intervals consisting of tire rotation, tread depth measurements, and fluid levels,\u201d said Terry Rivers, VP of maintenance and technical training for Cox Automotive Mobility Fleet Services. \u201cThe tools required can fit in the palm of your hand, and the standard repair time for this interval on some electric vehicles is one-fifth of an hour. The vast majority of shops, if not all of them, already have the tools to perform most maintenance intervals on most BEVs.\u201d<\/p>\n

See also<\/b>:\u00a0Working together on scaling EVs<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

According to Otzenberger, service centers that plan to work on electric vehicles will need at least one or two technicians trained in high voltage (HV) who are qualified to decommission vehicles, ensuring that other employees can safely work around the HV components.<\/p>\n

\u201cFreightliner service center HV battery specialists, or decommissioning technicians, are required to complete \u2018HV Level 3\u2019 training, which is a multi-day, in-person training course with hands-on vehicle experience,\u201d Otzenberger pointed out.<\/p>\n

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Ford Pro<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Ford<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
Ford Pro\u2019s E-Transit is gaining popularity on urban routes. With no engine oil to change or transmission fluid to flush, scheduled maintenance generally includes tire rotations, cabin air filters, and brake fluid changes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When it comes to fixing minor dings and dents, which could very well happen in an urban environment, Ivsan said technicians are not likely to run into anything that stumps them. \u201cWe, [at Xos], aren\u2019t using any extravagant materials in the frame, bumper, wheels, or body panels,\u201d Ivsan said. \u201cOur vehicles have a steel frame, maybe some fiberglass composites on the hood, steel doors, and a steel cab structure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something new that fleet maintenance facilities will have to adapt to is the need for charging infrastructure. Vehicles will need to be charged to enable a technician to perform diagnostics as well as before being returned to the customer.<\/p>\n

The establishment of charging infrastructure throughout the country is an ongoing process still in its early stages. In the meantime, Otzenberger said fleets will have to be self-reliant, installing charging stations on their properties for depot charging.<\/p>\n

Fleets running multiple shifts in a day must carefully plan for fast-charging sessions of two to three hours using 100 to 150kW DC fast chargers. Additionally, fleets running multiple BEVs can look to a charger management system that automates the process of charging vehicles sequentially, rather than simultaneously, based on priority.<\/p>\n

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This\u00a0article originally appeared in its entirety<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Fleet Maintenance<\/a>, FleetOwner’s sister publication and part of the Endeavor Commercial Vehicle Group.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

By Gregg Wartgow<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Source https:\/\/www.fleetowner.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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City delivery is the ideal application for fleets to begin making the migration to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Shorter routes and slower speeds are among the many reasons why. City delivery is the ideal application for fleets to begin making the migration to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Shorter routes and slower speeds are among the many reasons…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[7],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13977"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13977"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13979,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13977\/revisions\/13979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}