Our first hand experience leads us to believe that there is no need to worry.
Let me first start by saying that I was unconvinced, perhaps even sceptical, of any suggestion that Electric Vehicles could meet the needs of our business.
My job as Finance Director is to find the most cost effective and efficient ways to deliver our services. Whilst I do not have much control over the prices charged by suppliers and manufacturers I do however have control over running costs that have a direct impact on a company’s bottom line.
Some years ago, we introduced Mobile Cleaning Teams to cater for sites where clients require less frequent cleans, which incidentally has proved to be very successful – however, the cost of delivering this service has risen considerably due to congestion charging, fuel prices and parking costs. We therefore decided to conduct a direct cost comparison based on using electric vans for our mobile teams. The results suggested that the introduction of these vehicles would produce savings equivalent to the cost of our leasing contracts. Our electricians installed the charging units 3 years ago and our mobile teams have been using electric vehicles ever since.
The actual process of change was quite simple. We decided to contact the manufacturer directly and arrange for a Salesman and an Engineer to visit our premises in East London. They duly advised us on what we needed to meet our requirements and the requirements of our clients.
Electric vehicles have arrived; and demand, driven by Government Legislation, Manufacturer advertising and Environmental awareness, is gathering pace. Whilst we can read about the latest innovations and distances achieved on a single charge, the actual charging units, their requirements and the products available are far more difficult to discern.
Using our experience of going through the process, we have put together some questions that may help the Property Manager when approaching a provider for EV Charging Solutions on behalf of their clients.
- How much will it cost
- How difficult is it to install
- How long does the charge take
- How do I charge the residents for the electricity that they use
- Will charging points connect with any type of electric vehicle
- Do you offer a service package for onward maintenance
- Can you charge two vehicles at once
Before and during the process, we posed many questions originally to satisfy any lingering doubts we had, but also to gain a greater knowledge of the product and its requirements. We found that what appears quite complicated is mostly simple to install and maintain.
Justin Richefond, Director at Mara Services
