According to Auto Evolution, electric vehicles are stolen significantly less often than regular internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. So why the need for GPS tracking on these greener vehicles? Cartrack has designed GPS tracking for all types of cars, but why bother with electric vehicles? Isn’t vehicle tracking a theft prevention method?
The answer is, “Yes”, but not exclusively. GPS tracking actually has a vast range of uses other than vehicle recovery, which is why we emphasise the need for it in electric fleets. Let’s have a look at 6 reasons why electric fleets need GPS tracking, and how these vehicles benefit from technology that ISN’T included in their default designs.
We’ve noted that electric vehicles are less vulnerable to theft, but this doesn’t mean they NEVER get stolen. Most car theft in SA is done with the intention of selling parts rather than having the stolen car. For this reason EVs are less likely to be stolen because the parts aren’t desired on the black market.
But we should mention that this is likely to change in the near future. While car brands like Tesla are among the least likely to be stolen, they are in a sense vulnerable to being ‘hacked’.
Thieves that do want to target an EV will do so through a high-tech relay attack. This involves two devices that ‘tie’ a signal together in order to access the vehicle. They can unlock and start the vehicle and easily steal the car.
But if not for the parts, why steal an electric vehicle in the first place?
This may not seem like relevant information for fleet companies, but it is! EVs will most likely be targeted for their cargo rather than the vehicle itself. If you own EV trucks or vans, keeping your vehicle’s cargo safe with GPS tracking is a MUST!
As more companies undergo electrification of their fleets, GPS tracking becomes essential in keeping cargo AND vehicles safe. But actually, it goes beyond theft prevention. Keep reading.
Fleet managers mistakenly think that GPS tracking is a service that only pertains to vehicle recovery in case of vehicle theft. While this is how it all started back in the late nineties, GPS tracking has presented multiple other uses like telematics to help make better fleet decisions.
In the case of EVs, GPS also assists with valuable management points like battery data, range anxiety, and vehicle maintenance.
Managing an electric vehicle fleet without telematics means going back to the days where fleet managers used a pen & clipboard to assign their drivers. Those days are long gone (or at least they should be), and have made way for digital fleet management.
Telematics is the data you get from your vehicles. Fleet management software is what translates that data into valuable insights that enable you to excel in your decision-making processes. The base for all this data? Yep, you guessed it: GPS tracking.
EV fleets are no exception, as you’ll soon see.
Trip information and battery data go hand in hand. An EV battery status must correspond with how much driving a vehicle has been doing. GPS tracking for electric vehicles is an inseparable part of managing battery data and spotting battery issues.
GPS tracking is at the core of route optimisation for any fleet. Getting your vehicles to their respective destinations quicker means more efficiency and a stronger reputation for reliability. A nice byproduct of route planning & optimisation for EV fleets is the ability to plan charging sessions by pinpointing charging stations.
This eliminates what’s known in the industry as “range anxiety”. Just one more reason to get GPS tracking for your electric vehicle company.
Electric vehicles need significantly less maintenance than ICE vehicles. It’s a great selling point, but what about when they DO need maintenance? The truth is, we’re not as familiar with electric vehicle health because this technology is relatively new.
GPS tracking works as an integral part of predictive maintenance scheduling. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like: software that predicts when your vehicles will need to go in for a service. So instead of guessing when your EVs need maintenance, you’ll have a booking schedule that’s accurate to the condition of each vehicle—all thanks to GPS tracking and other IoT devices.
The third reason EV fleets should adopt GPS tracking is for the purpose of driver training. While GPS tracking might not be the obvious hero in this technology, it works in the background to make it possible.
You can’t exactly monitor your drivers for targeted driver coaching if you don’t know where they are most of the time. GPS tracking tells your fleet software where each driver is, and combined with vehicle cameras, tells you what they’re doing.
GPS tracking also plays a part in vehicle diagnostics to help you understand what each driver is doing with regards to the vehicle they’re driving. Are they idling too long? Are they driving recklessly? Did they make it to their destination? Thanks to GPS, you can manage your drivers much better and even coach them on driving habits.
Cartrack has a superb last-mile application called ‘Delivery’. It’s an optional part of our software offering that helps to finalise deliveries or fleet-related tasks. This application relies heavily on GPS tracking because it helps you manage schedules, locations, and routes for your drivers.
More and more companies are electrifying their last mile processes with electric vehicles like battery-powered scooters and bikes. As these fleets grow larger to accommodate more customers, the fleet itself becomes harder to manage.
To keep costs down and productivity up, fleet managers are turning to applications like Cartrack’s Delivery. GPS tracking devices have to be fitted to each vehicle to optimise the function of this application. Not just to keep those scooters safe from theft, but to help manage one of the most important delivery processes of the company—the last mile.
Thanks to GPS tracking for EV fleets, the last mile (notorious for being the most expensive part of the delivery process) can be optimised through:
If you’ve made the shift to electrify your fleet, you’ve already taken a huge step to raising your ESG score. This puts you ahead of your competitors because you’re leading the way within your industry and making a real difference in the impact fleet companies have on the environment.
But it’s possible to FURTHER enhance your ESG results. Check it out.
ESG isn’t just about being compliant with a set of new rules. Pursuing ESG sincerely WILL put your company ahead of its competitors long term, because many companies will (and already do) only do business with those that are perceived as responsible corporations.
ESG is also worthwhile when you consider how it impacts the safety and wellbeing of your staff. This is the social aspect of ESG (the “S”), and this aspect has become a financial strategy that’s continuously paying off in terms of staff satisfaction, productivity, and retention.
Where does Cartrack come in? What’s the connection between GPS tracking for electric vehicle companies and ESG?
The 6th and final reason electric vehicle companies should adopt some form of GPS tracking is because it’s not just the vehicle you’re tracking. As a fleet manager or company owner, it’s vital to protect your drivers and their passengers.
Remember: GPS tracking falls into the background when it comes to other driver safety components, so as we consider any fleet safety feature from Cartrack, bear in mind that GPS tracking forms the skeleton for them all!
Leaving out important driver safety features like AI cameras and collision detection, GPS tracking further protects electric vehicle drivers as follows:
It’s safe to say that fleet management software wouldn’t exist as we know it today without GPS tracking.
It’s the lifeblood of so many applications that have become INDISPENSABLE to EV fleets across the globe.
YES, EVs in South Africa should absolutely implement GPS tracking into their fleets. Not only is it an integral part of almost all other fleet management strategies, but it also keeps your assets & drivers safe in a country where crime is an everyday reality.
Whether you’re electrifying your fleet or already have, contact Cartrack today to optimise your business and get more out of your electric vehicles.
Discover how GPS tracking for electric vehicle companies goes beyond theft recovery to optimise battery life, range, and predictive maintenance for your fleet.
