Automotive Business Magazine – Q2 2026 – Digital edition - Magazine - Page 55
OPINION
FLEET
advantage
Backed up by technology
Just as important as the charger itself,
however, is the depth of technology
behind it.
Our chargers at Ohme can not only
cover drivers for today, but also futureproof fleet managers for any changes
coming on the horizon – such as the
Sustainability Disclosure Requirements
for CO2 reporting that were introduced
at the start of the year.
With this, fleet managers can get
a real-world CO2 saving for all of the
individual home chargers of the EVs on
their fleet. Without that detailed level of
information, they’d instead have to use
an industry standard that would be less
accurate.
The fleet manager also needs to choose
a home charger for the employee that is
reimbursement-ready.
For example, Ohme’s in-house fleet
portal can work alongside a fleet
manager’s reimbursement software
from the likes of Allstar or Octopus’
Electroverse. This provides fleet
managers with high quality data to
enable the best levels of information and
reimbursement processes available for
home charging.
For the driver themselves, it also
means that they could be reimbursed for
their home charging costs for business
mileage before they’ve even received
their domestic electricity bill.
Tackling complexity
As home energy tariffs become ever
more complex and dynamic, so the
quality of the data provided for home EV
charging will become more and more
important – making it crucial that fleet
managers choose a home charging
partner that can provide the best level
of data possible – and the best quality of
that data, too.
The best reimbursement programmes
also have provision for public charging,
so that a fleet manager only needs
one account to cover public and home
→ Peter McDonald
is mobility director at Ohme
charging, and they can see the full details
of each driver’s mileage, movements and
efficiency across their entire fleet.
The business case
Last year, I saw a presentation about
Austrian Post as a great example of
these savings in action.
Early in 2025 it had taken delivery
of its 5,000th electric vehicle, and it is
purchasing 1,000 more electric vehicles
each year – with a goal of achieving
nationwide CO2-free last mile deliveries
by 2030. It’s the largest electric vehicle
fleet in Austria.
But as well as the usual savings on
servicing and running costs, Austrian
Post found a major benefit in longevity,
too. Because of all those factors
mentioned, it was holding onto the EVs
on its fleet for longer than it traditionally
had with its old ICE models.
The result has been lower costs, helping
the business case for switching to EVs
even more.
For 2026 and beyond, as well as
embracing the changing world of
e-mobility, fleet managers will have to
embrace the technology run alongside it
to get the best from their fleets.
Q2 2026
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
55
