A free-to-air website for fleet operators considering switching to electric vans and trucks to be built by Wellington-based Critchlow Geospatial is expected to be running from January next year.
Up to $210,000 co-funding has been allocated for the project in the government’s Round 8 of the low emission vehicles contestable fund administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
The website, Smart Routing LEV powered by NationalMap, will provide operational cost comparisons for fleet operators’ specific business and geographic scope.
“This is a great endorsement of the value that route optimisation can provide to businesses that are looking to improve their fleet’s green credentials,” group managing director Steve Critchlow says.
“This co-funding will enable us to deliver credible cost forecasts to New Zealand transport businesses. It’s possibly a world first.”
The project team includes US EV energy modelling and European route optimisation experts.
Critchlow says his team will have an opportunity to build on its current smart routing solutions by adding EV factors and providing free website access.
“We have delivered route optimisation solutions for large and small businesses in New Zealand and Australia for many years,” he adds.
“What we are doing is a real game-changer. A New Zealand study (Ispos, 2018) showed that 51% of participants did not know how EV and traditional running and maintenance costs compared.
“We’re going to change that.”
Critchlow says they’re going to enable fleet operators to compare costs of using various fleet sizes and vehicle configurations.
“The NationalMap 3D transport network allows us to consider the changing terrain, and the route optimisation algorithms will recognise dynamic vehicle loadings throughout the route to predict EV energy use.
“Then we’ll add the fixed EV ownership costs to compare against the current operational costs.”
Critchlow says this cost-benefit demonstration system for commercial fleet operators could be the catalyst to give New Zealand businesses the confidence to switch to EV fleets, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
