Everything Fleets Need to Know About Electric Car Ranges

Fleets considering electric vehicles (EVs) often cite driving range as one of their top priorities when evaluating a vehicle’s features. The reason why is range anxiety—the concern over potentially being stranded in a vehicle without power and without access to a charging station.

As more fleets adopt EVs as part of their sustainability goals and to reduce emissions, there has been an increase in miles driven by electric vehicles. Between 2018 and 2021, there have been over 160 million cumulative plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle miles driven by our customers.

With more and more EVs on the road, fleet managers are recognizing the power of electrifying their fleet. But understanding the range capabilities of vehicles on the market is also an important factor to consider. In this guide, we’ll look at the standard ranges and maximum ranges for EVs, walk through your EV charging options, and look at how technology can help you make the most of your EV range.

What are the average and longest ranges for electric cars?

For fleets with electric vehicles, a long car range can make or break an on-time arrival—this is critical for client expectations. For example, government fleets, like the City of Boston, often use light-duty EVs to address city requests, verify services, or conduct onsite inspections of local businesses. For EVs used in last-mile deliveries, their car’s range can be the difference between making one last stop or re-routing to a charging station.

The standard driving range of a typical internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle is around 300 miles. Because of this, consumers also expect electric vehicles to have similar driving distances. Currently, the average EV has about 250 miles of range on a single charge, with the next tier of long-range vehicles clocking in at around 350 miles. Although 250 miles of range is typically a long enough range for short trips, if long-distance trips are more common within your operation, consider an extended range vehicle (E-REV). In an E-REV, regenerative braking helps to charge the battery pack. These E-REVs are also known as plug-in hybrid vehicles. 

EV battery life can impact the range of a vehicle, too. Most electric car automakers claim a battery life of up to 500,000 miles, but battery degradation can sometimes happen starting at 30,000 miles—this makes it more difficult for EV batteries to hold a charge. Without an EV battery replacement, electric vehicle owners can begin to see a 3- to- 5% decline in driving range over time. Visit our guide to learn more about battery electric vehicles. 

EV range factors to consider when maximizing EV range output

Here we’ll take a closer look at the specs for the various electric vehicles you might consider for your fleet. The electric car ranges specified here are the EPA-estimated ranges for EVs available today. 

Light-duty electric vehicles are typically used for commutes or shorter trips.

SUV electric vehicles are larger and can fit more cargo. They typically have similar range capabilities as light-duty EVs.

EV trucks are light-duty pickup trucks that are capable of hauling assets such as generators or trailers.

How to maximize range output on your electric vehicles

Having a fleet of EVs with long driving ranges is appealing, but without proper charging schedules to ensure job readiness every day, you won’t be maximizing your electric car’s capabilities. Consider adopting these tips to maximize range output:

• Plan your routes: Factor in your drivers’ tasks and scheduled stops when planning your routes to ensure the most optimized trip for your EVs. Consider nearby charging stations and range capabilities when planning your routes. This will help mitigate range anxiety among your drivers. To learn more about how to combat range anxiety, check out our guide. Additionally, drivers should be aware of the locations of charging stations along their routes, but more importantly, their routes should be dispatched with necessary charging stops planned from the back office. The Alternative Fuels Data Center offers a fueling station locator., which can assist your team in the route planning process.

• Driving behavior: Coach drivers on how to properly maintain their electric car. EVs have specialized needs. During extreme hot and cold weather, there will be different considerations to conserve energy and extend your electric vehicle’s battery capacity. For example, minimize usage of air conditioning during hot weather, and make sure you begin driving with a fully charged battery during cold weather. You’ll want to teach drivers to precondition (or warm up) the EV battery pack, so it can be charged quickly and safely. Furthermore, regenerative braking, which recharges the battery as the car is being driven, means the electric motor is operating in reverse. Lastly, moderating driving habits and driving style will ensure your EV is operating at maximum efficiency. An aggressive driving style with high speeds with rapid acceleration will affect EV range and reduce fuel economy.

• Create charging schedules: Be sure to set smart charging schedules to help maintain your EV batteries and consider local temperatures and seasonality when informing your charging schedules. Also, consider investing in private charging infrastructure at your worksite locations. Furthermore, drivers should also be aware of vehicle charging times. Electric vehicles can take over eight hours to fully charge, which requires a major shift in driver behavior. Even fast-charging EVs can take up to 30 minutes for a full charge.

• Preventative maintenance: Properly maintaining your EVs will ensure they operate efficiently. Prolong battery life by capping your charge after hitting a certain percentage with the use of a charge control and adjust your charging procedure depending on weather conditions. And, stay on top of maintenance by scheduling routine checkups for wear and tear, rotating tires, checking fluids, and refurbishing dead cells.

Which tools can help your fleet manage your electric car range?

For fleets looking to make the most of their electric vehicle investment, visibility is critical. Monitoring data points such as state of charge, nearby charging stations, or charging history are essential to ensure every electric vehicle in your fleet can make it to a charging station and complete their job on time.

• Track your electric vehicles’ real-time state of charge: Inform fleet dispatching and operational decisions with real-time data. With Samsara State of Charge Reports, you can view the current and historical vehicle state of charge. You can also easily monitor charging status to determine if your electric vehicles are plugged in and charging. 

• Stay charged and save on costs: Drivers on the road need to be able to quickly locate nearby charging stations. With the Samsar EV Charge Stations Map Overlay, you can see charging station information including open hours, available charging types, and more so you can find the closest station available and plan routes accordingly. Additionally, with the Charging History report, you can reduce costs for charge times during peak hours and save money. 

• One unified platform for all of your vehicles: Streamline your fleet operations by monitoring your electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, or gasoline-powered vehicles in one dashboard. With features to assess the suitability of electrifying your fleet, Samsara provides our customers with the tools they need to reach their sustainability and cost savings goals. 

Learn how to build your future EV fleet with Samsara as your trusted partner and reach out for a free trial today.