Escalent Study: Over Half of Commercial and Fleet Vehicle Decision-Makers Actively Shopping for EVs

Latest Fleet Advisory Hub^TM update indicates decision-makers are willing to make big changes to integrate BEVs

Livonia, Mich., August 4, 2020—Escalent, a top human behavior and analytics firm, has released the second quarter data update to Fleet Advisory Hub^TM, a platform designed to explore the needs, expectations and emotions of commercial and fleet vehicle decision-makers related to forward-looking technologies in the industry. The latest fleet decision-maker insights offer new information regarding the battery electric vehicle (BEV) integration process, from the number of decision-makers actively considering such vehicles to their preferred shopping methods and the lengths they will go for BEV integration.

“Fleet Advisory Hub’s dynamic nature allows us to continue collecting, analyzing and adding valuable insights from decision-makers,” said Michael Schmall, Automotive & Mobility vice president at Escalent. “For our second quarter edition, we focused on the BEV purchase funnel and integration process, and our findings are critical to understanding the mindset of fleets. We’ve identified that there is limited awareness among a majority of decision-makers of the important operational changes required to integrate BEVs into their fleet, but also an underestimation of the real cost savings these vehicles provide.”

The latest round of insights show a majority of firms proactively shopping for BEVs, with many readying their businesses for the integration of such technologies—despite limited interaction with the BEVs themselves:

• 52% of firms are shopping for BEVs, with over one-third gathering information about the electric vehicles offered and requirements for fleet integration, while nearly one-in-five are analyzing costs.
• 45% of adopters recognize the need to make significant operational changes to their business to accommodate BEV integration, which in turn positively impacts total cost of ownership, vehicle uptime and downtime, service and maintenance, and charging infrastructure. Conversely, the remaining majority (55%) are not aware of either the changes needed for, or positive impacts of, integrating BEVs into their fleets, which underscores the importance of educating and supporting fleets in managing this substantial business change.
• Just 8% of fleet decision-makers have personally experienced BEVs as a driver or passenger.
• Most fleets continue to exhibit some traditional vehicle shopping habits, with 58% of decision-makers still purchasing business vehicles from a dealership.

“The more fleet decision-makers learn about the benefits of BEVs, the further they’re willing to go to accommodate their use,” added Schmall. “This is a ringing endorsement for the value of the technology from a group who bears the risk but also stands to gain as a result of its adoption.”

In addition to dynamic updates, Fleet Advisory Hub offers a rich set of features, including in-depth participant profiling of over 7,300 fleet decision-makers representing 600,000 vehicles; expansive and faster insights derived from custom surveys; answers to which technology and tools fleet managers need next; and a direct way to identify opportunities, test ideas, optimize new product offerings and inform critical business decisions with the best possible information available.

For more information, visit escalent.co.