Webfleet and VEV announce strategic partnership to optimise fleet electrification

Webfleet, Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution, has entered into a partnership with new e-fleet solutions provider VEV to accelerate commercial EV fleet adoption.

VEV provides a unique end-to end EV transition solution from EV fleet strategy through site design to operation.

As well as initial site electrification, charge point infrastructure installation and electric vehicle sourcing and financing, the company also supports ongoing EV fleet operations. Effective EV fleet management is as much about energy management and charge scheduling as managing vehicles, journeys and drivers.

“Webfleet is a critical component of the electrification journey, from initial planning to in-service operational optimisation,” said Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV.

“The data is vital for VEV to optimise the design of the EV transition to avoid costly over-specification of vehicles, chargers and depot energy infrastructure. When used in-service, telematics helps fleet managers understand vehicle, driver and energy patterns to bring data-driven intelligence and ensure the most cost-effective use of energy back at the depot.

Taco van der Leij, Vice President Webfleet Europe at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, added: “Our globally trusted fleet management solution, Webfleet, is helping businesses worldwide to achieve their sustainability ambitions, but we recognise that the solutions needed by fleets to successfully transition to zero emission vehicles come from collaboration.

“A spirit of teamwork is a prerequisite to a net zero future. Bridgestone Mobility Solutions is delighted to announce this agreement with VEV, a natural partnership to help meet fleet decarbonisation needs with an extended ecosystem of data, hardware, infrastructure and services.

“This partnership demonstrates how much the role of the fleet manager is changing. In addition to managing vehicle operations, EV fleet managers must be able to optimise energy consumption to minimise downtime, cut charge times and optimise battery health as a critical asset.”

Webfleet telematics data will play a pivotal role in shaping initial EV strategy by confirming vehicle journey times, duration, frequency and ‘return to depot’ behaviour. It will then enable fleet managers to track range, energy consumption and mechanical status in real time.

“Fleet electrification becomes exponentially more complex, so an integrator partnership is essential to cover all aspects and ensure cost-effective operations across mission-critical fleets,” explains Nakrani. “We regularly see clients that have been upsold charge points and energy supply which they don’t need.

“Charge efficiency is not necessarily about the biggest battery, it’s about finding the best operational options for a particular fleet’s routes. Accurate telematics data and holistic decision-making across vehicles, charging and energy are the critical success factors.”

The partnership aligns with Bridgestone’s E8 Commitment and its eight values – Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease and Empowerment – which serves as a guide for Bridgestone’s transformation into a sustainable solutions company.