Details of a new training course designed to help businesses transition to electric vehicles (EVs) have been released by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

‘Making the Switch to EVs’ lasts four hours online and will be held for the first time at 10am on March 16, 2021.

The course has been created by a team led by the AFP’s Jon Burdekin, a fleet consultant with more than 30 years’ experience in the sector with companies such as Alphabet and GE Capital Fleet Services.

There are five modules, starting with a market overview examining the upsurge in interest in EVs, progressing through how to evaluate a fleet’s potential to electrify, analysing the cost and environmental benefits of switching to EVs, managing the real world transition and overseeing ongoing EV operations in a business-as-usual environment, says the AFP.

Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, said: “There is massive interest in EVs across the fleet sector at the moment but this is, as far as we are aware, the first training course designed to help businesses make the transition in a structured and informed fashion.

“The content taps into experience from right across the AFP and, we are sure, will help anyone who is planning on adding EVs to their fleet soon which means, in our experience, just about everyone.

“We’ve priced the course to make it highly accessible and we’re also aiming to make it extremely interactive, with Q&A sessions and other online means of communication to ensure that everyone attending can derive the maximum benefit.

“We’re expecting interest to be high and are also planning to repeat the course regularly over the whole of 2021. This is an area where it seems certain that demand for fleet expertise will grow very quickly soon.” 

The cost is £225 for AFP and ICFM members and £295 for non-members.

To find out more visit the AFP website.

Course synopsis:

Module one - market overview

• What is causing the upsurge in interest on EVs?
• What EVs are available?
• The role of PHEVs

Module two - evaluation of your current fleet and its potential to electrify

• Company goals
• Data gathering
• Fleet categorisation

Module three – analysing the cost and C02 savings of making the switch

• Total cost of ownership – ICE versus EV
• Calculating carbon footprint
• Cost of EV charging
• Mileage capture and journey analysis
• Workplace charging costs
• Grants
• Funders, contract lengths and maintenance

Module four – your transition and bringing the analysis to life

• Workplace charging infrastructure
• Home charging
• What if you can’t charge at work or home?
• Business mileage recharge for EVs
• Processes - HR and payroll
• Driver education
• Insurance for EVs

Module five – operation and moving EVs into business-as-usual

• EV pool cars
• EV daily rental
• Ongoing administration of workplace charge points
• Carbon offsetting
• Ordering processes