Volteum expands AI-driven services to UK fleets after Royal Mail trial

Hungarian software business Volteum is ready to expand its electrification services to more UK fleets after completing a successful trial with Royal Mail.

The UK postal and courier giant has now agreed to use Volteum’s services on an annual licence.

It’s a major milestone for Volteum’s business in the UK and paves the way for future growth to scale up with other UK businesses, with a particular focus on large corporate, last-mile delivery, ride hailing and taxi fleets.

Voltuem’s work with Royal Mail builds on partnerships with electric vehicle (EV) pioneers Dundee City Council, as well as FN50 top 10 leasing company Zenith.

Csaba Vincze, former Nissan GB fleet director, is leading Volteum’s expansion into the UK as vice president of sales and head of UK operations.

The company’s chief commercial officer Krisztian Putti relocated to London last year to start building the UK business and worked with Royal Mail on a software pilot.

Volteum offers two primary software solutions: an Electric Fleet Planner to support the transition to EVs, and an Electric Fleet Operations platform for managing fleets post-transition.

Vincze expects the majority of work in the UK to be with the Electric Fleet Planner, before there’s a greater shift to its Electric Fleet Operations product as more businesses make the switch to EV in greater numbers.

Vincze (pictured above) joined Volteum earlier this year, but had worked with the business during his time at Nissan.

He told Fleet News: “That was when I started seeing the potential of the technology.

“Now, four years on, we’ve got a full portfolio of solutions helping fleets plan and optimise EV operations.”

Putti said the UK has been identified for its potential to be one of Volteum’s strongest European markets.

In addition to Dundee City Council and Zenith, Volteum is working with multiple leasing companies and engaging with car manufacturers interested in using its tools to help fleets qualify the suitability of their EVs.

Several partners already white-label Volteum’s technology or it can be used by customers as a managed service.

Pricing is based on licensing fees that are determined on the size and scale of the project.

The company’s development team remains based in Hungary, but commercial and strategic functions are increasingly European in scope.

A UK entity is currently under consideration and Volteum has also submitted to be part of public procurement frameworks such as Crown Commercial Service (CSS).

AI at the core of EV transition tools

Volteum’s Electric Fleet Planner tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse detailed operational data, including vehicle type, payload, daily range and charging needs. It recommends vehicle selection, charging infrastructure setup and calculates the total cost of operation (TCO). 

“What’s unique is that we don’t just focus on vehicles. We simulate how they will actually be used and recommend the best operational setup,” Putti said.

Vincze noted the platform’s value as a policy-making tool for fleet managers. “It helps avoid expensive trial-and-error purchases by clearly showing which vehicles and charging setups make financial and operational sense.”

An example given included fleets that had over invested in higher range electric vans “just to be sure”, when the lower cost smaller capacity battery options would have worked just as well.

When data is incomplete, the system can draw on benchmarking information and predictive modelling to fill gaps. “We work with billions of data points to provide precise, tailored recommendations,” said Vincze.

Volteum has worked closely with fleet depot teams to tailor the solution to specific operational needs during the crunch period of peak last winter.

The business is now working on multiple depot projects and it believes this peak experience prepares it to be able to handle all types of EV fleets, whether at larger or smaller scales.

“Our co-founder responsible for product development spent time on-site, observing the operations directly,” said Putti. “That level of cooperation and customisation really helped demonstrate the value of our tools.”