Fleet interview: University of Cambridge
Feature
The University of Cambridge’s estate management team operates several electric vehicles and has pledged to have half of its fleet electric by 2021. Christine Leonard shares the benefits and challenges of running an electric fleet.
Explain a little about the university’s fleet
The University of Cambridge has several fleets, of which estate management has the largest. Most of these vehicles are used in the provision of operational maintenance and soft FM, with a pool of five cars.
In 2011, Sarah Foreman, the head of estate facilities, reduced the estate management fleet size by 16, to 48 light commercial vehicles and five cars. I continued to work to reduce the impact of the fleet on the City’s environment following my recruitment in 2012. At that time, the fleet had two electric vehicles, used by the University Messenger Service. There had been no fleet strategy in place when Sarah arrived and a large proportion of the vehicles were in need of replacement.
How did you begin the process of ‘greening’ the university’s fleet?
The Sustainable Fleet Management Policy (2015) aims to reduce environmental impact through a combination of cleaner vehicles and fuels, fuel-efficient operation and driving; and by reducing the amount of road traffic it generates. In doing so the fleet minimises fuel and vehicle costs and improves the safety and the welfare of employees while reducing its exposure to the problems of congestion. The strategy will also help meet the requirements of other organisational policies for example, environmental policy, business efficiency, health and safety, and corporate social responsibility.
The first step to understanding the optimisation of the fleet was to install vehicle telematics. The ‘trackers’ were fitted in May 2014 and continue to provide data on mileage and routes as well as utilisation.
In 2015, six new electric vans and one grounds utility vehicle joined the fleet. With a target of 50 per cent electric by 2021 for the estate management fleet, a further seven electric vans have been procured this year.
Which electric vehicles do you operate and why were they chosen?
The vehicles are chosen against the specification of the service managers. This will include payload, capacity and the availability of local servicing, as well as good value in terms of capital and running costs.
We have eight Renault Kangoo ZEs which are used where payload is not an issue. We also have seven Nissan eNV-200 vans, two of which have been converted to chiller vans. The Nissans are used where larger vehicles with the capacity for higher payloads for M&E operations and catering are required. One Polaris Goupil pick-up truck, which is used by the grounds team, fits the requirement for a small utility vehicle.
Were there any barriers that had to be overcome before purchasing EVs?
The original Kangoos had proven to be reliable and the staff enjoyed driving them. However, the idea of bringing electric vehicles into the operational teams wasn’t accepted in the early days. The drivers were persuaded by arranging trial vehicles so they were able to try them out for a week or so.The cost of installing charging units was greatly reduced through our electrical engineers installing them for me and linking them to the Building Management System so that the use of electricity is metered. The Plug in Fleet grants have helped with the initial purchasing cost and gaining Go Ultra Low status has helped in the business case for increasing the electric fleet.
How do the drivers view the EVs now?
The drivers are very happy with the new vans. What’s more, service managers are fully committed to further reducing the impact of our operations through redesigning the racking and reducing the load through lightweight materials and through removing unnecessary tools and equipment from the vans. The installation of a weighbridge at the site will remove any risk of overloading the new vehicles. The lack of engine noise took a little getting used to, as did the regenerative braking.
Describe a typical day of one of your electric vehicles
The estate maintenance vehicles are used mainly within the city boundary to transport the team and their tools and equipment to service the estate’s grounds and 350+ buildings. Because the mileage is low, EVs are helping to overcome the issue with diesel particulate filters and the regeneration problems caused by short journeys. Most of the vans are charged at the Laundry Farm site on the edge of the city and are on trickle feed due to the capacity of the power source to the site. Timers are being installed to take advantage of low cost, overnight tariffs to bring further savings to running costs and environmental impact.
How much have you saved on fuel costs and carbon emissions?
A saving of 2,330 litres of fuel (£3,190) and 5,979 kg of CO2 have been calculated in one financial year.
What are your future plans?
We have been approached about introducing hydrogen fuel to the fleet and it is something we would consider when the fuel is more widely available. However, given the short nature of the university journeys, the investment would have to prove to be of value.
An assessment of further capacity at Laundry Farm will show whether we can increase the electric fleet to the desired 50 per cent and I would love to install solar power to help make that possible.
What advice would you give to other organisations thinking of buying electric vehicles?
There is a lot to consider and one of my concerns is the unknown residual value of the EVs when the time comes to replace them, especially if the Plug in grants are diminished. Trialling the vans with the workforce will help allay their fears and check the vehicle suits business needs. Make sure you install meters to help reporting and future business cases. I’m really pleased that the University of Cambridge is helping to lead the way and very proud of our Go Ultra Low status.
Christine Leonard is senior technical support manager for the estate management department at the University of Cambridge.
