Australia’s health and community services sector relies on safe and efficient mobility to deliver essential care around our cities and to regional locations. As corporate fleet electrification accelerates and leaders plan for the future, transitioning to electric might seem daunting.
One of the key challenges businesses in this sector face – like many others – is determining how and where employees will charge their electric vehicles (EVs). Additionally, they need to decide how the business will manage and reimburse the electricity costs associated with fleet charging. Without a clear business strategy and policy in place, these concerns can become roadblocks to EV adoption.
Setting your business up for EV success
Implementing a clear policy for any new business change is essential – it mitigates risk, ensures compliance and safety, and provides a framework for operations and maintenance. But policy development doesn’t have to be an administrative burden.
Just like mobile phones, laptops, and company cars, EVs and EV charging hardware are simply another tool of trade. Many businesses already have policies in place for these assets – while some adjustments need to be made, you won’t be starting from scratch.
Origin 360 EV partners with fleet managers and decision-makers to simplify the transition to electric. By offering policy consultation across a range of industries and vehicle use cases, Origin works to minimise the challenges often associated with significant operational change.
Simplifying EV charging with strategic insights
The next important step is to determine your charging strategy. Origin assesses whether at-home charging is the right fit for your business, using a data-driven approach to learn more about your existing fleet.
In many cases, at-home charging delivers the greatest operational and financial benefits for both employees and employers. With each EV supplied by Origin, businesses can access a subsidy that covers the cost of a standard charger installation, eliminating the upfront financial burden for employees and employers.
To further streamline the transition, Origin offers a home charging reimbursement model that ensures employees are never out-of-pocket for the electricity used to charge their company vehicle. Similarly to the traditional fuel card system, this approach separates business-related charging from household energy consumption.
The process is simple: drivers charge their vehicles at home using a smart EV charger, Origin automatically tracks the EV charging usage, and the associated charge cost is reimbursed to the employee while being added to the business’s fleet invoice.
Mark Trainor, director of asset management at Anglican Diocesan Services (ADS), attended an Origin 360 EV Drive Day at the beginning of ADS’s EV journey. Mark discovered that ADS could tackle charging challenges with a customised at-home charging strategy and reimbursement system. He then engaged Origin to assess the viability for EV charger installation at drivers’ homes and the Origin team coordinated the installation and commissioning of the home charging technology.
The benefits of at-home charging
With 80 per cent of EV charging occurring at home, businesses transitioning to electric fleets require a robust home charging capability to reap the benefits. Employees who can conveniently charge their company vehicle overnight benefit from increased confidence that they can start each day with a fully charged vehicle.
Additionally, at-home charging provides a cost-effective alternative to public fast charging and commercial rate charging, helping businesses effectively reduce energy expenses.
“One of the key benefits to at-home charging is that domestic premises enjoy a lower kilowatt-hour rate than our business or public charging spaces, meaning on average we are achieving a 70 per cent reduction on the fuel cost compared to petrol vehicles. By electrifying our fleet, we can reinvest the money previously spent to fuel our vehicles back into our social services type programs we provide that directly benefit the Canberra and Goulburn regions,” Mr Trainor said.
For health and community service providers, charging at home isn’t just a convenience – it’s a crucial part of many businesses’ fleet transition. With the right strategy and support from partners like Origin 360 EV, transitioning to an electric fleet can be seamless, cost-effective, and empowering for businesses and employees.
Click here for more information about transitioning your business’ fleet to EVs
*Content provided is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Origin recommends that you seek independent legal, financial and tax advice when considering its services.