EV Suitability Assessment (EVSA)

Telematics is a key component in determining a fleet's electrification potential via an EV Suitability Assessment (EVSA). Before doing an EVSA, Geotab's telematics device records the driving patterns of the fleet's gas and diesel vehicles to use as a basis for the assessment. During an EVSA, Geotab taps into telematics data to compare which EV models can best service the fleet's range requirements. The EVSA leverages: 

• the largest set of real-world EV performance data 
• ratings from the EPA and WLTP on upcoming EV models, and 
• data on speed, trip patterns (e.g. idling) and environmental factors like localized ambient temperature for increased accuracy.

EVSA stands for Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment. It is a tool that helps fleet managers create a blueprint for electrification. The EVSA delivers the data analysis needed to make the case to transition a fleet to electric in a way that makes sense for the fleet's needs, organization's budget and time frame.

A key benefit of an Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment is that it can save fleet managers time by making it easy to pinpoint fleet vehicles that can be replaced by an equivalent EV based on their function and range requirements. The EVSA compares EVs based on factors such as: 

• Total cost of ownership (includes retail price, maintenance costs, fuel/electricity costs and other expenses) 

• EV type (Battery Electric vs. Plug-in Hybrid) 

• Vehicle class 

• Range 

• Local availability 

An electric vehicle adoption report from Geotab's EVSA provides an accurate understanding of which fleet vehicles could be replaced by an electric vehicle at lower cost than a replacement internal combustion engine vehicle. This analysis covers the type of vehicle, range capability requirements and the total cost of ownership.

The first step to making a well-informed investment in electric vehicles is to identify the needs within your fleet and seek out the vehicles that will best address that need. Understanding the driving patterns of your fleet and your existing vehicle's operating costs is required. Using telematics data to identify existing driving profiles can be a helpful starting point for deciding whether to switch to electric vehicles.

There is no fixed timeline for a switch to electric vehicles. Each fleet carries out different operations and has different replacement cycles for their vehicles. If you are developing a timeline for electrification, it is important to build an overview of the needs within the fleet, your goals and your budget.

Geotab currently supports more than 200 brands and models of electrical vehicle. Check our reference sheet for a complete list of the electric vehicle brands/models supported.