What Business Owners Need to Know About Electric Vehicles

After finally acquiring the capital you need to jumpstart your business, the first thing you want to do is obtain a fleet. A fleet is a group of personalized vehicles that are used for commercial purposes. But rather than purchase the traditional vehicles that use fossil fuels to operate, why not go with electric vehicles (EVs) instead? In this post, we’ll be covering what business owners need to know about electric vehicles and how to make the best decision.

You Can Significantly Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

We’re going to start off by tackling the engine in the room: having electric vehicles will reduce your carbon footprint by a pretty significant amount. This is because EVs don’t use fossil fuels to function. Instead, these vehicles use a large battery that can be recharged at the appropriate stations. Why does this matter, you may ask? Well, the truth is that fuel prices aren’t exactly the most affordable. In fact, you’d be surprised to know that businesses with an established fleet can spend up to 25 percent of their revenue on fuel alone. Keep in mind, however, that this isn’t something that applies to every company. Rather than spend $20 to $50 for a full tank of gas, you only must pay approximately $6 to $8 to recharge the battery. Though, it should be noted that how much you spend will depend on where you’re located and the amount of miles.

You Have to Register Your EVs

Before you can officially use your EVs for your business practices, you must first register it with the DMV and apply for a permanent fleet registration (PFR) form. In addition, you also need to secure vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for each vehicle you have in your fleet. Think of these numbers as a social security number; they’re used to help identify each vehicle. They are meant to help you track your registrations, alert you to any safety recalls and keep you up to date with your insurance.

Consider Purchasing Used EVs

It can be hard building trust in electric cars but if you’re looking to save money on your fleet, then you should consider purchasing used EVs. Used EVs come with a reduced price tag, but you may be on the fence about it for several reasons. For starters, used vehicles of any kind have somewhat of an unfair reputation. Many consider used vehicles to be outdated and full of problems. However, this isn’t exactly true. Most used vehicles function as well as a brand new one. 

While you obviously want to have each EV inspected and have maintenance performed, you’d be doing the same with a brand-new vehicle. Secondly, you can use the battery as a bargaining chip during negotiations. Car batteries are like a battery in a mobile device or laptop. This also means they degrade over time. As you search through the catalog, it’s also in your best interest to research if there have been any recalls for a specific model. If you see multiple safety recalls, it’s best if you keep searching.

Choose Between All-Electric or Hybrid

There are two forms of EVs you can incorporate into your fleet: all-electric or hybrid. All-electric is exactly as it sounds; it doesn’t use any form of fossil fuel period. Hybrid EVs still utilize engines and fuel tanks, but you can use one or the other. It should be noted that hybrids are going to cost you a bit more than an all-electric vehicle. Since this investment will cost you tens of thousands, it’s important that you be as thorough as possible. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons of both types of electric vehicles before ultimately deciding.

David Smith
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David Smith

David Smith is Chicago based automotive content writer. He has been working in the auto industry for a long time. And shares his thoughts on automobiles, repair and maintenance, top selling cars on Auto Seeks. David Smith likes to ride new vehicles so that he can present a well informative information to our readers. Beyond cars and vehicle review he also enjoys playing baseball along with teengers.

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