The electric vehicle market is growing in Canada, and Ford continues to play a big part in this transition with full-year battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales up 30% year-over-year. Fize Electrique runs a completely zero-emission fleet with the support of data and analytics from Ford Pro e-Telematics and delivers year-round with 66kWh E-Transit vans.

Zero-Emissions Fleet

Based out of Lévis, electrical contractor Fize Electrique began transitioning its fleet to electric starting in 2018. Today, their fleet of more than 10 vehicles is fully zero-emissions, including seven E-Transit vans, an F-150 Lightning, and a Mustang Mach-E.

Ford Pro e-Telematics Subscription

Ford Pro e-Telematics is a subscription service for commercial customers that includes all Ford Pro Telematics features plus:

• Real-time range status

• Charge status

• Remote preconditioning

• Home-charging reimbursement for employees

Every Ford EV comes with a trial subscription to the service, meaning customers can manage all aspects of their fleet from the convenience of a smartphone or laptop, no matter where they are.

Tracking EV Fleet Efficiency

According to Alain Fiset, director of Smart Energy for Fize Electrique, data from Ford Pro e-Telematics shows that the Ford E-Transit — despite having a smaller battery and lower estimated range than the F-150 Lightning or Mustang Mach-E — has been a perfect fit for the company’s needs.

“Using Ford Pro e-Telematics, we’re able to track our range and efficiency at any moment, and even in the winter our E-Transit vans have plenty of capability to meet our needs,” said Fiset. “We put about 25,000 kilometers (15,534 miles) on our vans each year, or about 100 kilometers (62 miles) a day on average. For the work we do every day, the Ford E-Transit is a perfect mix of capability and efficiency.”

Preparing for EV Transition

Achieving this level of efficiency did not happen by chance, according to Fiset.  It required research on available vehicles and services before transitioning their fleet, along with training their employees in good EV practices.

Key elements of the transition to zero-emissions for the fleet involved:

• Understanding how its fleet of internal combustion engine vehicles was being utilized on an average day, and over the course of a year, helped Fiset and his team choose the right electric vehicle for each job and determine when it was right to make the transition.

• Using Ford Pro e-Telematics, Fiset and his team have been able to track real-time range and charge status, calculate range averages by vehicle throughout the year, remotely precondition vehicles, and seamlessly reimburse employees for home charging costs.

• Taking the e-Telematics data and training their employees on how to maximize vehicle efficiency, including vehicle preconditioning and responsible driving habits.

Ford Pro said this is another example of how customers are utilizing its vehicles and services to accelerate their business productivity.

Order banks for the enhanced-range version of the Ford E-Transit are now open.