For the fourth year in a row, Webfleet returns as the official technology partner for the A to Z EV Rally 2024. The event has flourished year after year, following the success of the EV Rally: Capital City Challenge and the GB EV Rally. This year, the event returned bigger than ever with an enhanced route and a diverse selection of electric vehicles! Below, we highlight this year’s standout moments and delve into the event and Webfleet’s involvement.
A to Z EV Rally Highlights 2024
Building on previous years’ success, we equipped each lead vehicle with our LINK devices to capture electric vehicle capabilities and driving behaviour during the raly. A total of 23 vehicles collected data, providing insights into driver behaviour and energy efficiency throughout the Five days. Winners were announced at the final checkpoint courtesy of Lex Autolease. Congratulations to Team National Grid for leading in safe and sustainable driving and to Team Women Drive Electric for the most efficient driving over 1,400+ miles! Below are the final league table results.
What is the EV Rally?
You may be thinking, I have heard of the EV Rally, but I am not sure what the purpose is. Well, the vision behind this unique event is to demonstrate the innovation available throughout the UK to support the transition to electric vehicles. To highlight this, around 18+ teams during the rally travel across 1,400+ miles of the UK in electric vehicles hitting checkpoints whilst managing charging time, charging location and availability. The event is also a benchmark to measure the vast improvements seen in battery technology from electric vehicles over recent years, with some doubling their range.
To begin with, the focus was on electric cars and then with innovations in technology, electric vans were introduced. This year they are extending this to four classes of vehicles including HGVs and motorcycles. The event is heavily documented on social media and you can keep up-to-date with the teams as they travel across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Who takes part in the EV Rally?
This year, Webfleet entered a Volkswagen ID.7 and a Toyota Proace City van with 200kg of extra weight, gaining valuable performance insights across various scenarios. A passionate team of EV enthusiasts from Webfleet UK led these vehicles. They also participated in previous events, documenting their learning and experiences. Joining them again as sponsors were:
Lex Autolease The AA Paua National Grid OVO and many more…
Previously we caught up with one of our esteemed customers OVO on the EV Rally. Their team consisted of over 40 OVO drivers completing each section throughout the week. Their mission was to highlight the capabilities of their drivers in electric vehicles. It was a success as they finished fifth on the leaderboard. The 40 OVO drivers managed an average efficiency of 4.04 miles per kW/hour, exceeding the WLTP rating of 3.9 miles per kW/hour. We caught up with OVO representative Tasha, who shared her experience and how OVO uses Webfleet:
How is Webfleet supporting EV’s as the official technology partner?
As the technology partner, Webfleet can install LINK devices into both the lead van and car from each team to extract EV data and track performance. This is achieved through the canalisation of each vehicle to ensure the LINK device is compatible and will provide the insights required. Throughout the week, Webfleet can use these insights to determine who on the EV Rally is driving at an optimal level to maximise the EV performance. This can be identified through charging behaviours and driver behaviour data.
Delving into the EV data
The EV Rally team chose Webfleet, Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution, to draw upon a wide range of actionable insights: charging status, energy consumption and charger connection reports. These are vital considerations when planning journeys and maximising the range of an electric vehicle.
Through data provided by the LINK devices installed into lead vehicles, Webfleet can measure performance and energy consumption intelligence to compare against the benchmark WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) readings. The comparisons can be made to identify real-world vehicle performance and driving efficiency.
Moreover, Webfleet provides detailed insights into driver behaviour, identified through eight performance insights in OptiDrive. Combining driver behaviour and EV data insights allows Webfleet to determine the most efficient vehicles and teams across the EV Rally. Drivers can also analyse their driving behaviour after each day using the ‘My driving profile’ on the Logbook app, allowing them to improve their driving style as they progress along their journey.
In the video below, UKI Sales Director James Dewhurst explains the importance of implementing telematics to measure efficiency and safe driving. He also explains the shared mission to move the world towards a sustainable future with data-driven mobility solutions.
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EV Rally highlights 2023
EV Rally highlights 2022
