Ford Motors provides a case study about how one business uses data to optimize its winter EV fleet

This article is Sponsor Content presented by Ford Pro

It’s no surprise that winters in Canada can be cold. Because of that, one of the most common questions that Canadian customers ask is whether electric vehicles are a realistic option when temperatures begin to drop. 

Having begun his company’s transition to electric vehicles in 2018, Alain Fiset knows a thing or two about building a fleet operation that’s successful throughout the year. As the director of Smart Energy for Fize Electrique — an electrical contractor based near Quebec City — he’s now running a zero-emissions fleet that includes seven E-Transit vans, an F-150 Lightning and a Mustang Mach-E. 

Yet as with any fleet (electric or otherwise), Fiset will be the first to point out that there’s more to running an efficient day-to-day than simply finding the right vehicles. You also need to have the right data and analytics to thrive year-round. 

That’s where the Ford Pro E-Telematics subscription service comes in.

Impact of telematics

According to Fiset, telematics data 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 kilometres on our vans each year, or about 100 kilometres a day on average. For the work we do every day, the Ford E-Transit is a perfect mix of capability and efficiency.”  

Ford Pro E-Telematics is specially designed for commercial customers and includes all Ford Pro Telematics capabilities plus EV-specific features. Fiset has used it to track real-time range and charge status for his fleet, calculate range averages by vehicle throughout the year, remotely precondition vehicles, and seamlessly reimburse employees for home charging costs.  

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

A successful transition

Achieving the level of efficiency Fiset and his team have didn’t happen by chance.

It required research on available vehicles and services before transitioning the company fleet, as well as training employees in good EV practices. That meant taking telematics data and training employees to maximize vehicle efficiency, including vehicle preconditioning and responsible driving habits. 

By going fully electric with their fleet, Fize Electrique is part of the growing Canadian EV market, one in which Ford full-year battery electric vehicle sales were up 30 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.

Fiset and his crew are a prime example of how customers are utilizing Ford Pro vehicles and services to accelerate their business productivity, one vehicle – and the wealth of data it generates – at a time.