Route Monkey is successfully working with local authorities to analyse their fleets’ potential for incorporating electric vehicles.
The optimisation specialist is working in conjunction with the Energy Saving Trust as a partner on Transport Scotland’s Switched on Fleets initiative, which aims to encourage public sector fleets to reduce harmful emissions from their transport activities through increased uptake of electric vehicles.
Route Monkey will work with all 32 Scottish Community Planning Partnerships to identify those areas of their fleet operations that may benefit from a switch to electric vehicles and those that won’t be suitable – which it said is just as important to analyse.
Both commercial vehicle fleets and pool car fleets are being assessed in the scheme.
Colin Ferguson, CEO at Route Monkey, said: “We can say to councils, this is what is happening today and this is what you could be doing next year and the year after. It is a good example of where we use algorithms and technology to inform procurement choices and identify how electric vehicles, or other alternative fuels, could benefit. It is using evidence-based analysis to encourage the uptake of low-carbon vehicles.”
The algorithms used in Route Monkey’s technology don’t just assess optimum vehicle routes, but also take into account essential factors such as driver shift patterns, rest break requirements, infrastructure, congestion, vehicle payload and, in the case of electric vehicles, suitable recharging points.
Prior to its work with Transport Scotland, Route Monkey was also the analytical partner on the Plugged In Fleets initiative in England, which applied to both public sector and private fleets, such as those run by major retailers like Morrisons and Boots.
Route Monkey is now planning to expand its optimisation technology both geographically, through new offices in both Amsterdam and Hong Kong due to open by the end of the year, and via the move to a new online platform.
Ferguson explained: “We are launching a national scheduling platform. Rather than make it an individual tool for companies, we are actually putting this technology online and centralising it so anyone can access it.”
The online launch is scheduled to be live by Q3 next year, and Route Monkey will be taking part at next month’s Freight in the City Expo looking to engage with fleets wanting to participate in free trials of the software during pilot stages.
Freight in the City is afree-to-attend one-day expo about sustainable urban logistics. It will be held on Tuesday 27 October at London's Alexandra Palace. Book you place now!
