As fleet managers transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), they face a critical challenge: managing data across a range of charging stations and fueling sources to ensure smooth, efficient operations. Carlos Carriedo, Chief Operating Officer of Americas Payments & Mobility at WEX, highlighted this challenge, stating, “With WEX EV Depot, we are helping customers navigate the complexity of infrastructure rollout and providing them with the necessary tools to operate efficiently at scale with a comprehensive, 360-degree solution.”
The automotive industry is undergoing a significant shift toward mixed-energy fleets, which combine ICE vehicles and EVs. A recent report by Frost & Sullivan, commissioned by WEX, revealed that 80% of mixed-energy fleet operators surveyed plan to ensure at least 25% of their fleets are electric by 2030. As fleets adopt this mixed-energy approach, there is an increasing need for a seamless payment system that can support both traditional fueling and EV charging needs. This is where WEX’s card offerings come into play, offering a unified solution for managing payments across mixed-energy fleets.
WEX EV Depot is designed to help businesses navigate this transition with ease, providing an integrated solution that simplifies the complexities of managing payments and data across multiple charging stations and fueling systems. The platform offers a range of features that benefit both fleet operators and drivers alike, ensuring smooth operations and enhanced financial management.
Key Benefits for Fleet Operators
One of the standout features of WEX EV Depot is its inclusion in an integrated reporting system, enabling fleet operators to consolidate and manage all EV charges, as well as fuel transactions, through a single WEX fleet credit line. This streamlined system allows for improved operational efficiency, as fleet operators can access and monitor data from all charging sources in one unified platform.
The WEX EV Depot solution also simplifies fleet management by reducing the number of cards needed for transactions. This makes the onboarding process quicker and reduces administrative overhead. With fewer cards to manage, fleet operators can save time and resources on logistics, ensuring smoother day-to-day operations.
Additionally, the WEX EV Depot platform includes the WEX EV Depot Mapping tool, a powerful feature that allows fleet operators to direct their EV drivers to preferred charging locations—whether public or private depots. Importantly, this tool works even when charging stations are not connected to the internet, ensuring that drivers can always find a charging station when needed. This feature ensures that fleet operators have greater flexibility and control over their infrastructure rollout, while offering drivers a convenient and reliable way to charge their EVs.
Another valuable feature is the ability to schedule EV charging overnight, helping fleet operators reduce downtime during business hours. This feature optimizes fleet operations, ensuring that vehicles are ready for use the next day while minimizing the impact on daily schedules. The ability to manage charging times also helps reduce electricity costs by taking advantage of off-peak rates.
Key Benefits for Drivers
WEX EV Depot provides significant advantages for drivers as well, making the charging experience faster, more secure, and more convenient. The platform uses a WEX-issued RFID tag that enables secure and frictionless payments at private chargers. This tag can be used at any of WEX’s nearly 150,000 public charging stations, ensuring drivers have access to a broad network of charging options across the country.
Additionally, WEX offers its DriverDash mobile app, which allows drivers to activate chargers touch-free and make payments seamlessly via their smartphones. The app works across both public and private charging stations, making it a versatile solution for EV drivers on the go. This functionality further simplifies the charging process, as drivers no longer need to worry about carrying multiple cards or devices to access various charging networks.
One of the key benefits of the WEX EV Depot platform is the significant reduction in the number of cards required to access EV charging stations. This streamlining of the charging process helps drivers save time and reduces the chances of issues arising from card management, such as misplaced or expired cards.
Enhancing Operational and Financial Efficiency
According to Carriedo, “With comprehensive payment integration, the EV Depot Mapping tool, and robust data security, our WEX EV Depot solution provides a wealth of benefits to our EV and mixed-fleet customers. It offers a simple and efficient tool to enhance operational and financial efficiency, and accelerate lower-emissions goals.” This statement underscores the platform’s ability to support both operational efficiency and sustainability goals.
By integrating payments, infrastructure management, and reporting in one system, WEX EV Depot gives fleet operators the tools they need to maximize their fleet’s efficiency and financial performance. This integration helps businesses save time and money, while ensuring they meet their sustainability targets. For companies looking to reduce emissions and increase the adoption of EVs, the platform offers a critical tool for facilitating the transition to a greener fleet.
Seamless Integration with Operational Data
WEX EV Depot is not just a payment system; it is also a comprehensive solution that integrates with insights from Sawatch Labs, a WEX company. Sawatch Labs provides fleet managers with real operational data to help them determine the most effective locations for depot charging stations. By leveraging real-world data, fleets can maximize their return on investment (ROI) by ensuring that their charging infrastructure is deployed where it will be most beneficial. This data-driven approach helps optimize fleet performance and energy efficiency, ensuring that businesses get the most out of their investments in EV infrastructure.
Availability and Pricing
WEX EV Depot is available to WEX En Route customers for an additional subscription fee. The platform’s seamless integration with WEX’s other services ensures that customers can access a comprehensive suite of tools to manage their fleet operations. By providing a centralized solution for fleet managers, WEX EV Depot eliminates the need for multiple third-party services, offering a single point of contact for managing charging, payments, and data.
As fleets increasingly adopt EVs, the need for efficient, secure, and unified charging solutions becomes even more critical. WEX EV Depot addresses these needs by providing fleet operators with an integrated platform that simplifies the management of EV charging, streamlines payment processes, and enhances operational efficiency. For drivers, the solution offers a seamless charging experience with secure, frictionless payments and access to a wide network of charging stations.
The future of fleet management is moving towards a mixed-energy model, and WEX EV Depot offers the tools needed to navigate this transition. By offering a comprehensive, data-driven solution, WEX is helping fleets enhance their operations, reduce costs, and accelerate their sustainability goals.
