In-house EV training electrifies efficiency

An in-house driver training programme is helping 100s of staff embrace non fossil fuel vehicles. 

Denbighshire County Council’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet training programme has so far trained over 500 staff.

The Council’s fleet is continuing to undergo a transition to zero emission tail pipe vehicles to help reduce carbon emission to address the Climate and Nature emergency declared by the local authority in 2019.

In comparison to all Welsh local authorities the Council has one of the highest figures in Wales for the proportion of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as a percentage of their fleet, at over 20 percent.

To support the transition the Fleet team devised an EV training package for all Council staff who would need to use electric vehicles during work time to help them operate vehicles safely and efficiently.

The in-house training includes:

• How to safely and efficiently utilise the EV charging infrastructure
• Effective use of regenerative braking systems
• Correct selection of ‘driving mode’ for varying conditions / pay loads

And there are four different levels of qualification available to staff (Training is CBTM 1877 certified):

• Level 1 Bronze – Cars & Small vans
• Level 2 Silver – As level 1 + LGVs such as refuse recycling vehicles
• Level 3 Gold – As level 2 + Buses & Plant / Machinery
• Level 4 Platinum – As Level 3 + Instructor qualification

Martin Griffiths, Fleet Mobility Lead Officer, Denbighshire County Council, explained: “As part of our Council Climate Change and Nature Recovery strategy we are committed to reducing carbon emissions across the local authority, which includes our Fleet.

“We have been transitioning our end of live fossil fuel powered vehicles over to electric with significant support from Welsh and UK Government departments to help us cut down on emissions produced and also reduce long term costs for miles and maintenance across all services our Fleet supplies to.

David Baker, Senior Driver Training & Assessment Officer said “A key part of this is helping staff actually learn more about what an EV can do positively for travel and for the environment and coaching them to get the best out of this equipment.

“Our inhouse trainer supports with getting to grips with how regenerative braking works to extend range and reduce conventional wear and tear on normal brakes. They look at how to smooth out driving to avoid harsh acceleration which impacts on battery performance.

“Other elements taught can include how to route plan to use the vehicle effectively, getting used to the instant torque of the vehicles for safety and increased awareness of surroundings due to the low noise of EVs.

“Effectively the training helps maximise the ability of these cars driven by staff to increase vehicle efficiency and reduce long term costs. It’s also good to help individual staff as well to make their own decisions regarding moving to an EV for personal use.”

The success of the Fleet team’s EV  in-house training has caught the eye of other Welsh local authorities working to reduce their own vehicle carbon emissions.

Martin added: “We are sharing our good practice and experiences with other Welsh Council’s and Public Sector Bodies to help them with their own transition to zero emission.

 “Being able to carry the training out in house and learn from the experiences of our own staff using the EVs has been a massive bonus for how we continue to shape our fleet to tackle carbon emissions in the future.”