Smartrak is excited to announce the newest member of its EV Enablement Initiative, Meridian Energy. Meridian joins a Special Interest Group (SIG) alongside esteemed members Griffith University and Aurecon. The establishment of this SIG will see the development of industry-leading software by Smartrak, focused on facilitating the seamless integration, operation, and management of electric vehicles within fleets.
“A longstanding Smartrak customer, Meridian has achieved significant carbon emission reductions leveraging our solutions. We are thrilled to welcome Meridian to our EV Enablement Initiative where they will share their invaluable insights.” Says Dr Sharlene Smith, Smartrak Business Manager – Sustainability Initiatives.
Meridian is a market leader in New Zealand’s EV transition. They have achieved remarkable success in transitioning their light passenger fleet to 100% fully electric by 2021, surpassing their original target of 2030, by an impressive 9 years. Leveraging Smartrak’s cutting-edge telematics and booking solutions, Meridian has effectively reduced fleet size, minimised capital expenditure, and lowered operating costs. Furthermore, Meridian is actively contributing to the EV ecosystem by providing home and business charging solutions and operating ‘Zero’, which is a public network of chargers spanning Aotearoa New Zealand.
A future-proof solution
In a series of collaborative meetings over the last few months, Smartrak’s SIG members have come together to contribute their expertise, insights, and pain points, to help shape the development of industry-leading EV enabling software. By addressing evolving priorities and challenges within the fleet management space, Smartrak’s EV Enablement Initiative is delivering an innovative suite of features that will make managing EV fleets as straightforward as any ICE fleet.
Smartrak delivers simplified EV management by providing our customers with remote battery data direct from the vehicle and enabling priority charging notifications based on upcoming bookings. Capturing data directly from the vehicle negates the need for a vehicle to be plugged into a costly smart charger to check its charging status. This capability results in significant time savings, simplified multi-site management and support for back-to-back vehicle bookings. Smartrak also offers enhanced EV and sustainability reporting, and an improved EV booking experience for end users, ensuring customers can deliver on their sustainability goals. Smartrak’s integrated booking system, PoolCar, now offers real-time visibility into EV range and emissions impact at time of booking and includes vehicle recommendations based on vehicle specific CO2 emissions and intended trip length.
This collaborative approach to product development underscores Smartrak’s commitment to working closely with its customers to design industry-led solutions that empower them to successfully navigate and overcome the challenges presented by the adoption and integration of EVs within fleets.
