By Rob Wilson – Director IPWEA FLEET
Fleet Management 2020 and beyond
Who can remember Y2K? I can - very clearly. I was working as a fleet manager in the emergency services at the time and in the lead up we had to verify the suitability of every electronic component in each fire appliance (truck) to make sure it wasn’t going to stop – or worse still go berserk as the clock ticked into the new millennium. I was rostered on to deal with any unexpected happenings from 1:00 am on 1 January and was heartened to find my car started, my phone worked and helicopters were still flying as I drove to the control centre.
Beyond the non-event of Y2K, there was a kind of milestone that was associated with a new millennium and organisations used it as a strategic planning reference. But the 2000 reference point soon evolved into 2020 another milestone planning target – and here we are.
When we reflect, we can see how much has changed in the first 20 years of the 21st century. General Motors’ decision to retire the Holden brand would have been almost inconceivable 20 years ago but is now a reality and a stark indicator of a changing market and industry.
EVs are well and truly with us and developing at a rapid rate. Interestingly the EV market was the one bright light in a contracting passenger vehicle market in 2019. Vfacts reported 2019 had a 7.8% decrease in new vehicle sales compared to 2018. In contrast EVs and PHEVs sales more than doubled in 2019 compared to 2018, albeit off a low base.
Increased vehicle automation is happening with many Level 2 automation features such as active lane assist now seen in everyday vehicles and automation continues to evolve in the passenger vehicle, heavy vehicle and plant markets.
Vehicles are much safer and more efficient than they were 20 years ago with ANCAP date stamp ratings being introduced to recognise improving standards.
Given technology is evolving at an exponential rate, it is certainly tantalising to think what the fleet industry will be like in another 20, 10 or even five years.
So how do we prepare? We need to be proactively engaged in the industry. We need to hear from thought leaders and innovators to understand what is coming and what threats and opportunities these changes present. This is the theme for our Australasian Fleet Conference this year - Fleet Management in 2020 and beyond. We have a great range of presenters who will discuss what is happening in the industry now and what this means for the future. More information on the conference can be found here.