We're excited to announce that Trip Planning is now live for PoolCar customers.
With Trip Planning, Smartrak’s PoolCar customers can now take advantage of a modern shared fleet booking experience that sets the stage for sustainable fleet management.
As the focus for Smartrak’s ongoing shared-fleet innovations, Trip Planning benefits from a product development pathway that’s keeping our PoolCar vehicle booking solution at the forefront of UX/UI design, reporting, and emissions reduction.
Trip Planning offers more intuitive and simplified booking processes that aligns with modern UX and UI sensibilities.
A modern approach to pool booking
Trip Planning's improved user experience is simple to use, laying the groundwork to ensure that users adhere to your organisation's fleet goals. Rather than choosing a vehicle based on personal preference, Trip Planning prompts users to choose from a selection of available vehicles that best align with user requirements and your organisation’s chosen fleet strategy.
And if you have EVs equipped with Nextrak, Trip Planning eliminates end-user range anxiety by displaying each EV's current charge and predicted range.
Trip Planning features
The new Trip Planning booking experience offers the following features:
Modern Booking Interface – Users can enter their departure location (a pool) and destination on a map, providing a visual and intuitive approach to vehicle booking.
Date and Time Selection – Allows users to specify their departure and return dates and times, facilitating precise scheduling of vehicle usage.
Search Filters – Users have the option to apply various filters to narrow down their search results, making the selection process more efficient.
Mandatory Field Selection – This ensures users must fill in all mandatory fields, ensuring all necessary information is captured at the time of booking.
Battery Range Data – For vehicles equipped with Nextrak, the display will show battery range data, which includes the current charge level and the vehicle's maximum range.
Cost Centre and Project Code – Users can select a cost centre and project code if applicable, aiding in tracking and management of expenses related to vehicle use.
Personal Purpose Trip Option – There is an option to indicate if the trip is for personal purposes, offering flexibility in vehicle usage.
IPWEA Australasia is very pleased to announce Smartrak has signed on as the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia’s (IPWEA) Fleet Sustainability Partner.
IPWEA Fleet is one of the key Communities of Practice that focuses on the activities undertaken to support an organisation’s objectives through the optimal and sustainable life-cycle management of its plant and vehicle assets. Key focus areas include fleet strategy, operations, safety, efficiency, maintenance, regulatory compliance, and the environment.
Smartrak is a leader in Sustainable Transportation solutions in Australasia. Offering telematics and booking software that provides deep insights into organisational fleets, Smartrak has enabled their customers to streamline their EV transitions and reduce their emissions profiles.
"Our partnership with Smartrak is an exciting step forward, marked by our shared goals and values in advancing support for fleet practitioners across the country, and internationally,” says IPWEA Fleet Director Marc Sibbald. “We are devoted to the development of capacity and capability within the market and are excited to support our members in keeping pace with the emerging technology landscape. We’re eager to connect industry with practitioners, fostering engagement and supporting education and growth within the market.”
Founded in 2006, Smartrak has grown to become one of the largest fleet management software providers in Australasia, with offices across Australia and New Zealand, helping hundreds of fleets gain visibility and insights into their operations.
“Smartrak is proud to be at the forefront of innovative solutions that enable organisations to realise the environmental, economic, and brand benefits of adopting sustainable transportation,” says Peter Grant, Smartrak’s Chief Executive Officer. “By surfacing real-time EV data, we provide insights that remove the friction from the transition.”
The newly formed partnership will also see the introduction of the Smartrak Fleet Certificate Scholarship that will provide two up-and-coming fleet leaders access to the IPWEA Fleet Certificate, as well as access to valuable resources to raise their capabilities in Fleet Management.
“Learning and education are at the core of Smartrak’s values, so we’re excited to support the next generation of fleet specialists as we transition to a more sustainable future,” says Mr. Grant. “The scholarship recipients will be offered a unique, and indispensable opportunity to learn as part of the IPWEA Fleet Certificate cohort.”
As well as the Scholarship for the Fleet Management Certificate, the Fleet Sustainability partnership will see Smartrak providing thought leadership on EVs and sustainability throughout the year, involvement at the 2024 IPWEA Australasian Fleet Conference held in March and regular contributions across the 2024 Fleet Training Days.
About IPWEA
The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia is the peak association for municipal and public works professionals in Australia and New Zealand. IPWEA is a global leader in the delivery of sustainable infrastructure asset management, financial planning and reporting.
About Smartrak
Smartrak proudly leads the charge as the foremost provider of advanced EV fleet management and Sustainable Transportation solutions. Dedicated to facilitating EV enablement, addressing administration, and streamlining shared fleet management throughout Australia and New Zealand. Our expertise positions us as the preferred choice for government agencies, councils, healthcare, and utilities organisations, assisting them in their transition to Net Zero by enhancing fleet visibility, optimising utilisation, right-sizing their fleets, and effectively managing their electrified vehicles.
EVs are fast becoming an important feature of modern fleets. Especially when tackling reducing fleet emissions and operating costs. Thanks to the increasing range of EVs available and favourable government incentives, EV adoption rates have seen significant growth on both sides of the Tasman. The support ecosystem around EVs has also expanded with new charging providers and management solutions being released to the market with increasing momentum.
In fact, there’s been so much to consider, that Fleet Managers could be wondering how they sort through the growing roster of opportunities and challenges to make the best decisions.
Smartrak has been at the forefront of the EV wave. We’ve brought together the key lessons that will answer the questions you have about a range of EV topics. Our EV Fleet Management Guide is the how-to manual for successful EV adoption and essential reading for all Fleet Managers.
The Smartrak EV Fleet Management Guide covers the three areas that are critical to a successful EV transition:
Planning
Draw on the experiences of successful EV deployments to avoid the pitfalls and streamline the adoption process, from identifying the easy wins to bringing everyone along for the journey towards sustainable transportation.
Topics include assessing fleet composition, setting goals, and evaluating charging requirements.
Implementation
Understand the technologies that will make adopting and managing your EVs easier. Engaging with these solutions early will deliver the insights to support your EV management capabilities and inform your decision-making.
Topics include the benefits of a test deployment and refining your charging strategy.
Management
Learn how to gain visibility of key battery data and use it to maximise the utilisation of your EVs and support your EV charging investment. Topics include EV administration, tracking devices for EVs, and trip planning to build on your EV utilisation.
Extend your EV management capabilities with the essential EV resource for all Fleet Managers
The Smartrak EV Fleet Management Guide is packed with handy downloads and links to expand on your EV management capabilities. From breakdowns of government incentives, through to expert analysis of the cost savings you can expect with EVs.
Read the full guide or download the handy overview now.
We understand that navigating the complexities of EV purchases can be a challenge for Fleet Managers. Most states and territories in Australia have their own EV rebates to support EV adoption and corresponding eligibility criteria. We've compiled the information for your convenience.
For more in-depth information on EV adoption in Australia, check out the Electric Vehicle Council’s 2025 report on the current state of EVs across Australia.
The ACT has a number of EV rebates on offer for new ZEV purchases. These include:
Discounted registration and stamp-duty for zero and low-emission vehicles. Eligible vehicles include:
Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)
Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs)
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs)
Low-emission petrol and diesel vehicles
Interest-free loans from $2000 up to $15,000 for the purchase of ZEVs and household ZEV charging infrastructure as part of the Sustainable Household Scheme, repayable over up to 10 years
Unfortunately the 3-year registration exemption for all eligible EV purchases ended on 30 June 2025. There are no immediate plans to offer any new incentives.
Unfortunately, the Victorian government announced in May 2023 that they were ending the $3,000 electric-car subsidy. Currently there are no plans to offer any new incentives.
In 2022, a Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption was introduced that removes FBT for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) purchased after July 1 2022, and priced under the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles. The removal of FBT effectively brings down the cost of an EV to parity with a comparable petrol or diesel car.
A critical update is that from April 1 2025, PHEVs will no longer qualify for the FBT exemption. Fleet Managers, and businesses should take note of this deadline when planning for future vehicle purchases.
A list of over 30 cars that are eligible for FBT exemption has been provided, which means there is an electric car to suit most tastes:
BYD Atto 3
BYD Dolphin
Cupra Born
Cupra Leon (PHEV)
Cupra Formentor (PHEV)
Fiat 500e
Ford Escape (PHEV)
Ford Mustang Mach-e
GMW Ora
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Hyundai Kona
Kia Niro
Kia EV6
Kia Sorento (PHEV)
Lexus ux300e
Mazda MX-30
Mercedes-Benz EQA
Mercedes-Benz EQB
Mazda CX-60 (PHEV)
Mitsubishi Outlander (PHEV)
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (PHEV)
MG 4
MG HS Plus (PHEV)
MG ZS EV
Mini Cooper SE
Mini Countryman (PHEV)
Nissan Leaf
Peugeot 508 (PHEV)
Peugeot 308 (PHEV)
Peugeot 3008 (PHEV)
Polestar 2
Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model Y
Volvo C40
Volvo XC40
Your Partner in EV fleet management
We understand how important it is for organisations to plan and transition to more sustainable fleets. We're keen to be your partner on the journey to sustainable transportation, and EVs will play an important role in that transition.
These emissions, together with those being released by industry, agriculture, and energy production, have been identified as the primary cause of the severe weather conditions being experienced worldwide. Australia and New Zealand have also witnessed the effects this and are pursuing a range of measures to reduce emissions.
To achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050, NZ has brought in the Clean Car Discount which rewards EVs buyers and The Clean Car Standard to regulate vehicle importers and reduce CO2 emissions to specific targets. It is anticipated that these measures will work together to improve the supply and the demand for low and zero CO2 emission light vehicles entering New Zealand.
To help deliver on its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, Australia is also looking at a raft of initiatives to support EV uptake, including: Electric Car Discount legislation, which is already making EVs cheaper and Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Charging Network, to roll out chargers on average every 150 kilometres on major highways.
It has taken a climate crisis to generate concerted action on the harm caused by internal combustion engine vehicles, but the problems caused by these vehicles reaches far beyond the weather.
According to the research in NZ, transport is responsible for two thirds of the harm estimated to be caused by human-made air pollution. Each year in New Zealand harmful emissions result in:
The premature deaths of more than 2,200 adult New Zealanders
More than 9,200 hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiac illnesses
For context, road accidents across Australia in 2021 resulted in 1,123 premature deaths – that is 10 times less than the number of deaths resulting from air pollution.
This is because, in addition to greenhouse gases, petrol and diesel vehicles also release nitrogen oxides and particulate pollution that are harmful to our health. Exposure to nitrogen oxides causes respiratory and cardiovascular damage and can contribute to smog. Particulates can cause lung cancer, and both forms of pollution contribute to asthma.
We could be forgiven for thinking that removing lead from petrol (1996 in NZ and 2002 in Australia) eliminated the major health-harm effects of vehicle pollution, but the problems have continued. Looking at the statistics for pollution harm in NZ and Australia provides further support for switching to EVs, beyond improving the health of the planet.
While the purchase price is one thing to consider when investing in fleet vehicles, it’s also important to look at the total cost of owning an EV, compared to a petrol (or diesel) vehicle. Total cost of ownership is a calculation that adds up all the costs related to buying and operating the vehicle, and then subtracts the residual value of the vehicle (the price it can be sold for).
Research indicates that the total cost of owning an EV is significantly less than owning a petrol car. This is because BEV engines are much simpler than internal combustion engines, with fewer moving parts, which means maintenance is far less expensive. There is no need to tune the engine, change the oil, replace the spark plugs, or service the transmission.
One study found electric vehicle servicing costs are one-third lower than ICE servicing costs. Based on this assumption, you might spend $1,000 maintaining a petrol engine each year or $666 to maintain a BEV. (Hybrid vehicles still have an ICE engine, so servicing costs won’t be much lower, if at all.)
In another study, the average total cost of ownership for the four tested EVswas 67.5% of the total cost of owning the petrol alternatives, at $36,772 for the EVs compared to $54,473 for the petrol cars. The real-world evidence is stacking up in favour of EVs and we haven’t even mentioned burning expensive fossil fuels.
Using electricity to power your car, instead of petrol is a major saving.
Of course, the total cost of ownership needs to include any future resale price to be truly representative, and EV ownership is looking good there, too. The EVs looked at in this studyhad a higher residual value after five years of ownership, whereas the petrol vehicles generally lost value faster. After five years, the four tested EVs could be expected to sell for, on average, 50% of their original purchase price. The petrol cars, on the other hand, had expectations, on average, that were 43% of their original purchase price.
Organisations are starting to feel the pressure to reduce emissions. However, there’s a lot of confusion about the best approach to successfully transition to electric vehicles. For many Fleet Managers, day-to-day operations take precedence over the broader goals of reducing emissions. If this sounds like the challenge facing you, we have a proven strategy to get your people into EVs. With government mandates already in place, now is the time to start planning for a smooth and successful transition to a more sustainable fleet.
A successful transition to EVs depends on a comprehensive approach.
The Fleet Review
The EV adoption roadmap
Your EV policies
Utilising EV-friendly tech
Measure the gains
Deciding what’s possible
Smartrak’s proven strategy to help organisations transition to electric vehicles highlights the opportunity for fleets to reduce their carbon footprint.
Our Transition Strategy offers a complete plan for EV transition, including feasibility analysis, identifying opportunities for fleet optimisation, and EV rollout.
It all starts with understanding your operational requirements and developing a tailored EV Transition Strategy that maximises fleet productivity alongside reducing emissions.
Step 1: The Fleet Review
An honest review of fleet operations doesn’t start with assumptions, it starts with analysing the data of actual vehicle use. Smartrak client, Meridian Energy, assumed that transitioning 30% of their white fleet to EVs was doable. However, the data collected through telematics illustrated that a 100% transition was achievable, and that’s where they are now.
The review will provide the confidence to map out a roadmap towards a more sustainable fleet that is also aligned with your organisation’s goals. It also provides a baseline by which all future reporting and analysis will be measured.
Step 2: The EV adoption roadmap
Once you understand your fleet, you’re in a position to create a tailored roadmap that will guide your transition to electric vehicles. This should include your charging strategy: will you rely on public chargers or bring in your own charging infrastructure? This is also the right time to factor in any vehicle leasing milestones for EV swap-outs and the government incentives and rebates that are available.
Step 3: Your EV policies
An EV that isn’t fully utilised won’t noticeably reduce your fleet costs or your emissions. Underutilisation can come down to a range of factors: range anxiety, preference, or unsuitability can all affect how much an EV is used. By adopting policies that prioritise the use of EVs and ensure that charging isn’t an issue you will get over most of the hurdles to maximised utilisation. And if your Fleet Review has done its job, you will have identified those special case vehicles that are currently unsuitable for EV transition.
Step 4: Utilising EV-friendly tech
Smartrak has prioritised EV adoption in our product development roadmap. This has produced some new features and solutions to make EVs easier to adopt and manage.
Our latest tracking device offers state-of-the-art telematics alongside an EV focus that provides real-time visibility of critical battery data, including battery charge state and range on that available charge.
This tracking solution will also underpin your EV charging strategy by letting you know when an EV is on a charger. Combine this knowledge with an awareness of battery levels across the fleet and you can prioritise access to chargers.
If you run a shared fleet, our pool booking solution includes EV-focused features that highlight the previously discussed battery data and automatically calculate if there is sufficient charge for a booker’s proposed journey. The booking solution can also prioritise EVs in booking requests to ensure they are always used first, where appropriate.
Step 5: Measure the gains
To generate momentum in the adoption of EVs you will need to demonstrate that it’s worth the investment. This is where reporting is vital. The huge amount of information that’s being collected through telematics and your pool booking solution, if you have one, needs to be analysed and shared with others. Smartrak can integrate telematics and pool booking into a seamless and powerful information generator and then deliver that knowledge in easily shared and impactful reports. You can see savings in fuel use and project reductions in vehicle servicing costs. We also have an automated fleet emissions reporting module that will measure progress to a more sustainable fleet.
Proving that your EV adoption strategy is making a difference provides the confidence to expand the role of EVs in your business and highlights where savings can be reinvested in your more sustainable fleet.
To find out more or to start your fleet's transition to electric vehicles, talk to us today.
Most fleet managers understand that electric vehicles (EVs) are here to stay and will play an increasingly important role in how organisations move people from A to B. They are a proven way to reduce fleet emissions, and when utilised properly, an excellent opportunity to reduce fleet running costs. But to ensure you reap the benefits EVs are capable of, it’s important that you have a way to accurately measure EV utilisation. In short, electric vehicle tracking should be a serious consideration alongside your EV deployment.
Why electric vehicle tracking is essential
Vehicle tracking has become an integral part of any fleet management operation. Not only does it give you the peace of mind of knowing where your assets are, but it also opens the door to a wealth of utilisation data that can inform your decision-making. Electric vehicle tracking has then become an extension of this concept, but it offers several additional benefits, including identifying EV suitability, maximising EV utilisation, reducing the administration of EVs, and supporting your chosen charging strategy.
Identifying EV suitability
The first question facing a fleet when looking at adopting EVs is how many to bring on board. Often, managers are guided by anecdotal evidence about which roles are suitable for an EV replacement. These decisions are generally framed around range and vehicle suitability (4WD, etc.). If you have telematics deployed for your conventional vehicles, you will be able to use the tracking data to gain real-world insights into actual use profiles and make your decisions accordingly.
This is a good start, but if your tracking solution isn’t also compatible with the EVs you’re adopting, your new vehicles will essentially ‘drop off the radar.’
By having electric vehicle tracking in place, you can refine your EV adoption parameters; taking into consideration how the first tranche of EVs is being utilised and using that information to plan further deployments.
Maximising EV utilisation with electric vehicle tracking
Range anxiety is one of the most common reasons given for choosing a conventional vehicle over an EV. This reluctance to take a chance on an EV is completely understandable if vehicle users are unfamiliar with the technology. If the petrol vehicle is down to a quarter tank, no problem: a five-minute pit stop at any petrol station will sort you out. On the other hand, running out of charge in an EV is viewed as a major inconvenience.
Electric vehicle tracking addresses this issue by allowing managers and end-users the ability to monitor the real-time battery levelsof all your EVs. It provides information on the battery level and the current range. This information can be supplied to a user’s computer or via an app on their phone so they know their chosen vehicle has sufficient charge for a trip even before they head to the car park.
This level of battery information is also a game changer for fleet managers, as it provides a centralised view of all EVs in the fleet and their status. If any EVs are running low on juice, they can be prioritised so future users aren’t inconvenienced. In this way, electric vehicle tracking brings agility to fleet EV management to maximise their use and remove unwanted roadblocks.
Reduced admin and a unified management experience
Most modern EVs will come with a level of telematics already installed and referred to as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) telematics. Unfortunately, OEM telematics are generally specific to a model or brand of EV and will not offer a unified management process across different brands. Some software suppliers are building apps to address this, but you will need to check before choosing your EVs. Even with a third-party app to bring all OEM telematics under a single management process, you will still be faced with a doubling of management workload because your conventional vehicles are being tracked by different, and often more capable technology.
The best option is to bring in an electric vehicle tracking solution that is also capable of tracking your remaining conventional vehicles. This will provide a unified system that delivers the tracking capabilities you are familiar with to your entire fleet. Plus, this continuity is available without compromising on the specific insights you want to successfully manage EVs. Just clicking on the EV Tab in the fleet management or vehicle booking program will bring up the battery information that’s important to EV management alongside all the tracking data you’re used to seeing with a conventional tracking solution.
As your appetite for more EVs grows this dual capability will support a seamless transition, opening a pathway for greater EV adoption without the necessity for additional systems or an extra layer of admin.
Electric vehicle tracking supports your EV charging strategy
The real-time battery information an electric vehicle tracking solution provides will also highlight if an EV is currently on a charger. Combine this knowledge with awareness of that EV’s current battery level and you have the tools to maximise your investment in charging infrastructure. Seeing that a vehicle occupying a charger has a nearly full battery while another EV has an almost empty battery highlights that these vehicles need to be swapped over.
It can also inform how many chargers you may choose to deploy at your head office and remote sites. The conventional wisdom of a 1-to-1 charger ratio with all EVs plugged in at the end of the day will likely prove to be an unnecessary cost if you can proactively manage vehicle charging throughout the day. Research shows that most fleets find a 1-to-4 ratio adequate for operational requirements.
Supporting operational goals
Electric vehicle tracking also helps manage risky driver behaviours, such as speeding. With a unified tracking system, you’re able to confidently address any infringements and measure the performance of all drivers equally.
Another operational goal that will be front-of-mind is measuring the outcomes of your EV investment. While it’s all well and good to know that you can achieve fuel savings of up to 70% and a reduction in maintenance costs of up to 40%, you need a way to track your fleet’s progress. By integrating electric vehicle tracking with a comprehensive reporting suite, you’ll be able to measure progress across key criteria from emissions reduction to operational savings. Being able to identify the highest-emitting vehicles and assess their suitability for EV replacement is an excellent way to tip the balance towards a more sustainable (and cheaper to run) fleet.
Future-proofing your EV investment
Electric vehicle tracking also plays a necessary component in the variety of EV management solutions being brought to market. Already, vehicle booking solutions can use electric vehicle tracking to alert a booker if their chosen vehicle is below an average trip threshold, which may impact their upcoming trip. This capability opens the door to journey management, with charging stations included in a navigation map together with suggested recharging stops based on that EV’s current battery level and range.
Enrolling EVs in your fleet’s servicing schedules will be simplified and streamlined by using electric vehicle tracking to track the necessary mileage, etc. and then include these service milestones in your operational calendar.
