In 2026, fleet electrification across Europe is growing, but at a gradual pace. Electric commercial vehicles account for a small share of new registrations. The reality for most distribution companies is clear: fleets will be mixed for years.
Diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles coexisting in the same vehicle pool. And this coexistence, if not managed well, creates more problems than it solves.
Why a mixed fleet is more complex
At first glance it seems simple: add a few electric vans for urban routes, keep the diesels for interurban ones. In practice, complexity multiplies:
Two types of costs to compare. Diesel has a straightforward per-liter cost. Electric has a per-kWh cost that varies based on where you charge (depot, public station, driver’s home), when you charge (daytime vs. overnight rates), and how you charge (slow AC vs. fast DC). Without a platform that normalizes this data, comparing real costs is impossible.
Two different maintenance cycles. Diesel vehicles require periodic servicing with oil changes, filters and belts. Electric vehicles have fewer moving parts but need specific checks on battery health, cooling systems and brakes (wear patterns differ due to regenerative braking). Managing both with the same approach leads to errors and waste.
KPIs that don’t speak the same language. How do you compare a vehicle that consumes 12 liters/100km with one that uses 18 kWh/100km? You need a common metric — cost per km, cost per delivery — that only an integrated platform can calculate.
The three most common mistakes in mixed fleet management
1. Using two separate systems
One software for diesel tracking, a manufacturer’s app for the electrics. The result: fragmented data, no unified view, and a fleet manager wasting time piecing together numbers in an Excel spreadsheet.
The solution is a single telematics platform that handles both vehicle types and produces comparable reports.
2. Assigning vehicles by habit
“The electric van is new, give it to the youngest driver.” Vehicle assignment should be based on route data: km, urban percentage, number of stops, available charging windows. Not on driver seniority.
An electric vehicle assigned to a 250 km interurban route will sit idle mid-day waiting to charge. The same vehicle on a 90 km urban route with 30 stops will leverage regenerative braking and return to the depot with 40% charge remaining.
3. Not measuring the real comparison
“The electric van costs less in fuel.” True, but how much less? Including peak-hour charging? And the cost of charging infrastructure? And the difference in maintenance?
Without concrete route-by-route data, the comparison remains anecdotal. And anecdotes don’t convince an operations director to approve the next purchase.
What you need to manage a mixed fleet well
Unified monitoring
A platform that shows all vehicles — diesel, hybrid, electric — on a single map, with the same alerts and the same reporting logic. Vehicle-specific data (fuel for diesels, battery for EVs) must be visible but translated into common metrics: cost/km, cost/delivery, emissions/route.
Differentiated maintenance management
Customized alerts and schedules by vehicle type:
- Diesel: servicing every X km, oil change, filters, annual inspection
- Electric: battery SoH monitoring, cooling system, brakes (note: brake wear on EVs is much lower thanks to regenerative braking)
- Common: insurance, leasing, documents, tires
Route-aware planning
Route assignment must account for vehicle type:
- Urban routes with many stops → prioritize electric vehicles (stop-and-go efficiency, restricted zone access)
- Mixed or long interurban routes → diesel or hybrid vehicles
- Routes with tight delivery windows → vehicles with guaranteed range for the entire run
Comparative dashboard
A dashboard showing the real comparison, month by month:
| Metric | Diesel van | Electric van |
|---|---|---|
| Energy cost/km | €0.18 | €0.06 |
| Maintenance/month | €280 | €120 |
| Zone-access cost/month | €150 | €0* |
| CO2 emissions/month | 1,200 kg | 0 kg direct |
*Depends on city and evolving regulations
This kind of comparison, based on real fleet data rather than theoretical estimates, is what you need to make informed decisions about your next purchases.
The competitive advantage of visibility
Companies that manage the transition with data in hand gain a concrete advantage on three fronts:
With customers. More and more clients — especially large retailers and pharmaceutical companies — require emissions reporting on their deliveries. Those who can demonstrate CO2 reduction with real data win contracts.
With management. The fleet manager who presents an electrification plan backed by concrete operational data gets budget. The one who presents a feeling doesn’t.
With the market. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of an electric vehicle is becoming competitive, but only on certain routes and with certain usage patterns. Those who measure it win. Those who guess it take risks.
It’s not a question of “if” but “how”
The mixed fleet isn’t a temporary transition phase. It’s the new normal for years to come. The difference between managing it well and managing it poorly comes down to a single factor: the quality and completeness of available data.
A unified telematics platform isn’t a cost. It’s the prerequisite for every sensible decision about fleet composition — today and in the years ahead.