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NORTHBROOK, Ill. — When it comes to plug-in electric vehicles, the majority of fleet managers don't believe they have all the information they need to make educated choices, according to the findings of a recent Donlen survey.

With that in mind, the company has rolled out an Electric Vehicle Cost Calculator that is designed to help Donlen customers determine if these vehicles are well-suited for their fleets. 

"Plug-in electric vehicles are a viable option to help companies reduce carbon and cost. However, our GreenKey survey showed that more than 60 percent of respondents felt they did not have the necessary data to make an informed decision," stated Dan Hannan, senior vice president of strategic consulting and environmental solutions.

"That's why Donlen built a dynamic tool — the Electric Vehicle Cost Calculator — to help our customers understand the opportunity and potential fit within their organization," he added.

This tool delves into costs related to operating a plug-in electric that include such items as electricity, battery charging time, range, battery efficiency and maintenance, just to name a few.

It aims to help fleets grasp not only what it costs to operate these units but their effect on the environment, as well.

Looking at the findings of its Plug-In Electric Vehicle Survey, Donlen discovered that the proportion of fleet managers "not likely" to buy plug-in electric units was close to 65 percent. In fact, a hybrid vehicle was the preferred option over a plug-in hybrid and plug-in electric for a bulk of the respondents.

Some of the issues that fleet managers expressed with plug-in electrics were as follows, as noted by Donlen:

—Limited driving range per charge (69 percent of respondents cited as concern).

—Cost of plug-ins (61 percent).

—Fit for fleet application or load capacity (61 percent).

—Charging locations (54 percent).

—Charging time (51 percent).

—Battery life (44 percent).

—Unqualified costs (21 percent).

—Availability (17 percent).

—Safety (11 percent).

Moreover, almost all (98 percent) claimed their plug-in electric vehicle purchases for the next year would total between zero and 25 units.

Continuing on, Donlen also shared where fleet managers see opportunities in using plug-in electrics.

"Those that did see a plug-in electric vehicle as a potential opportunity responded that they considered the plug-in electric as a way to reduce operating costs and emissions, improve corporate image, and decrease dependence on foreign oil," officials noted.

Regarding how they would use plug-in electrics, more than a third (35 percent) found that these vehicles would be a good match for their sales application drivers, 26 percent pointed to service drivers, and 24 percent cited delivery drivers. Twenty-two percent responded "not applicable," while 13 percent listed "other," 7 percent pointed to executive drivers, and 3 percent said these units could be used as demonstration/test vehicles.

Interestingly enough, while most respondents claimed they would mull over several regions in picking the "starting point" for using these units, more than a quarter of respondents would specifically aim for the Midwest.

As far as where to charge these vehicles, more than 46 percent cited their preferred option as being an office location and a third would choose to charge them up at home.

"Ultimately, the majority of respondents did not see the plug-in electric to be a short-term solution," officials noted. "The lack of data surrounding operating cost, emissions, vehicle specifications, pricing, resale values and fuel efficiency cloud the potential benefits."