Quality data is so important says Head of Operations Support at Watercare Services, Mathew Telfer (centre). Photo: Hidden Joys Studio
Confidence is high, but real progress depends on data, smarter planning, and rethinking how vehicles are used – not just adding EVs.
The outlook for New Zealand’s fleet sector looks decidedly bullish over the next three years with 96 per cent of organisations confident their fleet will either remain stable
or grow during that period according to Arval Mobility Observatory and Ipsos’s Fleet and Mobility Monitor 2025.
While fleet sizes remain strong, only 14 per cent of companies surveyed have set targeted decarbonisation goals, while an additional 21 per cent are evaluating such goals.
Speaking at the recent New Age of Mobility roundtable Custom Fleet President, Chris Tulloch, highlighted there’s too much focus on electrification when we talk about decarbonisation.
Tulloch suggests companies need to look for innovation at a higher level when it comes to a sustainable transport future “as opposed to just how do we electrify”.
“The conversation needs to be about decarbonisation and EV proliferation is just a part of that conversation,” Tulloch says.
Interestingly, the Fleet and Mobility Monitor 2025 highlighted that only 30 per cent of New Zealand’s company fleets have adopted telematics tools to maximise the productivity of their fleets. More pertinently, of that 30 per cent, 69 per cent are utilising or thinking about using the data but when it comes to the rubber hitting the road, only 21 per cent are using the data.
Participants at the roundtable reflected the local industry results with some delving deeply into their telematics data while others were pretty much just scratching the surface.
One company that has embraced telematics is OCS, which uses EROADS fleet management solutions and has seen a 31 per cent reduction in fuel consumption across the fleet.
Data is a lever – if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Using EROAD telematics has cut our fuel consumption and improved safety, delivering both more reliable services for our customers while supporting our decarbonisation goals.
“Data’s a lever and if you can’t measure it, you can’t do it, so we use telematics which has not only helped cut our fuel consumption, but it improved our safety results overnight. It has changed our business,” Marriott says.
Head of Operations Support at Watercare Services, Mathew Telfer says having that quality data from a telematics system is so important.
“It gives us the ability to understand what’s happening – how trucks and vehicles in general are being used,” Telfer says.
For the Manager of Workplace Travel at Auckland Council, Ross Sanford, the wealth of information provided by Procon Telematics is invaluable as it gives the council visibility on vehicle use through real-time fleet connectivity.
“You get a wealth of information so you can make decisions on so many different things by making sense of the data and putting it together in a way that is easily digestible,” Sanford says.
Roundtable participants also spoke of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) which allows transport users to plan, book, use and pay for a multitude of transport services ranging from hire cars through to Ubers, ride-share, buses and more.
While most participants could see the benefit of MaaS with some already using car-share service Mevo in their organisations,
Even the New Zealand Police are using Mevo as they investigate innovative ways to utilise vehicles in non-frontline operations. The organisation’s Acting National Fleet Manager, Leighton Hamlin, saying they have over 1000 users in place across the force.
“It’s not frontline stuff but there are areas we can still be operational with Mevo and deliver our services which plays a part in decarbonisation as well.
Another potential use for NZ Police is at the training college located at Papakowhai where up to 400 people recruits are present at any one time.
Acting Director of the NZ Police Property and Fleet Group, Inspector Brian Yanko says most recruits drive their own vehicle because the college is not near any public transport routes. So, rather than recruits driving their own vehicles “we are looking at talking to one of the car-share companies so recruits can get in and out of the place”.
“It could be a loop system so if it goes, it’s got to come back. It’s just a way we can do things a little bit smarter,” Yanko says.
For General Manager of Corporate Support Services at Auckland Council, Anita Furniss, MaaS is a great option if the mobility options are available.
“It’s a lot easier sitting here in the central city where we can choose between Uber or Mevo for business or public transport, but it’s a completely different story in regional areas,” Furniss says.
“Even here in Auckland actually getting access to good transport is one of our challenges and one the council is trying to address.”
For Marriott, MaaS obviously won’t replace all fleets, but it can reduce them “if the service is reliable, safe and cost-competitive”.
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