While Australia currently lags the world in Electric Vehicle (EV) take up, ORIX has an innovative solution for businesses keen to go green.
A sense of responsibility to the environment, along with increased interest from clients, inspired the leading fleet management company to add EVs to its extensive rental fleet.
“We feel it’s our duty to try to make greener options available for our customers,” ORIX Rental General Manager Grant Harrison says. “Many of our customers want to understand the capabilities of EVs, but they don’t want to commit to purchase before seeing how it would impact their day-to-day operations.”
Grant says ORIX clients have told him they want to do their part to help the planet, but are hesitant to commit due to range anxiety, along with concerns about charging time and location, and the upfront cost. For example, if someone has a full day of customer meetings, will they need to build in downtime for recharging and map out station locations along their route? How long would it take a heavy duty electric commercial truck to plug in?
Renting EVs lets these businesses test vehicles in real-world situations, so they can then incorporate them into their permanent fleet with more confidence. They can also collect vehicle usage, efficiency and expenditure data from the ORIX OneView app to report on the business impact.
Grant says offering EVs is the natural next step for ORIX.
“We’ve been offering hybrid vehicles in our fleet for a while now, so more sustainable fleet solutions aren’t totally new to us,” he says. “EVs are the next step in that progression.”
The 2021 Hyundai IONIQ is now part of ORIX’s rental fleet, and Grant says the five-door hatch “is an affordable entry-level EV experience.” It offers a range of 311km on a full charge and can reach 80% charge in 54 minutes using a 100kW charger, or in 57 minutes with a 57kW charger. It also has a maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating – and offers zero emissions. For those wanting something more, ORIX has further enhanced its EV fleet by adding Tesla Model 3’s.
“By trialling it as a rental, you can remove uncertainty amongst your team – such as any downtime associated with how far EVs can travel, how long they take to charge, and where to find charging stations,” says Grant.
In addition to passenger vehicles, ORIX can also provide commercial EVs. Longstanding client Fulton Hogan, a major infrastructure construction, roadworks and aggregate supplier company, recently launched its first all-electric SEA Electric commercial truck. The SEA Hino 917 EV will be used as a road sign and maintenance truck in a local city council in Melbourne.
ORIX also works with rideshare companies to provide EV access to its drivers, who can reserve an electric car for a shift on the road.
Grant says ORIX plans to add more EV makes and models to its fleet in the future, and will provide even more options for different industries and sectors.
Businesses can rent vehicles for periods as short as one day or as long as five years, providing the flexibility to decide if EVs suit their longer-term needs.
To find out more, visit orix.com.au/vehicle-rental.
