Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) market analysis and roadmap

Situation:

Our client is responsible for the sustainable management of public land, including the prevention and suppression of bushfires. The Department’s public land management responsibilities and emergency response obligations are conducted with the assistance of several government agencies. Together they are tasked to reduce the risk and impact of bushfires on parks, forests and other public land. The specialised fire and forest vehicle fleet is the primary enabler of this task. Importantly, the large fleet consists of commercial 4WD vehicles.

In 2021, the client’s Executive Board gave in-principal endorsement to a target for the client to achieve net zero reported emissions by 2025. As part of its commitment to zero net reported emissions by 2025, the client has mandated a policy of ‘Electric Vehicle (EV) First’ for the shared passenger vehicle fleet. This vehicle fleet will transition over to EVs by 2025 as current leases expire, commencing with 14 vehicles over the 2021-22 reporting period.

Task:

Grosvenor was engaged to conduct a comprehensive review of current and future research and development (R&D) into Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV), with a specific focus on light commercial vehicles used by the client in its forest management activities. The project centered on 4WD vehicles (single cab, double cab, and station wagon) and light trucks, including those in the Heavy Rigid category. Key considerations included the phase-in timelines for ZEVs in Australia and the investigation of global best practices across allied sectors such as emergency services, land management, and mining, to assess the adoption of emerging ZEV technologies.

In addition, the project required the technical focus, Grosvenor applied a best practice program and project management approach to ensure quality insights for the client’s transition to ZEVs. This structured methodology supported detailed analysis of operational requirements and strategic alignment, while also delivering actionable recommendations on fleet transition timelines and investment opportunities tailored to the clients’s needs.

Actions:

Using a methodology similar to that proposed for OECC through these evaluations, Grosvenor applied a structured, best practice approach to program management:

• Due Diligence & Research: Conducted a comprehensive review of client’s data and a global desktop literature review to understand the operational environment, existing product offerings, and the feasibility of transitioning light commercial vehicles to ZEV. Best practices in program management were applied to ensure a systematic approach to data collection and analysis.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engaged with key industry stakeholders and experts to gather insights on current ZEV technologies, operational needs, and potential barriers. This involved detailed project management strategies, including stakeholder mapping and risk management, to ensure that diverse operational requirements were addressed.
• Thematic Analysis: Grosvenor applied project management methodologies to conduct a thematic analysis of findings from both research and consultations. A structured approach ensured that key themes were distilled effectively, aligning with best practices in project evaluation and insights generation.
• Roadmap Development: Delivered a ZEV transition roadmap with detailed action plans for the client, categorising recommendations based on high-level themes and key operational objectives. Best practice project management techniques ensured that the roadmap was not only actionable but also aligned with the client’s strategic objectives, ensuring clear guidance on timelines, risks, and resource allocation.

Our recommendations were provided through an overview underpinned by concrete, detailed action plans for the client to follow for each group of recommendations.

Results:

The ZEV Roadmap was well-received, providing the client with a practical framework for transitioning its fleet. It included a viability assessment of ZEV solutions, tailored to the client’s environment, and identified strategic investment opportunities. Applying best practice project management enabled a clear, implementable action plan, which the client has already begun integrating into its fleet management planning.

Conclusion:

By applying best practice program and project management principles, Grosvenor delivered high-quality, practical insights aligned with the client’s context. This rigorous approach provided concrete ZEV options and has strengthened our relationship with the client, with continued planning and ongoing expertise from Grosvenor.

 

For an independent program evaluation contact our Program Evalution team lead Dana Cross