From data to decisions: what should electric mobility pilots measure?

When an electric mobility pilot begins, attention usually turns to the most visible milestones. A vehicle starts operating, a charging point is installed or a new service is launched.

A pilot should also help cities, operators and project teams figure out how a solution works in real life if it meets local needs and what to do next. For this to happen teams need to know what they want to learn. What information they need to gather.

 An electric vehicle operating as part of the E-Moviliza pilot in Quito, Ecuador

Starting with the right questions

First teams need to ask the questions. Before they choose what to measure they need to decide what the pilot is supposed to test.

This can include things like how kilometres the vehicles travel how much energy they use how long it takes to charge them if the vehicles are available if they need maintenance how much they cost to run and how much they reduce emissions.

Each type of pilot requires different information. An urban logistics pilot may measure distance travelled, payload, delivery times and energy consumption. A public transport pilot may also look at reliability, passenger numbers, accessibility and user experience.

Understanding daily operations

Many indicators focus on vehicle and service performance. These may include kilometres travelled, energy consumption, charging time, vehicle availability, maintenance needs, operating costs and estimated emissions reductions.

The local context also affects the results. Traffic, road conditions, gradients, weather, passenger demand and access to charging infrastructure can all influence performance.

A vehicle might work well on one route. Have different problems on another. So the results need to be understood in the context of where the pilot took place.

Listening to the people involved

Operational data cannot explain every part of a pilot. Drivers, passengers, maintenance teams, operators and local communities experience the service differently. Their feedback can identify issues that do not appear in technical reports.

Drivers may find that charging schedules do not fit their routines. Maintenance teams may need additional tools or training. Passengers may appreciate the new vehicles but still face difficulties accessing the service.

Teams can use interviews, surveys, workshops and regular conversations to understand these experiences and make changes during the pilot.

Learning from implementation

Pilots also provide lessons about the implementation process.

Approvals, procurement, partnerships, training and infrastructure can all affect how and when a solution begins operating. Documenting these experiences helps other cities and projects understand what preparation and resources may be needed.

Having challenges does not mean a pilot was not successful. Challenges can provide information if teams understand what happened and use those lessons to improve the next phase.

Using the results

The information collected should help teams decide whether a solution should continue, expand or be adapted. The results may show that a route needs to change, charging schedules need to be adjusted or staff need more training.

It is also important to share the limitations and unexpected results. This gives projects a more realistic idea of what they need to do to implement similar solutions.

Electric mobility pilots operate for a limited period, but the knowledge they generate can support longer-term decisions. By combining the numbers peoples experiences and lessons from implementation, cities and operators can better understand what works and what they need to do to move with electric mobility pilots and electric mobility in general and, with electric mobility.