Partner: Welch’s Transport, United Kingdom
Sector: General Haulage and Pallet Delivery
Fleet Size: ~80 vehicles (Trial focused on Duxford depot with 30 vehicles)
Focus: Optimising fleet electrification through data-driven planning and real-world operational insights
Introduction: Leading the Charge in Sustainable Transport
Welch’s Transport is one of the UK’s most respected, family-run logistics companies, operating for over eight decades in the haulage sector. As a company that has embraced innovation at every stage of its evolution, it was an early-mover in the transition to electric heavy goods vehicles in the UK, introducing an electric 19-tonne Renault truck into their fleet in 2023. With climate goals tightening and clean air regulations becoming more rigorous, Welch’s recognises the critical importance of transitioning their fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) in a manner that is both operationally practical and financially viable.
To support their ongoing electrification journey, Welch’s partnered with GoMetro to trial EV-FIT—a data-driven, telematics-based planning platform designed specifically for commercial fleet electrification. EV-FIT brings clarity and simplicity to a domain often mired in complexity and guesswork, providing fleet managers with real-world insights to guide their EV adoption path.
“The trial has demonstrated exciting opportunities to optimize our depot operations through improved data integration, with clear potential for supporting our ambitious decarbonisation goals.” – Welch’s Transport
This case study details the full journey of the Welch’s–GoMetro collaboration, highlighting the steps taken, insights uncovered, and the strategic decisions made possible by EV-FIT’s unique capabilities.
Why Welch’s Chose EV-FIT
As a medium-sized operator with a reputation for service excellence and innovation, Welch’s faces typical industry challenges as it transitions to EVs: unknowns around daily range performance, uncertainty in infrastructure investment, and an emphasis on building a strong business case. Welch’s engaged with GoMetro to trial EV-FIT’s ability to:
- Integrate seamlessly with their real live telematics data.
- Assess both the technical and financial viability of EV adoption.
- Deliver granular, route-by-route recommendations on feasibility, battery sizing and charging infrastructure.
“Collecting and using integrated data was a key factor in making informed decisions. Working with GoMetro’s Bridge platform has provided valuable insights by successfully consolidating our fleet data into a single view, enhancing our operational visibility and decision-making capabilities.” – Welch’s Transport
EV-FIT stood out from other tools by offering a way to manage mixed fleets—enabling ICEVs and EVs to be visualised and analysed side-by-side, ensuring a smoother and smarter transition.
“One of EV-FIT’s biggest strengths is its ability to manage a mixed fleet of EVs and ICEVs using the Bridge platform. Unlike some competitors, it supports a gradual transition rather than requiring an immediate switch to electric. This flexibility is particularly useful for fleets that need to maintain reliability while introducing EVs step by step.” – Welch’s Transport
Project Scope and Deployment
The trial was anchored at Welch’s Duxford depot—a central hub within their operations—encompassing 30 vehicles of varying types and payload capabilities ranging from vans to 44-tonne articulated vehicles. GoMetro initiated the project by integrating Welch’s existing telematics systems through the GoMetro Bridge platform, aggregating data from CMS Supatrak and OptiFleet.
Once data ingestion was complete, live data was collected for 4 weeks and fed through GoMetro’s EV-FIT analytics pipeline, transforming raw telematics data into a suite of meaningful metrics:
- Trip distances, durations and energy consumption
- Vehicle feasibility and required battery sizes based on aggregated trip data
- Depot occupancy rates and dwell times
- Out-of depot dwell locations and durations
- Route and dwell heatmaps
By basing these insights on live, historical fleet data, EV-FIT ensured that every insight reflected Welch’s actual operational patterns—not generic assumptions.
Key Results and Learnings
1. Data-Driven Feasibility and Battery Optimisation
In the trial 19 of the 30 vehicles (63%) were shown to be ready for electrification with only depot charging given today’s EV technology.
EV-FIT also provided Welch’s with battery size recommendations for every vehicle, reflecting not just maximum range but optimal size—balancing capital cost, weight, payload impact, and operational performance. These insights avoided the trap of over-specifying batteries, which is both costly and inefficient.
“EV-FIT supports structured EV planning. It gave useful recommendations on battery sizing to balance cost and performance. It also mapped out charging needs and energy consumption, helping fleet managers develop phased plans for EV adoption.” – Welch’s Transport
Across all feasible vehicles, an average 38% battery size reduction was achieved relative to the largest battery-spec models available for each vehicle type, leading to a forecasted 12% saving in costs.
2. Route-Level Feasibility
EV-FIT’s route analysis identified which vehicles could operate with current commercially-available EV technology, and under what constraints. This included calculations for battery usage under Welch’s existing payload scenarios, and how this compared to battery capacities available on UK-spec heavy goods vehicles.
“EV-FIT effectively identified which routes are suitable for electric vehicles. Using telematics data through the Bridge platform, it provided real-world insights on daily mileage, charging stops, and energy usage. The platform helped pinpoint where EVs could be introduced successfully and where additional infrastructure or operational changes might be needed.” – Welch’s Transport
3. Out-of-Depot Charging Opportunities
Beyond depot charging, the customisable route and dwell heatmaps were used to identify the optimal locations for collaborative charging opportunities, including at partner sites, collection and delivery sites, and EV-enabled bus depots. This built on (and confirmed the case for) Welch’s initial trials with First Bus, wherein electric trucks have been charging at First Bus’s Leicester depot which lies on a key route for Welch’s current operations.
Dashboard Innovation and Usability
One of the standout aspects of the project was the collaborative development of EV-FIT’s dashboard tools. Based on ongoing feedback from Welch’s during the trial, GoMetro iteratively developed:
- Geographical heatmaps showing high-traffic corridors and opportunistic charging locations
- Customizable charts and maps to engage with vehicle and trip-level metrics, including battery size needs and feasibility
- Depot occupancy charts, customizable by vehicle type, feasibility, or reg number
Commercial Impact: Cost and Emissions Modelling
Working with strategic partner Zenobe, GoMetro created a 10-year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and lifecycle emissions model that provided both 2025 and 2030 outlooks. This included:
- Vehicle purchase and lease comparisons
- Depot charging infrastructure costs
- Full life-cycle emissions including vehicle manufacturing
- A consolidated and costed “purchase plan” with the vehicles and chargers presenting the best business case scenario
“The trial confirmed that EV-FIT has strong commercial potential. It provides strategic guidance for EV deployment and helps fleets make cost-effective decisions.” – Welch’s Transport
In the trial 4 of the 30 vehicles were identified as being both technically feasible and having cost parity (or better) with equivalent diesel trucks in 2025, making them the obvious choice for Welch’s next EV transition phase. These presented on average an 8% lower cost compared to ICEVs, and would result in a 68% reduction in emissions over the lifetime of the vehicle at today’s UK grid intensity (which is continuously improving!)
Competitive Edge
In their reflections, Welch’s openly compared EV-FIT to other systems they had used, finding GoMetro’s tool more flexible, insightful, and aligned with operational reality.
“I’m getting more actionable insights from your platform compared to others we’ve evaluated. While other solutions we’ve seen offer strong capabilities and sophisticated features, they’re often priced higher than feels justified for what we actually use.”
Opportunities for Growth
EV-FIT is constantly evolving. While the trial culminated in the first market-ready version of EV-FIT, there will be ongoing improvements in the months to come which will build on the valuable feedback provided from Welch’s. GoMetro will continue to work with Welch’s and their data to add new features, run new case studies, and offer them more value in future.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead with EV-FIT
The collaboration between Welch’s Transport and GoMetro has delivered more than just a successful trial—it has laid the groundwork for data-led fleet decarbonisation in the logistics industry. With EV-FIT, Welch’s has gained:
- Increased planning clarity for their next phase of EV deployment
- Flexible tools for scenario planning and case studies
- Confidence to move forward at accelerated pace with their EV strategy
“Overall, the trial confirmed that EV-FIT is a powerful tool for fleet electrification.” – Welch’s Transport
GoMetro’s EV-FIT doesn’t just simplify EV transition—it empowers it. By grounding every insight in real operational data and enabling flexible fleet planning, EV-FIT meets transport operators where they are today and guides them to where they need to be tomorrow.
If you’re a fleet manager, operator, or decision-maker looking to start or accelerate your electrification journey—get in touch with GoMetro. Let EV-FIT show you what’s possible, starting with your data.
The trial was funded through the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator (Cohort 3). GoMetro is immensely grateful to the Connected Places Catapult and Department for Transport for their support.
