How to choose an electric cargo vehicle for your working day

Describe the work first

Write down the normal load and the heaviest one, how it is loaded, the body you need, the number of stops, the width of aisles or streets, the slopes, the surface, sun and rain, who drives and the working hours. A warehouse aisle, a farm track, an industrial yard and a public street raise different questions, including registration and a driver's license on public roads: the Brazilian Traffic Code and Contran Resolution 996/2023 set when a two- or three-wheeled electric vehicle needs registration, plates and a license, according to its type, power and speed. Separate what the work really needs from what would only be nice to have.

• Record the shape of the load and how it is handled, not only the kilograms.
• Map a typical route with its stops, turns and slopes.
• Say whether the vehicle will use public streets: that brings registration and licensing into the decision, model by model.
• Define a normal day, a peak day and what would make you stop a test.

A one-day worksheet

Before asking for a quote, fill in one real working day. With these numbers a supplier can tell whether one charge covers the day, whether you need a charge at lunchtime or a second battery, and which body fits the load.

• Start and end of the shift, and the breaks when the vehicle stands still.
• Length of the route and number of trips per day.
• Load per trip: normal and heaviest, in kilograms and volume.
• Slopes and surface: asphalt, paving stones, dirt, ramps.
• Where and when the vehicle can charge, and the socket available there.
• Example with made-up numbers: a shop makes 6 delivery rounds of 8 km a day, with up to 300 kg per round, on paving stones with one steep street, and the vehicle spends the night next to a 220 V socket. That is about 48 km a day; ask whether the battery covers that day with a margin, under that load and on that slope.

Plan charging from measured use

Distance, hours, stops, surface, load, heat and the way the driver drives all change how much energy the vehicle uses. Use a record of a real route or a test drive, not the longest range in a brochure. Check the electrical supply, the charger, where the vehicle parks, who plugs it in and how long it can charge. Battery capacity, charging time, service life and warranty depend on the model: ask for them in writing.

• Measure one full working day.
• Check the socket, the charger, the parking spot and who is in charge of charging.
• Decide what happens on a long day: a charge at lunchtime, a second battery if the model allows it, or another vehicle.
• Keep every range and charging-time assumption in writing.

Plan parts and maintenance before the fleet grows

A vehicle that does the route but cannot be repaired quickly does not solve the problem. List the tasks that cannot stop, how long a stop you can accept, the parts that wear (tires, brakes, cables), who does basic maintenance and whom to call. XT Brazil coordinates after-sales for its tricycles in Brazil: it analyzes the problem, supplies replacement parts and arranges repairs with workshops suited to the model. It does not promise on-site repair everywhere in Brazil.

• Identify the failure that would stop a critical task.
• Separate the driver's checks, basic maintenance and specialist repairs.
• When something fails, send the model, the label, the order number, photos and a description.
• If the vehicle cannot stop, keep a few wear parts on hand.

Test on your own route before scaling

XT Brazil's tricycles are in stock in Brazil, can be test-driven and are sold from one unit, so the first step can be a real test: your route, your load, your driver, for a set period. Agree beforehand which result means buying more, changing the configuration or stopping. One good test does not prove the vehicle for every site, driver, load or season; check again when the work changes. Electric bicycles and motorcycles work differently: they are imported by project, with no stock in Brazil.

• Work: the vehicle does the route with the real load.
• Operation: charging and the driver's routine fit the day.
• Commercial: quantity, delivery time and parts are agreed.
• Rules: any use on public streets has been checked for the chosen model.

Compare costs with your own numbers

Compare the full cost with your own data: purchase, delivery, charging set-up, driver training, parts, maintenance, downtime and how long you will keep the vehicle. Make taxes, financing and the period you measured explicit. XT Brazil does not publish figures for fuel savings, return on investment or total cost of ownership; it provides quotes and model information, and the assumptions are yours.