Pam Hanlon, Head of Sales at Paua

July 28, 2026

Fleet1000 speaks to Paua Head of Sales Pam Hanlon on simplifying fleet charging, scaling EV operations and why complexity has become the industry's biggest challenge.

"The biggest mistake is treating every type of charging as a separate problem."

Fleet electrification has moved beyond simply getting vehicles on the road. As more organisations expand their electric fleets, attention is turning to the operational realities of managing public, home and workplace charging, controlling costs and creating a seamless experience for drivers.

As Head of Sales at Paua, Pam Hanlon works with fleet operators navigating those challenges every day. Since joining the business in 2023, she has helped organisations simplify EV charging through a single platform that brings together payments, reimbursement, reporting and fleet management, drawing on more than two decades of experience in customer-facing and commercial roles.

In this Fleet1000 conversation, Hanlon explains why operational complexity has become one of the biggest barriers to fleet electrification, how organisations can build charging strategies that scale, and why the most successful fleets are those that focus on simplifying the experience for both fleet managers and drivers.

Paua works with fleets at every stage of their electrification journey. What are the biggest challenges fleet managers are bringing to you today?

"Every fleet is at a different stage, but the challenges are surprisingly consistent. The biggest challenge is complexity. Fleet managers roles have significently changed now they're trying to manage public charging, home charging, workplace charging, reimbursement, reporting, payroll, sustainability targets and driver experience, often across multiple suppliers.

"Cost control is another major concern. Businesses want visibility into their spending, confidence they're only paying for business charging, and tools to help drivers charge in the most cost-effective way.

"Ultimately, they're looking for simplicity. They don't want another system to manage, they want one that brings everything together."

Charging has become far more than simply plugging in a vehicle. Where do you think fleets are still making life unnecessarily complicated for themselves?

"The biggest mistake is treating every type of charging as a separate problem.

"It's still common to see businesses using one provider for public charging, another for home reimbursement and spreadsheets to fill the gaps. That creates unnecessary administration, fragmented reporting and a frustrating experience for drivers.

"The technology exists today to manage charging through a single platform. The more businesses consolidate data, payments and reporting, the easier it becomes to control costs and support drivers at scale."

Home charging reimbursement remains a major talking point across the industry. What are fleets getting right, and where are the biggest misconceptions?

"More businesses now recognise that home charging needs to be part of their overall fleet strategy, which is a positive step.

"The biggest misconception is that reimbursement has to be difficult, or that using HMRC's Advisory Electricity Rate is the only option. In reality, every organisation has different policies, different drivers and different requirements.

"Another misconception is that reimbursement only works with smart chargers. Drivers charge in many different ways, using different tariffs, different hardware and sometimes even a three-pin plug. A good reimbursement solution should work around the driver, not expect the driver to change how they charge."

As organisations scale from a handful of EVs to hundreds, what changes in the way they need to think about charging and payment management?

"When you have ten EVs, manual processes are manageable. When you have hundreds, they quickly become unsustainable.

"Scaling successfully means moving away from spreadsheets and manual approvals towards automated policies, reporting and controls. Fleet managers need visibility by vehicle, driver and cost centre, with confidence that charging data is accurate and compliant.

"The businesses that scale best are the ones that put the right systems in place early rather than trying to retrofit processes once the fleet has grown."

Fleet managers are under pressure to control costs while keeping drivers happy. What does 'good' look like when it comes to creating a charging experience that works for both?

"The best solutions remove friction.

"Drivers shouldn't have to think about which app they need, keep receipts or wait months to be reimbursed. Charging should feel as simple as refuelling used to.

"At the same time, fleet managers need visibility, controls and confidence that they're only paying for legitimate business charging.

"When both sides have what they need, adoption improves, support requests reduce and managing an EV fleet becomes significantly easier."

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenge facing fleet operators over the next two years, and where can suppliers add the greatest value?

"The pace of electrification is increasing, but so is the complexity that comes with it.

"Fleet operators will be managing mixed fleets for some time, while also supporting more home charging, larger public charging networks, large commercial vehicle charging and increasing reporting requirements.

"Suppliers need to focus less on selling individual products and more on solving operational problems. The greatest value comes from simplifying charging, reducing administration, improving visibility and helping businesses make better decisions from their data."

If you could challenge one misconception about managing EV charging in fleets today, what would it be?

"That EV charging is just about having access to the biggest charging network.

"Coverage is important, but it's only one part of the picture. The real challenge is everything that happens around the charge, managing payments, reimbursement, driver policies, reporting, compliance and cost control.

"The fleets seeing the greatest success aren't necessarily the ones with access to the most chargers. They're the ones with the simplest, most connected charging strategy that works for both the business and the driver."

Paua is a FleetWise Trusted Brand and a UK EV charging payments platform that helps businesses manage public, home and workplace charging through a single system. Its platform combines charging access, reimbursement, reporting and fleet controls to simplify EV operations, reduce administration and give fleet managers greater visibility over charging costs and driver activity.
Find the EV & Fuel Payment services shortlist on pg.69 of the Trusted Brands report.