Top 5 considerations when rolling out EV fleet charging infrastructure
Finding the right EV charging infrastructure solution for your commercial vehicle needs is a daunting task. We’ve put together a guide highlighting the five key considerations business leaders should assess that will help prepare for the transition to an EV fleet.
In brief
Electrifying a fleet is an intricate and complex process with a broad range of things to consider.
The road to electrification will undoubtedly have some bumps along the way and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to optimising the rollout of EV charging infrastructure.
First movers will reap the biggest rewards.
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1) Do you have a suitable power supply available for your fleet?
A robust and expandable power supply is crucial for a fleet’s transition to EVs. This means that, early on, you should assess how much capacity your chosen site can access, when it will become available, and if you will be able to increase it as your business’ needs increase.
Even if you don’t need additional power now, you should consider your business future needs: plan ahead and establish where power is or could become available, as this will determine where suitable EV charging infrastructure can be built. It is best to look into this as early as possible in your EV transition planning stage, because grid connection upgrades may not always be available or when they are, can be incredibly costly.
It’s also worth assessing whether there is an opportunity for on-site power generation through solar, wind or other industrial processes and whether battery storage can be installed to optimise performance.
2) Where exactly will you install the EV charging infrastructure?
The exact location you select to install your EV charging infrastructure will be driven by a number of factors: power availability; how your EV vehicles will be used; the routes they will operate; and other commercial considerations. In some cases, the best option might be a shared hub, which would allow your business to split the infrastructure costs with other businesses.
If a depot makes the most sense for you, there are a handful of elements to weigh up. If you do not own the land, you will need to check the terms of your lease to determine whether you are permitted to install EV charging infrastructure or otherwise negotiate with your landlord to procure those rights. You will also need to decide how the location affects your operations, driver shift patterns, and vehicle dwell time.
Whichever location solution you opt for, it is essential to have the site designed for safe operations – this means consulting with the relevant parties on Health and Safety Executive and National Highways requirements.
3) How will your business manage costs?
All businesses need to know what exactly they will be spending, the payment solutions available and the funding route available to manage costs. Fleet operators shifting to EVs can benefit from completing a total cost of ownership (TCO) estimate to determine the direct and indirect costs their business will encounter. It is also worth considering what life-cycle expenses there will be and noting the likelihood of major infrastructure costs alongside the expense of installing EV charging infrastructure.
Additionally, it’s advisable look into what commercial EV fleet transition incentives and tax rebates are out there for EV charger purchase, installation, and potential grid upgrades.
4) How will you integrate EV charging into your business operations?
Fleet operators should investigate how their business can use digitalisation and the corresponding data insights on their fleet, drivers, sites, and operations to improve delivery schedules, charging times, equipment reliability and cut and workforce hours. Ultimately, this will entail maximising reliability, ensuring operational awareness and combating challenges of end customers by designing a scalable, easy and efficient EV charging process supported by scheduling, fleet management integration and tiering capabilities at commercial EV charging sites.
Smart charging capabilities and intelligent energy management can enable the grid to cope better through proactive monitoring, while continual consumption feedback loops will allow optimisation opportunities to emerge. This will help EV fleets to charge at a lower cost and shift charging demand from peak hours.
Explore how Fleete can help
Whether you’re an early adopter or just at the beginning of your journey, we have all of your electric fleet needs covered. To learn more about our bespoke Charging-as-a-Service solution, get in touch with our experts to discuss your fleet-charging infrastructure needs.
5) What are your business’s future needs?
It’s key to consider how you will scale your EV operations with your business’s growth. Additionally, regulatory changes are coming thick and fast in the commercial vehicle industry, making it important to be closely engaged with energy officials at the national level to obtain regulatory certainty on EV charging infrastructure regulations and requirements. The most successful businesses are those that stay ahead of the curve and anticipate change, and this is a sector that is poised for significant disruption.
Summary
Electrifying a fleet is an intricate and complex process with a broad range of things to consider. Inevitably, there will be hurdles to clear on the journey to electrification, but the hardest part is having the courage to get started. First movers will reap the biggest rewards, but success will depend on doing due diligence and future-proofing any business model. Market and regulatory conditions show that electrification can deliver the goods for your fleet, now it’s time to move ahead of the pack and seize the chequered flag.
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Our Chief Technology officer – William Quan is responsible for leading Fleete’s technology, product, digital platform strategy as well as development organisation.