Three things to know about fleet EV charging
- August 30, 2023
- by Prescott Watson
I shared three must-know issues about fleets’ challenges in the transition to EV with a popular tech & business show, the Village Global Podcast.
Why it matters: Too few decision makers in tech, business, and regulation understand the challenges that commercial fleets face with EVs.
- Conventional thinking is that “it’s a no brainer with lower TCO”
- But that overlooks the massive investment required in charging & operations changes
Issue 1 – Fleet & energy schedules must connect: Energy has always been a cost center for fleets. But with electrification, it is now an operational & scheduling issue.
- Since charging takes 45 minutes minimum, without a carefully-planned charge schedule, drivers may be sitting idle much of the day.
- Congestion at charging facilities is getting far worse, making opportunistic fast-charges dangerously unreliable without scheduled slots.
Issue 2 – “A Tesla Supercharger in every backyard”: The core solution is for fleets to build their own on-site charging infrastructure. That’s no small feat.
- EV pilots are easy – you can keep EVs on light missions, and rely on your existing facility’s plugs to slow charge.
- But you hit 10% EV, the script flips.
- Charging dozens of cars takes enormous power – even if you’re slow charging most of them. Add a few DCFC, and you’re in Supercharger territory.
Issue 3 – The grid isn’t ready: Fleets face years-long waits to get enough power for even a fraction of their overall fleet charging needs.
- Again, small pilots are easy – with only a few cars, your existing grid connect works fine
- But when you need to scale, suddenly you can’t
- The solution: solar, stationary battery storage, and generators
Port Power makes EV as easy as diesel
Port Power was founded by EV industry veterans to solve this exact problem. We are a full solution provider that partners with fleet operators and their real estate partners to solve the charging problem today and scale it to handle all future needs.
Whether you are a fleet operator buying your first EV trucks or a city administrator tasked with figuring out your plan, reach out to schedule a consultation with the team at Port Power for help with:
- Clearly understanding the transition timelines that apply to your business
- Getting the full range of options you have to manage this transition
- Having a soup-to-nuts, managed solution for all your charging needs
- Getting the government incentives your business deserves without the headache of manual reporting
Get in touch with us today: https://portpower.us/contact/
A big thanks to the team at Village Global for hosting this conversation, which you can find on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. The show’s host Olga Serhiyevich is a pro at deep-dives into industry, so the clips above are summarized clips from key segments.