You might have mixed feelings about electrifying your fleet.
On the one hand, you’re excited about pushing on into the future of transportations. On the other, it’s pretty daunting. Going from internal combustion engine (ICE) fleets to electric vehicles (EVs) is no small feat.
One thing is for certain – you can’t afford to put it off too long.
In the USA, the first quarter of 2022 saw a record 60% jump in EV registrations, equivalent to almost 5% of all new car registrations in the country. This is expected to increase year-on-year.
If you don’t electrify your fleet soon, you’ll lose an important competitive edge. Running an EV fleet is a good investment for the following reasons:
- Possible tax advantages
- Cheaper maintenance (up to 30% savings)
- Cheaper to charge EVs than fuel ICEs (especially if you use smart charging software for more efficiency)
- Total cost of ownership (TCO) is lower than ICEs due to reduced operational expenses over time
In this guide, we’re going to help make the transition a bit easier for you. We’ve put together a sequence of steps that demystify the process and gives you some insider tips on how to make sure it all goes smoothly.
Step 1 – Research How High-Performing Electric Charging Depots Have Done It
Before you do anything else – book a visit to an EV charging depot that’s doing things right.
Don’t be afraid to contact existing EV fleet sites. Connect with other local fleet managers on LinkedIn and ask them if they’d be open to a visit. You’d be surprised how many people will be more than welcome to show you around.
Whether you operate electric trucks, buses, or cars, it’s good to see the end result on-site. If you book a visit, be sure to make a note of things like the site plan, charger selection, and vehicle types.
You’ll get to ask questions and understand any challenges that the project manager and fleet manager had to overcome when designing and installing the site.
Also make sure you connect with as many EV fleet and charging experts as you can both on and offline. You’ll benefit from the connections you make and get valuable advice for the project.
If you’re not able to book a site visit, then do the next best thing and read up on plenty of case studies instead.
Here are a few sites that might be open to a visit:
- WattEV with over 100 electric chargers for trucks in the LA area
- Revel with the largest number of DC fast chargers for their ride-share and public charging business in NY
- Electrada and Vanderbilt University with EV shuttle buses and charging sites that thrive with an 99% charger uptime
Step 2 – Test Your EV Charging Hardware
You must test your EV charging hardware before fully committing to the setup. You’re laying out a lot of cash upfront for the chargers, and once they’re installed, you’re stuck with them for a decade or more.
Choosing the wrong chargers can lead not just to a bunch of operational headaches but also some serious financial losses, and it could even put your job on the line if things go really south.
You need to test how the chargers perform in real-world conditions. You should analyze:
- Technical capabilities - preferably OCPP
- Pricing
- Support, warranty and spare parts
- Team & company
Before you make any purchasing decisions, run comprehensive real-world tests like checking how they handle different charging speeds, their response to power fluctuations, and their overall reliability.
For example, running OCPP tests ensures the chargers can communicate effectively with the management software.
Smart charging tests will show you how well the chargers can adjust to different energy demands and pricing conditions—this can save a lot of money by optimizing energy use. And don’t forget latency tests, which are vital to see how quickly the system responds to commands, perfect for fleet operations where time is money.
Step 3 – Simulate Your Planned EV Charging Site
This step is all about figuring out if your plan is feasible, without having to learn the hard way — by facing setbacks and spending extra money after everything’s already been set up on site.
The power demands of EV charging stations puts a strain on the grid and will run up sky-high energy costs if you’re not careful. This is especially true in larger depots, where you’ve got 50+ EVs needing a charge at the same time.
Even smaller fleets with just a few trucks can see energy demand that’s high enough to cause problems.
That’s why it’s so important to run simulations. They allow you to input all sorts of variables — such as how many EVs will be at the site, specific energy tariffs, and any potential grid capacity constraints. The result of these simulations is a detailed preview of what your monthly energy costs could look like. They help you plan the necessary grid upgrades without any expensive surprises.
Simulation tools can model different scenarios, letting you tweak and adjust until you find the most efficient setup.
Step 4 – Plan Your EV Fleet Software Strategy
The whole infrastructure of operating EVs is different to traditional vehicles, including the software and IT systems you use to run everything.
For starters, it’s highly likely that your existing dispatching systems, maintenance tools, and workforce management systems are all geared toward ICE vehicles. They track things like fuel consumption, which isn’t relevant for EVs.
EVs need monitoring for battery levels, charge times, and power consumption. This means you’ll need to either adapt your current systems or adopt new software designed for EVs.
A charging management system is a useful piece of software. It helps manage all the charging stations, ensuring they're operating efficiently. It does more than just turn chargers on and off. It helps to optimize the power flow by scheduling charges during off-peak times to save on energy costs. It also makes sure that each EV is charged on-time for dispatch.
In some cases, especially larger depots, you might also need a local power management controller. This device helps manage grid demand and charging stations, preventing overloads and optimizing energy use across the site.
It’s also a good idea to integrate alerts and telematics. Alerts keep you on top of any issues with the chargers or the vehicles, like faults or maintenance needs. Telematics is all about getting data from the vehicles — where they are, how they're performing, what their battery status is, and so on. This data is vital for efficient fleet management because it helps you make informed real-time decisions.
Step 5 – Define your O&M strategy for EV chargers
Defining the operations and maintenance (O&M) strategy for your EV chargers makes sure they keep running efficiently day in and day out. This involves several key aspects:
- Continuous Maintenance
This includes regular inspections, cleaning, and the replacement of electronics or other components as needed. Keeping everything in top shape minimizes breakdowns and ensures the chargers are available when needed. - 24/7 Monitoring and Surveillance
With chargers operating around the clock, it’s essential to have continuous monitoring. This way, any issues can be detected immediately and addressed before they turn into bigger problems. Ampcontrol, for instance, offers a 24/7 monitoring service that tracks charger performance and alerts operators the instant something goes wrong. This setup helps to reduce downtime and maintain high levels of charger availability. - Minimizing Costs
By outsourcing the monitoring and some of the maintenance operations to a dedicated team like Ampcontrol’s, you can avoid the expense and complexity of training and maintaining your own multi-shift operations. It also means you're not tied up managing charger operations when you could be focusing on other aspects of fleet management. - Driver Support
Drivers need immediate help if they encounter any issues while trying to charge their vehicles. Having a 24/7 support line they can call ensures that they get the help they need to start their charging or troubleshoot any problems. - Coordination with OEMs
Regular communication and coordination with OEMs is important, especially when it comes to handling more complex issues that might need replacements or technical updates.
- Charger Commissioning and Integration
Making sure that each charger is properly set up and integrated with the overall system from day one is essential. This involves testing each charger’s compatibility with the fleet's vehicles and the backend OCPP server, ensuring that everything works seamlessly right from the start.
Electrify Your Fleet with Confidence – Get Support from Ampcontrol
Transitioning to an EV fleet might seem complex and fraught with challenges.
However, with the right planning and support, it’s a great opportunity for cost savings, efficiency improvements, and environmental benefits. The steps we've outlined provide a roadmap to ensure your fleet thrives in this new electricity-driven world.
Find out how we can help you plan your fleet electrification – get in touch today.
