{"id":11234,"date":"2021-05-22T11:15:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-22T09:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=11234"},"modified":"2021-05-22T11:15:49","modified_gmt":"2021-05-22T09:15:49","slug":"charging-depots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/05\/22\/charging-depots\/","title":{"rendered":"22 Questions to Answer Before Installing EV Charging Depots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo:\u00a0Electrify Commercial<\/em><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding capacity needs upfront is essential, as there is often a long lead time to get the power from the utility to the\u00a0charging\u00a0site, while necessary grid and site upgrades must be considered.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Every fleet is unique, and therefore every fleet looking to electrify will have unique charging needs. In fact, planning for charging infrastructure is more complicated than most fleet operators think.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFleets need to take a brand-new approach to running their garage and operations, and they’re not necessarily ready for it,\u201d says Shana Patadia, director of strategy, energy solutions at\u00a0ChargePoint.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fleets tend to first concentrate on the electric vehicles, because they represent the largest, and most easily identifiable, costs. And fleets must deal with various new stakeholders in the process \u2014 from electric OEMs and utilities to charging and software providers \u2014 that aren\u2019t in tune with the entirety of fleets\u2019 needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

As well, Patadia says fleet operators often focus on unit costs such as dollars spent per charging station, which ignores the big picture. \u201cYou should be worrying about the whole ecosystem,\u201d she says. \u201cThe per-station cost is a trivial amount if you paid a million dollars in grid upgrades.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With this in mind, ChargePoint created a fleet assessment tool to put operators on the right track from square one. The assessment starts with a series of questions. The answers will dictate site design and upgrades, energy management considerations, software needs, home charging and en-route charging requirements, fleet policy updates, and of course overall cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

Asking the Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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  1. How many vehicles are in your existing fleet?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Are the vehicles located at one location or multiple locations?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Do vehicles return to the same depot at the end of the day or an alternate depot? Do vehicles go home with the driver?<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Do you have a current fuel card provider? If so, which one?<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Do you have a vehicle telematics provider? If so, which one?<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Do you have a vehicle asset management platform? If so, which one?<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Do you have a vehicle dispatch system? If so, which one?<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Do you have a particular make\/model of electric vehicle in mind?<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. What is your timeframe for receiving vehicles?<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. What vehicle types are you considering for electrification? (passenger vehicle, delivery van, box truck, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. What is the application for the vehicle? (service vehicle, delivery truck, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. What cargo type? (people, goods)<\/span><\/li>\n
  13. What is the initial number of vehicles you are considering? What is the potential number of vehicles?<\/span><\/li>\n
  14. How many days per week will the vehicles be in-use and what is the estimated average daily miles?<\/span><\/li>\n
  15. What is the estimated dwell time (or available charging time) in hours per day?<\/span><\/li>\n
  16. Do you own the property or lease?<\/span><\/li>\n
  17. Is the parking indoor or outdoor?<\/span><\/li>\n
  18. What type of facility is it? (city hall, distribution center, warehouse, general office building)<\/span><\/li>\n
  19. Are the vehicles assigned to dedicated parking spaces?<\/span><\/li>\n
  20. Will vehicles need to charge during the loading\/unloading process?<\/span><\/li>\n
  21. Do you anticipate that the vehicles will charge in a dedicated parking space in the parking lot?<\/span><\/li>\n
  22. Do you expect the charging infrastructure to be dedicated to fleet vehicles or shared use (such as employee personal vehicles)?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Answering the Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Comparing total fleet size (1<\/strong>) to number of vehicles to electrify (13<\/strong>) and timeframe to begin purchasing EVs (9<\/strong>) will determine site design in terms of how many charging stations are required and whether the ICE-powered vehicles must change their operational flow to accommodate the new EVs.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Knowing the initial number of vehicles to electrify \u2014 even if just a ballpark range \u2014 will dictate site planning needs as well. Those planning to acquire a single EV in the first year and then grow the EV fleet may not need an initial deep dive on the full site design, but fleeting 10 to 20 vehicles in year one would.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cThere’s a lot of work you can do upfront to reduce costs over time,\u201d Patadia said. \u201cIf you\u2019re starting with 10 EVs but will grow to 30 and then 50, let’s look at your entire parking situation now and do the site design to make sure that when we pour concrete and pull wires, everything is done in a future-proof way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Vehicles located at multiple locations (2<\/strong>) \u201cincreases the likelihood that you’re going to need a pretty in-depth software solution if the vehicles are moving between depots,\u201d Patadia says.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If vehicles rotate between depots or sometimes go home with the driver (3<\/strong>), fleets may need to consider multiple types of charging solutions, from charging at a depot, at home, or en route. Home charging should be set up to include smart reimbursement, she says. The en-route solution could be a public option, or a new non-public station placed in a heat map of activity that multiple fleets could access.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Charging infrastructure providers are connected to the major fuel cards (4<\/strong>). It behooves operators to find out which fuel card providers connect to which charging solutions, as the connectivity makes payments vastly more efficient.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The same goes for (5<\/strong>) telematics. Charging software platforms are integrated with multiple telematics systems, but not all of them. This integration unlocks the power of telematics as it relates to electric vehicles \u2014 such as identifying vehicle location, their dwell times, and whether they\u2019re being charged. The telematics system will push notifications to the fleet manager on vehicle location, charging activity, and state of charge, among other metrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In the same vein, integration with a vehicle asset management platform (6<\/strong>) or dispatch software (7<\/strong>) allows the operator to combine EV metrics with other fleet data for more powerful insights into the entire fleet. It\u2019s essential to know a vehicle\u2019s state of charge to be able to assign it to a route, Patadia says, or how to apportion power based on when a vehicle is scheduled to leave.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Knowing the EV\u2019s make and model (8<\/strong>) as well as type (10<\/strong>) will dictate capacity needs. \u201cThere is often a long lead time to get the power from the utility to your site, including necessary grid upgrades,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

    They also dictate vehicles\u2019 efficiencies. If exact make and model aren\u2019t yet known, particularly regarding commercial EVs, knowing the class size of the vehicles will allow for a rough kilowatt-per-hour metric. This, in turn, dictates the needed charging solution, from Level 2 chargers to DC fast chargers, as well as how configurable the solution must be.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Each vehicle\u2019s application (11<\/strong>) and duty cycle are unique and must be considered, Patadia says. Delivery, trucking, and transit operations typically have dwell times of eight to 10 hours sufficient for charging. Yet before embarking, delivery fleets will need to leave the charging area to load, which creates an interruption in its charging cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On the other hand, passenger vehicle fleets such as taxi or ride-hailing operations are in constant operation, which limits charging opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

    With cargo type (12<\/strong>), the primary factor is weight, which is coupled with operational flow considerations in the depot such as how the cargo is loaded and whether it needs to be refrigerated or managed in a special way.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Days per week the vehicle is in use (14<\/strong>) determines when the EV can be charged to 100%. This is a common scenario with shuttle buses that have short routes but may only have a small window to recharge when picking up or dropping off. If the shuttle doesn\u2019t run during the weekend, that\u2019s a natural time for a full recharge.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Are the vehicles\u2019 departures and arrivals staggered or do they all leave and return at the same time? How many miles will each EV travel daily? What are the dwell times for each EV (15<\/strong>)?<\/span><\/p>\n

    Understanding these factors help to determine the number of kilowatt hours that will be depleted before the vehicles arrive at the depot and how much time they\u2019re afforded to charge before departing again. This also speaks to an opportunity for energy management, which could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars monthly compared to unmanaged charging.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Regarding estimated average daily miles, this can get tricky, \u201cbecause operators sometimes have a false sense of accuracy on how perfectly their operations run,\u201d Patadia says.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whether the property is owned or leased (16<\/strong>) determines site construction for capacity upgrades and charger installations that may require structural changes. \u201cWhat are we allowed to rip up? Who can participate in some portion of the cost?\u201d she asks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Indoor or outdoor parking (17<\/strong>) influences weather considerations. Snowy or hot and sunny climes would necessitate constructing protections for equipment and drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The type of facility (18<\/strong>) also dictates operational flow. How a vehicle gets washed, loaded, and inspected can complicate and diminish charging opportunities. Patadia gives the example of bus depots: Buses are parked nose to tail, which necessitates careful planning of charge points and wash stations to be able to complete both tasks concurrently.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whether vehicles are assigned to dedicated parking spaces (19<\/strong>) brings a few considerations. One is emergency charging \u2014 can a charger be available in places where parking is not allowed?<\/span><\/p>\n

    Another is fleet policy: Which employees are allowed to charge in which spots? Where can visitors charge, and does senior management have extra privileges? ChargePoint has created \u201cconnection groups,\u201d in which drivers and their RFID cards are categorized by different policies in terms of access privileges, how they\u2019re billed, and if penalties apply. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Will vehicles need to charge during the loading and unloading process (20<\/strong>)? Patadia serves up the scenario of an electric van that’s delivering to a grocery store and it’s used most of its range getting there. Charging while unloading could provide just enough of a range buffer to complete the day\u2019s final deliveries.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whether the vehicle will charge in a dedicated parking space (21<\/strong>) could provoke an HR debate. Patadia brings up a potential scenario of the C-suite employee who plugs in when the organization is near its demand limit. \u201cDoes everyone else who is charging get reduced so he can get charged?\u201d she asks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whether the charging infrastructure is not just dedicated to fleet vehicles but is shared (22<\/strong>) influences prioritization of the fleet manager\u2019s dashboard and alerts. For instance, if a depot is meant for box trucks and a Tesla plugs in, fleet policy must be written to establish the Tesla as low priority, and that owner, and the fleet manager, must be notified.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cIn almost every fleet, there are vehicles with different priority levels for charging,\u201d Patadia says. \u201cWhether it’s the VP and the employees, or the tractor and box truck to service van, ranking those so that the work gets done when things get constrained is super important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Patadia outlines the top concern for fleets beginning this process:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cEvery fleet is unique,\u201d she says. \u201cSome may want to use the same solution as the transit depot down the road. It’s important that each fleet understands the unique layout and geography of their depot and its operational flow. If they\u2019re not considered when preparing for the charging solution you need, you might find yourself high and dry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    by Chris Brown<\/a><\/p>\n

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    Source: https:\/\/www.fleetforward.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Photo:\u00a0Electrify Commercial Understanding capacity needs upfront is essential, as there is often a long lead time to get the power from the utility to the\u00a0charging\u00a0site, while necessary grid and site upgrades must be considered. Every fleet is unique, and therefore every fleet looking to electrify will have unique charging needs. In fact, planning for charging…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[230,138],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11236,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11234\/revisions\/11236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}