Whitepaper – Impacts of Increasing Electrification on State Fleet Operations and Charging Demand
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides technical and analytical support to the U.S. Department of Energy’s alternative fuel programs, including the State and Alternative Fuel Provider Fleet Program. Through the program, the U.S. Department of Energy implements regulations pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), as amended, which requires alternative fuel providers to use alternative fuels in those vehicles where the fuel is available. These fleets continue to be a subject of broad interest as a test bed for implementing and evaluating new vehicle and fuel technologies and are the subject of compliance options set forth in EPAct and associated regulations. The work in the alternative fuel arena that these fleets pursue inevitably generates case studies and lessons learned that other EPAct fleets, and indeed other non-EPAct fleets as well, can use to their advantage as they begin to deploy new and advanced vehicle technologies.
State fleets represent an enticing opportunity to explore the near-term feasibility of fleet electrification. In many instances, state fleet operations encompass a wide geographic area with fleet locations for many vehicles. Serving these wide areas will require a significant amount of energy and, in the case of electric vehicles (EVs), a significant level of charging power. The peak demand as a result of this charging demand is of interest for fleets, with impacts on both utility bills and installation costs ranking among some of the greatest concerns. The combination of a wide operational area and multiple fleet locations positions state fleets as ideal candidates to understand the impacts of vehicle charging on fleet operations.
As the availability of electric drivetrains expands beyond light-duty sedans, fleets need to understand when it will be appropriate operationally and financially to start adding electric drivetrains to their fleets. Throughout this process, it will also be important to understand the charging implications of fleet electrification and the resulting impacts to facility electrical systems. To better understand these considerations, NREL contracted Sawatch Labs to analyze the role that increasing state fleet electrification may have on the charging demand at fleet parking facilities. As states move from initial EV adoption to increased deployment of EVs, the implications that fueling these vehicles will have on facility electricity demand will only grow. This analysis project includes the assessment of fleet data from three states in different regions in the United States to:
Identify state vehicles for which an EV is a good operational and economic fit.
Identify where charging infrastructure will be needed to support broad state fleet electrification.
Project charging demand curves to highlight where charging may have impacts on facility peak demand.
Each of these is expected to facilitate efforts by states to operate EVs in their fleets efficiently and cost-effectively.
To accurately understand fleet electrification opportunities and challenges, fleet partners provided the research team with telematics data for their vehicles. Telematics data, such as vehicle speed and location, enable a detailed understanding of vehicle travel patterns to determine both energy needs based on driving behaviors and charging opportunities based on parking habits. As state fleets move beyond initial EV procurement to meeting broader fleet electrification goals, it will be critical for fleet managers to understand the potential impact of EV charging on their facility’s overall electricity demand. The analysis methodology outlined in this whitepaper provided fleets with vehicle electrification opportunities and charging demand analyses to support fleet electrification planning efforts.
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