Optimize EV Fleet Charging: Plan Ahead
Electrifying a fleet involves much more than acquiring electric vehicles (EVs). A smooth transition to a mixed-energy fleet requires thorough planning to address range requirements, charging schedules, and locations. During the planning phase, it's best to address financing and infrastructure build-out. This includes offering options for at-home charging and reimbursing drivers for home charging costs. With proper preparation, an EV fleet charging plan can lead to smooth operations, avoiding charging bottlenecks or needless expenses due to a surplus of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).
Electrifying a fleet can be complex and time-consuming, and the right tools will simplify and streamline the process. Be planful and follow a strategy for the most successful adoption. No matter where you are in your electrification journey, following these tips will ensure a smooth transition to adopting EVs into your mixed-energy fleet.
Plan for EV Fleet Charging Based on Your Operations
When you know exactly what you need, electrification becomes easier. Planning EV adoption with your existing daily operations in mind can significantly ease the electrification process. Doing so provides precise, data-driven insights into your fleet's needs, and using telematics-based analytics ensures building charging infrastructure based on real-time data. This data ensures accurate decision-making so fleet managers understand driver behaviors and vehicle needs rather than building a charging plan based on assumptions.
Data-driven insights create a more manageable electrification process without affecting operations. Each vehicle in your fleet can be equipped with a telematics device, creating a seamless experience with fleet electrification analysis happening at the same time.
Identify When, Where, and How Often You Will Need to Charge
Make infrastructure planning a priority prior to adopting your first EV. Installing EVSE takes time, and planning your vehicle procurement ahead of time prevents the possibility of idle assets. To optimize depot charging, start by analyzing historical vehicle usage patterns. This will help you determine the number of chargers needed, choose strategic charging locations, and create efficient fleet charging schedules. Data-driven analysis will paint a clear picture of your vehicles’ needs.
Detailed data from systems like ezIO make infrastructure planning clear, predictable, and stress-free. Planning for an EV fleet charging infrastructure is a bit like what happens to Goldilocks and her Three Bears—you want to get it just right. Granular data helps managers match charger quantity with fleet needs and prevent both underutilization and infrastructure overinvestment. You can assess charging needs at every step of the electrification journey, from partial to full electrification.
Additionally, understanding how EV charging will impact demand at each facility allows for efficient charging schedules and minimized vehicle downtime. Fleet managers can work with facilities and utility staff to identify where there is sufficient available capacity to deploy EVSE and where service upgrades may be required, all before an EV is purchased.
At-Home and En-Route Charging Solutions to Support Fleet Electrification
Although planning for depot charging is important, not all charging will happen at your fleet facility. Understanding ahead of time how at-home and en route charging fit into your EV fleet charging plan will pay back in dividends down the road. Tracking non-depot charging expenses can create complexities for your business. Fortunately, companies like WEX provide EV solutions to support fleet electrification with both en route and at-home charging solutions for your drivers. Using WEX’s DriverDash app and RFID card, WEX En Route allows drivers to charge on the road all within the same payment system as you use for your internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
When employees charge at home with the EV DriverDash app, they are reimbursed through the business’s fleet credit line. They will receive funds via the WEX PayControl app, reducing overhead and helping to ensure accurate expense tracking. The meticulous tracking ensures transparency and fairness in the reimbursement process while simplifying expense reporting.
For charges that need to occur en route, the DriverDash app and RFID card enhance accessibility to public charging infrastructure. WEX En Route uses WEX’s proprietary closed-loop payments network to help ensure secure transactions and provide fleet managers with detailed insights into charging behavior, driver identification, and vehicle mileage. The payment process is further streamlined by a growing network of charging locations accepting DriverDash, including ChargePoint, EVConnect, EVGo, FLO, AmpUp, and Blink.
Optimize EV Fleet Charging with Data-Driven Insights
Successfully managing a mixed-energy fleet involves more planning and oversight than managing a simple fleet of ICE vehicles. When creating an EV fleet charging plan, it is helpful to optimize charging schedules, plan infrastructure to right-size EVSE, and ensure accurate driver reimbursement for at-home charging. With the proper tools, a complex operational process can be straightforward and easy to manage.
Sawatch Labs can help you take charge of fleet electrification with robust hardware and software solutions by collecting and analyzing real-time driving data. Expert guidance and tailored solutions are available to help you start planning for a sustainable future. Contact us today to discuss your electrification needs and start planning for a sustainable future.