Location, location, location is the key to charge point installation

ASHIFT TO ELECTRIC IS CHALLENGING, and many operators in the taxi, private hire, chauffeur and courier industry are uncertain about how best to transition to the new electric economy.

But if you’re an operator with a depot and parking area, you have an immediate advantage. I’m going to look at the main pain points that some established operators are currently dealing with, and how they can overshadow and, in some cases, outweigh, the desire to go green. Tim Scrafton

It is possible to cope with the main challenges of Founder and COO transition in a positive way, by taking advantage of the key of The Connect differences between conventional internal combustionengined vehicles and EVs. With an EV, you can recharge Consultancy your battery in a location other than a public-facing charge hub or a traditional petrol station – your own parking spaces can be your own forecourt.

Any driver with access to off-street parking at home or work is in the position to switch to EVs, as you can install a home charger – that’s something my company can help you with.

And while EV adoption favours those solo owner-drivers with private home parking, it also favours those larger fleets with workplace charging capabilities. If you fit either of those profiles, then you’re at an immediate advantage over the operator whose office is on a busy high street, or the driver who lives in a block of flats.

Renewable energy and electrification can democratise and empower businesses with suitable locations – and there are some amazing options and new avenues available. These even include going totally off-grid and in a renewable, sustainable and more cost-efficient way.

THE END OF THE ICE-AGE

Larger fleets considering the switch to EVs have a lot to weigh up but ultimately the die is cast and the transition to electric is happening now – and at a rapidly growing rate, with big operators in London such as Addison Lee, GLH and Green Tomato Cars committing to fully electric fleets within just a couple of years.

There will come a point where an electric taxi is expected, and to protect the legacy of the business you’ve built over many years, there’s the need to stay relevant in an electric world. Otherwise, you risk being left behind, frozen out in the ICE-Age.

Individual drivers with private off-road parking and workplaces are not the same – higher power supplies are often available to companies, which means you could have the opportunity to install rapid charging outside of the public networks, to support your fleet and on your own terms.

MORE TO DO IN ’22

The alternative to rapid depot charging is the public charging infrastructure, which in the UK is improving, but is still behind the growth curve in EV sales. In December 2021, 26% of new car sales in were pure EV – while only 7% were diesel. Change is happening.

The issues with charging on public infrastructure outside Tesla’s Supercharger network are numerous. The distribution of chargers is uneven – there are not enough chargers in city centres, (exactly where the Clean Air Zones are), and far too often they’re unreliable and already dated.

The latest EV models can charge far faster than 90% of the existing network’s 50kWh chargers. Gridserve is having to replace almost all the old Ecotricity chargers after it bought the company last year, as they have been overtaken by technology in less than a decade and a half.

There are connectivity issues with various vehicle manufacturers – there is still no unified plug – and these problems are compounded by poor customer support knowledge and poor maintenance.

Things need to improve to meet the surging demand. Forecourt operators such as Motor Fuels Group (MFG) are doing their bit to improve this situation, by rolling out multiple, canopied ultra-rapid charging bays to their portfolio of well-located urban forecourts, all supported by their forecourt trading partner amenities. We need far more of this going forward.

But the commercial networks are more expensive than private charging. Yes, you might need to use the networks on longer journeys, but it makes financial sense to provide the energy yourself either at home or at workplace.

Homes with private parking can provide charging overnight at super-cheap low peak rates from around 5p per kWh. That’s nine times cheaper than Gridserve, which charges 45p per kWh. Better still, workplaces offer us the potential to provide scalable, futureproof solutions, so that you can grow your electric fleet and support it accordingly and more profitably.

YOUR DEPOT – YOUR FORECOURT – YOUR FUTURE

If you have the ability to install workplace charging, there are multiple innovative ways forward to take advantage of your position.

A clear and well-planned strategy starts with a detailed assessment. An independent evaluation needs to include at least the following:

Your car parking and available space

Energy supply and power needs

Resolution of any supply issues

Likely additional demand from charging

Types and number of vehicles

EV fleet growth u Changing types of vehicles

Increasing user demand

Number of chargers and optimum charging speeds

Monitoring and management

Ongoing maintenance and support

There is a lot to consider and a lot of solutions.

EV Fleet management is also energy management and a well planned and executed strategy will future-proof and protect your return on investment. Your depot could be the key to a successful transition.

Tim Scrafton runs the Connect Consultancy, providing end-toend strategy, insight, supply of EVs, chargers and installations. hello@theconnectconsultancy.com