Public EV charging considerations for fleets

Following his participation in the 2023 EV Rally, GreenFleet caught up with Richard Parker, Webfleet UK EV lead, Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, to pose some pressing questions prove vital. Where possible, drivers should also embrace a ‘charging when you stop’ mindset rather than stopping to charge to minimise downtime and maximise productivity. Elsewhere, the rally reinforced the importance of effective planning.

What would you say are the biggest challenges currently facing fleet electrification?

The overriding challenge has been the tough economic landscape, which has been taking its toll on fleet operators. Research from Bridgestone and Webfleet found that more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of commercial fleets have been looking to postpone their electrification plans as a direct result of the cost of business squeeze. Although cutting capital spend is the go-to survival strategy for businesses as costs rise, with the clock ticking on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, it’s a case of kicking the can down the road when it comes to electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Thankfully, there’s some cause for cautious optimism. Inflation was lower than anticipated in June and the UK economy is set to grow instead of fall into recession.

In most cases, EVs are more expensive to lease or purchase upfront than their fossil-fuelled counterparts, and there is still a supply shortage – but TCO can favour the electric vehicle, and registrations continue to rise year-on-year.

EV capabilities for different business uses continue to grow, while battery ranges and charging infrastructure are improving, all of which have proved notable obstacles to date. UK charging infrastructure and availability can still pose a challenge for some fleets, but the charge point installation rate has increased by more than 80 per cent and there are now more than 170 ultra-rapid charging hubs across the UK, according to latest Zapmap data. If this trend continues, there will be more than 50,000 charge points in the UK by the end of the year.

Participating teams in this year’s EV Rally were quick to discover that Ireland is still playing catch-up, but few faced significant difficulties over the five days. We’ve come a long way. Typically, vehicles that can be charged from home or a depot will be capable of doing a full day’s work within a single charge cycle, but fleets should pay heed to the nature of their operations and the charging infrastructure needed, whether public or private, to support their drivers in the areas they operate.

Charging costs will also be an important consideration for fleets, but they should be mindful that, as things stand, energy costs are falling. What’s more, with an effective charging strategy in place, underpinned by connected EV insights from dedicated telematics software, costs can be minimised and day-to-day performance and productivity optimised.

Did the EV Rally highlight other charging considerations for fleets?

Only a proportion of a battery’s capacity can be utilised for a journey and when other factors come into play, such as topography, temperature and payloads, an EV’s range may be reduced by up to 20 per cent. This was particularly evident during the rally.

Fleets and drivers should also take into account a vehicle’s charging capacity and its charging curve. It should be remembered that, when charging, you are paying per kilowatt hour. There is no point charging with an ultra-fast charger at 350kW if the vehicle doesn’t have capacity to take it.

The vehicle’s charging curve will impact how long a vehicle might be sat on charge. For operational vehicles that require charging during the working day, this knowledge can

For most of the rally, I had a passenger to support me, but on my 360-mile journey home from Holyhead, I was on my own. I knew I would have to recharge twice, and when a charge point was occupied at a planned stopped, despite having considerable EV experience, charging anxiety then intensified. For fleets, telematics solutions can play a crucial role in supporting the planning process. Webfleet, for example, will optimise EV routing, taking account of vehicle battery levels, capacity, energy consumption and charge point locations.

How integral is the driver to the efficient operation of an electric fleet?

The performance of the driver is paramount. Charge points have become increasingly intuitive for the uninitiated, but electric vehicles have distinct characteristics and idiosyncrasies, which most fleet drivers will be unfamiliar with. Fleets should ensure they help drivers fully understand this technology. Some vehicles, for example, offer selectable levels of regenerative braking. Behind the wheel of the VW ID.4 I drove during the rally, I could toggle between driving modes ‘D’ and ‘B’ (brake) at any time, with ‘B’ offering more brake regeneration.

Vehicle by vehicle, you should make sure your training helps drivers understand how to get the best out of their EV on different road types. Electric vehicle range, as with petrol or diesel vehicle mpg, is improved by drivers refraining from speeding and by taking a smooth, more gentle approach to acceleration and braking. Using driving performance monitoring solutions, such as Webfleet’s OptiDrive 360 that scores and profile drivers based on key performance indicators, problem trends can be addressed and drivers can be empowered to improve with real time feedback. L