The Complete Guide to Creating an EV Fleet Depot Charging Strategy
In this guide, we outline how to develop a long-term, cost-effective, and scalable electrification strategy for your depot.
1/3 of UK’s transport emissions come from road transport
UK reinstates 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars
£30m of government funding is available for fleets
Why is depot electrification essential for EV fleets?
One-third of the UK’s transport emissions come from road transport. With the government reinstating the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, the need to electrify fleets has never been more urgent. For many operators, depots will become the central charging hub – and failing to plan for this now can create costly delays later.
£30m of government funding is available to support fleets develop depot charging facilities. Now is the time to electrify your fleet.
What challenges do depot electrification projects face?
Fleet managers need to have the right EV charging infrastructure on site, tailored to the specific vehicles in the fleet.
Whilst electrifying your fleet brings significant benefits, powering electric commercial vehicles marks a huge change from running a traditional ICE vehicle fleet. The transition of a commercial fleet to electric presents many challenges, and – if the process is not effectively managed – serious consequences that will cost time, resources and money.
The UK grid wasn’t built for high-volume EV charging. As more fleets go electric, the demand on the local grid infrastructure will rise. Charging large fleet vehicles in a depot environment involves provisioning tens of megawatts of power, plus significant engineering work to access grid connections.
From planning permissions to construction, a typical depot charging installation can take 12–24 months. Delays are common without an experienced partner.
How do you create a depot electrification plan?
Building the optimal EV transition solution for a multi-site business requires careful preparation and thorough investigations.
What should your depot EV strategy include?
Site feasibility and grid connection:
- How, where and when will your vehicles be charged?
- What power do you need, and what is available across your estate currently?
- Do you need to apply for a new grid connection?
- Engage with an experienced EV charging partner, who can help you paint a picture of what your fleet needs from its charging infrastructure.
Detailed cost analysis:
- Align your financial strategy with your operational goals to ensure value for money.
- Your depot charging partner can guide you through funding
- options, and government incentives and grants.
A realistic delivery timeline:
- Electrifying a depot is not an overnight project.
- An experienced partner in depot charging will allow sufficient time for acquiring permits and construction and connection works, in line with the timeline you are working on.
- Your partner should also ensure the completed project aligns with local regulations.
If the vehicle needs to return to the depot mid-shift for a top-up charge, ultra-rapid charge points are essential for a fast-turnaround. On the other hand, if the vehicle does not require a charge until it returns to base at the end of a shift, slower chargers are more suitable; the vehicle can charge overnight, ready for tomorrow’s shift.
Your depot layout, vehicle dwell time, and routing patterns all impact infrastructure decisions. An effective depot design will consider how best to support your fleet based on:
- The depot’s power availability and grid connection(s),
- Telematic data of the vehicles that will be charging there,
- Your fleet’s behavioural trends, such as whether they will charge overnight or need to stop by mid-shift for a top-up charge.
Optimising your charging infrastructure is key to keeping costs down and ensuring your business-critical vehicles are ready for every shift.
- Load balancing and remote charger management will give you confidence that your fleet will always be operational.
- Your EV charging partner can help you maximise your fleet’s efficiency by analysing behaviours and optimising routes and charging profiles.
How do you manage a fleet depot with EV charging infrastructure?
An EV charging project is not over once the charge points are installed. When choosing a depot EV charging partner, consider:
- Remote charger management – Can you monitor your infrastructure in real time, to mitigate faults and issues?
- Driver training – Do your staff know how to operate the chargers?
- Software and data insights – What visibility do you have over charger data, to make necessary network improvements?
- Maintenance and uptime guarantee – Do you have a service level agreement in place to maintain the condition of your infrastructure?
Your depot charging checklist
- Understand the unique requirements for depot charging – What are the factors to consider when it comes to electrifying your depot?
- Evaluate your fleet’s requirements – What does your fleet really need from its charging infrastructure?
- Analyse the costs – Get ahead of the foreseeable, and unexpected, costs.
- Consider the technology and power implications – Explore the technical side of electrifying your depot, and what this means for grid connections and power demands on site.
- Prepare to manage your infrastructure – Think about training and supporting your staff for long-term success.