Choosing the right EV charging infrastructure for your business

Making sure you install the right EV chargers is important, as they play a key role in transitioning your organisation and its stakeholders to a greener, cleaner future. 

It might seem like a good idea to over-specify and go for rapid chargers, “just in case” and sometimes rapids could be the best option, especially when you need a rapid turn-around of vehicles, but not always. At Mer we believe that you should install the right infrastructure, rather than EV charging points that will be significantly more expensive, especially if extra power is needed at a site.

Informed decisions

The key to any successful investment is making an informed decision – and to do that, you need data.

For fleet operators this information should be at your fingertips already, thanks to telematics. This should tell you when vehicles leave and return to the depot, as well as how long they are on site which will help you to understand what and when there is the opportunity to charge. If you are looking at workplace charging for employees and visitors, in the main you will find that drivers will be plugged in for the full working day.

Business Scenarios

Let’s explore some common business use cases for electric vehicles to highlight the best chargers for each application:

1. Fleet operator

Vehicles travelling around 100 miles a day and back at base in the evening

Company: A regional logistics company, running a fleet of vans and light trucks. Most of the vehicles will travel less than 100 miles on a daily basis.

Recommendation: This scenario can be easily accommodated with 7kW chargers. The vehicles can access a full recharge overnight when back at base. A great example of this is our recent work with home delivery specialists and electric van pioneers, Milk & More, because of the length of time the vehicles were parked at the base, eight hours for a charge was satisfactory for the next shift.

Vehicles travelling around 200 miles a day but back at base at lunch and evening

Company: a regional logistics company with vans travelling further afield. The vehicles return to base multiple times during the day and again through the night. 

Recommendation: Vans travelling around 200 miles per day may need a top-up charge during the day. Depending on how long they remain at base, the best option could be a DC Wallbox. These charge at 24kW so provide a quicker top-up than a fast charger but often can be often fitted without the need for expensive power upgrades. Mix this with 7kW to charge vehicles fully overnight. 

Another option would be to use the public network of rapid chargers when away from the base. This will minimise up-front capital costs but comes with additional time required.

2. Workplace

Company: This company runs a fleet of company cars including pool cars which are used throughout the day, the pool cars cover less than 50 miles a day.

Recommendation: Again, 7kW, fast chargers will be suitable for this site. Company cars can be charged throughout the day whilst drivers are at work and the pool cars recharged over night. 

3. Supermarket delivery depot

Company: A supermarket in the centre of a city requires EV charging for their all-electric vans for home shopping delivery.

Data shows that the delivery vans return to the depot at night and are in use from 8am – 8pm, typically returning to base three times per shift for 45 minutes each time and travelling a total of 120 miles per day.

Recommendation: A 50kW rapid charger would provide the necessary top-up charge through the day with 7kW or 22kW charge points adequate for an overnight charge.

Ask an expert

If you are unsure about which electric vehicle chargers to purchase, simply ask an expert! At Mer we specialise in helping our customers through every step of the journey, from specification through to installation, operation and maintenance. 

Our customers are not EV charging experts and they shouldn’t have to be – you can rely on our expertise to set you on the right path.