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In this blog: Invest in Quality | Understand Your Needs | Managing Your Network | Future-Proofing | Fleet Experience | How We Work
Fleet operators continue to lead the transition to electric vehicles, with many setting ambitious targets. However, with the introduction of more EVs comes increased demand for charging infrastructure.
In this article, we explore what you should look for in your EV charging company, and why.
The old saying “buy cheap, buy twice” is true of almost all business purchases and this includes EV charging for fleets.
Fleet managers are well versed in looking at total ownership costs rather than the ticket price of a vehicle – do the same when you are procuring EV charge points. Look for long-term value rather than the lowest cost to install chargers. This means charge points with the right functionality for you, a back-office system that enables you to properly manage your network, across multiple sites, plus aftercare support for both you and your drivers.
When investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, it is important to get it right the first time. Making the right choices in terms of charge point capabilities and their support package will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Another old saying is that the customer is always right – but when it comes to EV charging, you might be surprised that what you think you want isn’t what you necessarily need. You might have a clear idea in your head of what chargers you want and why.
However, we listen to what you want to achieve and then give you the right infrastructure to support your goals. A good example of this is delivery fleets who come to us thinking they need expensive, high-powered rapid chargers. However, often we’re able to demonstrate that they can comfortably meet their business objectives with more cost-effective fast chargers.
Electric Fleet Vehicle ‘Refuels’ Using Mer UK EV Charge Point
Choose a provider who can give you superb insights into your charging infrastructure through a back-office platform. Look for a user-friendly system that provides data on charge point usage, plus alerts if there are any issues with your chargers. The best back-office systems will also enable you to set multiple tariffs for different groups using your charge points, as well as report on carbon savings compared to using equivalent diesel vehicles.
By listening to you and accurately mapping out your needs, your provider can help you to future-proof your sites. This means that you have the flexibility to grow your charging network as you bring more EVs into your fleet. At Mer we’re not in this for a quick buck; we’d rather build long-term relationships.
It goes without saying that you want a charging partner with a proven track record in the fleet sector.
Mer has extensive experience working with fleets to right-size and future-proof their EV charging infrastructure. Our clients include companies with substantial EV fleets such as DX Delivery, Milk & More, and Costain, plus public sector organisations such as local authorities and NHS Trusts.
At Mer we take a true partnership approach, meaning that we work with you every step of the way, to ensure that your EV charging points properly support your transition to ultra-low emission vehicles.
Our experts carry out detailed site surveys to determine what infrastructure is best for you and how you can overcome any limitations on power availability. Stuck on a site with little spare grid capacity to support EV charging? We are experts at providing innovative solutions such as load balancing.
We ensure you get the right chargers for you, whether that is fast chargers for overnight or top-up charging, or rapid chargers for faster turnarounds.
We can help you access subsidies towards the cost of your charging infrastructure, such as the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme. After you’ve filled in a few basic details, we can do the rest for you.
With our Mer back-office platform, you can network your chargers, receive performance data, enable remote diagnostics, and even set multiple tariffs for different user groups. Furthermore, your drivers can benefit from the Mer Connect mobile app.
Finally, get comprehensive support packages from Mer to maximise uptime and ensure any issues are quickly resolved.
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