Now’s the Time to Switch Your Construction Fleet to Electric Vehicles

As the rate of homebuilding continues to grow in the UK, and new projects break ground daily, we look at the drivers and challenges behind electrifying construction vehicle fleets. Why is now the time for companies to start considering electric vehicles (EVs)? What are some EV fleet charging solutions to transform their business?

 In this blog, we cover: 

• Understanding the need for EVs in construction 

• Benefits and challenges of electric construction fleets 

• How to prepare for fleet electrification 

Is there a need to electrify the construction industry?

The construction industry is a vital element of the UK economy. In 2022, it accounted for 6.2% of GDP. Since the 2024 General Election, the new Labour government has set out mandatory housing targets, pledging to build 1.5 million homes in five years to address the housing shortage. While they appear to be some way off their target, the construction industry remains solid, showing moderate signs of growth.

Already a major emitter of greenhouse gases and carbon, 13% of annual global emissions are generated through construction and demolition processes, according to The Carbon Trust. Turbocharging housebuilding in the UK is expected to have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions. When you add in the roads, utilities, telecoms and other infrastructure needed to support the new housing, this impact is further multiplied.

Construction is already a highly regulated industry, with strict carbon regulations and whole-life carbon assessments designed to meet net zero targets. This involves the entire lifecycle of a building, including raw material extraction and production, construction, operation, end-of-life demolition, and any transportation and construction vehicles used.

These vehicles and machinery are typically still powered by fossil fuels.

What are the benefits of electrifying these transportation and construction vehicles?

Converting construction fleets from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs is a significant way to reduce carbon within the sector. The arguments for electrifying construction vehicles are every bit as compelling as transport in general:

• Reduced emissions
• Cleaner air
• Less reliance on fossil fuels
• Cheaper to run

For construction vehicles, there are extra benefits to electrification:

• Less noise on construction sites creates a safer working environment.
• Less nuisance to neighbours could extend operating hours on site, increasing productivity. It could also increase goodwill and reduce complaints.
• EVs have fewer transmission parts than their ICE counterparts, and are more reliable and cheaper to maintain.

What about the challenges involved in switching to construction electric fleets?

All in all, the argument for electric construction vehicles is strong, but it isn’t without challenges. The primary one is the lack of EV models for key construction processes.

While vehicles like forklifts have long been the workhorses of the sector and illustrate the value of electric vehicles in the workplace, available options for EVs over 3.5 tonnes, or specific construction vehicles like tippers, drop-side tail lift vehicles and cherry pickers are still sparse.

It’s the same story as electric HGV models, where manufacturers are continually working on developing workable and affordable vehicles that offer the same benefits of electric vans and other light commercial options.

What can fleet managers do now to prepare for the electrification of their construction vehicles?

At some point in the future, all construction vehicles will need to run on electricity, and fleet managers and operators will need to be ready to power them. Installing EV fleet charging infrastructure now will help prevent delays and power provision challenges down the line.

It will also help to get ahead of the competition, work out your operational requirements, and appeal to a growing base of ecologically driven customers.

Get ahead with EV fleet transition

Unfortunately, charging construction vehicles (especially those with large payloads) is more complex than installing a handful of chargers and plugging them in at the depot. They’re also more challenging to utilise public charging infrastructure with, and will often need to be charged at a compound overnight.

Installing a charging infrastructure for a construction fleet involves complexity and disruption. On a greenfield site and some brownfield sites, connecting the compound to the grid will be a main priority. There will also be challenges around land rights and wayleaves to get sufficient power to the right location to ensure the machinery is ready to use during the day.

Ensuring that any charging infrastructure is sufficient for construction vehicles can involve provisioning tens of megawatts of power, and the permissions and engineering work required can take months or even years. The processes that businesses and distribution network operators (DNOs) need to go through to upgrade supply and bring in new connections are complex and involve many variables, such as:

• Your power requirements
• Your connection type, date and duration
• The availability of a new grid connection
• Designing, building and implementing the connection

For most it’s a real step into the unknown and it is advisable to start early, to get a sense of what is needed now and, in the future, and build it into the overall development plans.

Many construction companies are already gearing up for the transition. Rather than waiting for future construction of EV models, they are electrifying fleets that do have EV models now. These could range from 3.5 tonne drop sides used on a construction site to vans and cars used by mobile technical service engineers.

Such companies have analysed the kinds of vehicles they use now and are installing the charging infrastructure needed, while also determining what they may need in the future.

How does this work in practice?

Like other construction companies and contractors, Costain has pledged to switch its fleet to EVs to be net zero by 2035. The company opted to future-proof its charging requirements, getting the EV network in place ahead of its competition. It has installed EV charging infrastructure to power a 3,000-strong EV fleet.

Working with Mer, an established EV fleet charging infrastructure partner, enabled Costain to install charge points at its offices across the UK, together with groundworks for more charge points to be added in the future, in keeping with its ‘dig once’ policy.

Advice for fleet managers when navigating the complexities of electrification

The challenge for the EV charging industry is how to make the total cost and convenience of transitioning to electric construction fleets attractive for the sector’s fleet managers, as well as emphasising the need to get ahead of the competition. EV charging companies have been exploring how to go about this.

There is no ‘one-size fits all’ solution to site-specific challenges. Each one must match unique circumstances of the construction business and individual site’s needs. For example:

• The vehicles they operate and the site where the charging infrastructure is needed.
• Considerations of the physical infrastructure of cables and charge points.
• Different ownership models where the construction business builds, owns and operates its own on-site charging infrastructure, the charge point operator (CPO) manages a ‘charging as a service’ scenario, or the business completely outsources both infrastructure and energy to an experienced CPO to optimise and control charging.

The starting point of any solution is a comprehensive analysis of what the business requirements are versus what it currently has. This includes a full site-by-site investigation and analysis of where the business is looking to go in the future to allow for growth and accommodate advances in construction EV models as they come online.

How can Mer support fleet managers in the construction industry?

Strong partnerships with experienced EV charging experts are important. Running a construction business or a commercial fleet is hard enough without having to become an expert in electrical infrastructure.

On a construction site, transport might be a critical element, but it is just a part of the broader picture, which includes:

• Safety, commercial and financial targets
• Vehicles to maintain
• Environmental legislation to comply with
• Staff training and utilisation

Choosing a CPO partner like Mer, that understands the challenges and has the agility to adapt to the challenges that inevitably occur, will help a construction business, contractor or, utilities provider optimise the electrification of their fleet.

Electrifying construction vehicles, especially those with heavier payloads, will involve buying new vehicles when they are available, and provisioning a completely different way to fuel them without disrupting existing operations.

We have the solutions to ensure this works for you. It all starts with a conversation.