Fleet - EV Charging Best Practices
Fleet electrification succeeds when plans and infrastructure fit real operations. It starts by aligning charging with where vehicles park and how they dwell, then right sizing equipment to match fleet needs and site power. Leveraging software to orchestrate schedules, access control, load, and reporting. Planning for and building resiliency so mission critical operations stay on time. Establishing clear fueling policies, often enforced in software, to control and reduce utility costs. Together, these practices support high uptime, predictable budgets, and scalable growth.
With that context, the following five best practices capture what works in the field. They are foundational starting points, with details and tradeoffs tailored to each fleet.
1) Plan around dwell time, routes, and infrastructure
Key consideration: Map dwell windows and parking patterns before choosing charger locations.
Foundational practices
Map dwell by route and vehicle type, noting long dwell, midday layovers, and quick turnarounds.
Compare alignment options. Place chargers where vehicles already park, or shift parking closer to power, then select the lower lifetime cost or best functional layout.
Protect site flow and safety. Orient stalls and cable reach to keep aisles clear and maintain walkways.
Coordinate with the utility early. Confirm capacity, timelines, make ready support, and metering requirements.
Key value: Smoother operations at lower total cost of ownership.
2) Right size charging equipment to match needs
Key consideration: If dwell is eight hours or more, lower power often covers it. If quick turnarounds are needed, plan for higher power access.
Foundational practices
Establish performance needs, define departure state of charge, charge windows, and route criticality by segment.
Match power to dwell. Consider Level 2 or DC fast where appropriate, based on duty cycles and charging needs.
Use hybrid mixes where needed. Favor lower power for everyday energy, reserve higher power for schedule protection and quick turnarounds.
Avoid overbuilding. I prefer modular gear, conduits and panel capacity, and intelligent software that can grow with the fleet.
Key value: Controlled capital and demand exposure while protecting schedules.
3) Make software the backbone
Key consideration: Enable scheduling and load management first, then add finer controls as operations scale.
Foundational practices
Start with core functions. Scheduling, access control, load management, data capture, and alerts.
Integrate where it matters. Telematics, operations systems, and utility rate data improve scheduling and cost control.
Track a minimum data set. For example, uptime, kilowatt hours per vehicle, cost per mile, and peak demand by site.
Establish governance. Roles and permissions, change control, and a clear owner for policies and thresholds.
Key value: Automated savings and predictable fueling costs.
4) Design for resiliency, not perfection
Key consideration: Build simple cushions earlier rather than firefight later.
Foundational practices
Apply modest cushions. Ensure excess capacity on critical lanes and routes with tight schedules.
Add connectivity redundancy. Primary and backup networking, plus local or offline fallback modes.
Use managed caps and/or onsite generation and storage where justified to ride through peaks and brief outages.
Prepare to maintain. Spare parts, documented SLAs, and a clear escalation path with vendors.
Key value: Less infrastructure downtime and smoother operations.
5) Control fueling costs with clear policies
Key consideration: Default to off peak schedules and limit external charging to defined cases.
Foundational practices
Schedule for the best utility rates when possible. Align charging with time of use calendars and seasonal changes.
Cap demand thoughtfully. Use power sharing, staggered starts, and site level limits to avoid demand charges.
Govern public/external charging. Preferred networks, geofenced locations, spending rules, and exception approvals.
Refresh regularly. Stay in communication with the utility. Recheck tariffs, incentives, and operational changes, then adjust schedules and limits as needed.
Key value: A steady, defensible energy budget.
StrategEV can help
StrategEV provides EV charging strategy consulting for fleets, aligning charging scenarios, site layouts, software requirements, and infrastructure plans with operational needs.
Next steps
Book a free one-hour consultation to review fleet needs and get initial recommendations.