How do I know which charger to get for my fleet vehicles?

The answer varies based on a few key factors:

1) What vehicle are we using?
2) Who is using the vehicle?
3) Where will the vehicle go during its daily operations?

Let’s dig a little deeper.

Choosing the right EV charger depends on many factors such as:

◾ Vehicle’s charging capabilities: AC or DC.
◾ Daily driving: Frequency and duration of use.
◾ Driving routes: Motorway or urban
◾ Existing infrastructure: Home, depot, or public charging.

Fleet operators must consider scalability, including future vehicle electrification. Early mistakes can lead to costly infrastructure upgrades and unforeseen CAPEX and OPEX costs.

Different vehicles require different charging speeds:

Example: Charging an eHGV (250kWh battery) on a 7.4kW AC charger takes 33 hours. A 50kW DC charger reduces this to 5 hours. Higher power chargers up to 150kW+ can further cut charging time to 80 minutes to 2 hours, significantly impacting operational efficiency.

Pre-conditioning and state of charge will vary, but these figures illustrate the point.

Avoid common mistakes:

◾ Don’t overlook charging speed
◾ Check the vehicles power delivery options for AC and DC power (You could be installing hardware that’s not compatible for your vehicles).
◾ Installing 1 single charging socket (Let’s make some redundancy should something goes wrong).
◾ Overworking existing supply infrastructure (Consider reducing heavy loads or upgrading your supply for your EV Fleet).

Do Consider:

– Portable DC or AC chargers (helps with a small growing fleet).
– AC Charging backup (prepare for the worst)
– Static & Dynamic load management to relieve overworked supplies
– OCPP back office management (collect data and operational insight).
– Maintenance (Let’s keep the infrastructure up and running).

Preventative and reactive maintenance is vital. Infrastructure should always have a working alternative.

Remember: It’s not just about installing one charging station. Make informed decisions backed by data insights to ensure the correct scalability for EV fleets.

This is an example of how we at Cassidy Systems Limited is supporting some of our customers. Sharing information makes the transition so much easier.

We hope you find this informative. Let us know your thoughts!

Do you need some support with charger selection? Don’t be shy, reach out to our experts at info@cassidysystems.co.uk or www.cassidysystems.co.uk