Inside the world of charging networks for electric LCVs and how they are growing ahead of the ICE ban. By Matt MacConnell.
It may be daunting to fleets, large and small, when it comes to making the shift to electric LCVs before 2030. Many questions will be at the forefront of fleet operators’ minds such as the level of the supporting infrastructure, depot charge point installation costs, and of course, with current electricity prices, what can be done to keep costs as low as possible.
According to Nexus Vehicle Rental director Mike Palmer, price alone can deter businesses from transitioning to an electric fleet although there are various discounts available to support this, such as the plug-in grant (PiVG), which saves up to £2,500 from the purchase of a small van that is less than 2,500kg gross vehicle weight (GVW). To further entice fleets, however, further incentives may be required.
An additional big concern among fleet operators is charging. If drivers return their vans for an overnight charge after their shift, then a basic 7kW may be the solution. But if a quick charge is required, then a 100kW-plus rapid charger system may be necessary, provided the vehicles can support it.
Charging hubs are popping up around the country and Gridserve plans to roll out hundreds more this year, including the Electric Forecourt at London Gatwick Airport, having already opened four locations with 32 ultra rapid chargers in 2023. It is also working on an Electric Highway motorway charging system, which covers 85% of the UK’s motorway service areas and provides dual charging. Currently, this supports charging via CCS, CHAdeMO and Type 2 connectors, features contactless payment and offers real-time updates through apps such as Zap-Map.
The Department for Transport reported that 51% of all vans in the UK stayed within 15 miles of their base, on average, highlighting that for a vast majority on-road charging isn’t really required on a regular basis. For those who are out on the road, there are further facilitating options such as the Radius Charge Card, allowing you to manage charge payments easily. Ben Thomson at Radius says: “Radius’ EV charge cards allow you to pay at thousands of public charge points.”
Another barrier that fleets may come up against when considering installing EV infrastructure is power, as most buildings have been set up to feed power to the building itself rather than the car park, which means that power output may need to be increased to appropriately feed the car park chargers, affecting cost. Smaller operations may get away with the infrastructure they already have in place, fleet size dependent, as the power may be able to be smartly diverted to the LCV chargers overnight, but those who need rapid charging solutions may only be able to organise one or two chargers on their current infrastructure.
Natasha Fry at Mer Electric Car Charging Solutions says: “There are limited solutions available for organisations right now. I think looking at infrastructure from a future-proofing point of view is very wise at this stage – get the experts in early for consultations.”
There are no definitive costs to install charging infrastructure as this depends on numerous factors such as how far the depot is from a substation and if the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) can indeed connect, which will require surveyor work. Bobby Sanderson at Novuna Vehicle Solutions says: “The cost is very dependent on site but could range from £5,500 to £6,500 per socket for the hardware and a simple install. In this scenario, there are options to utilise charge scheduling, to take advantage of off-peak tariffs”.
Fleets, however, need to be ready for initial costs as prices for connections could start from £10,000 or stretch to 20 times that amount. At the end of a shift, drivers may also be tired and if the charging cable is not plugged in correctly, the vehicle won’t charge, resulting in downtime the next day. Fraser Crichton of Dundee City Council explains: “There are still people trying to put petrol into diesel engines. Why do we think people will put the cable into the charger and believe it will still work? As a backup, we’ve seen ourselves install some 100kW rapid chargers for resilience.”
To keep costs low, fleet operators can look at different contracts on offer such as those that limit your power, which means that the DNO could offer a lower price. There’s also the option of a partnership agreement if your depot is positioned near a factory – the depot and factory could share the connection and when the factory is closed for the day, the fleet could use the electricity at night for charging.
Jonathan Murray at Zemo comments: “Fleets can take extra energy when the network has too much and feed it back into the grid when there’s not enough via a vehicle-to-grid system. This gives a return on investment for infrastructure installation costs.”
There’s also the option of dynamic load management which automatically controls power to the chargers, depending on demand. This means that at peak times the power can be reduced and at off-peak times power can be increased.
Fleets can also look to install renewable energy sources such as solar panels at their depots. Justin Meyer at Swarco talks about the Dundee power generation: “Charging provisions in Dundee are covered with a solar carport solution and we capture it via two 360kWh energy storage solutions. What’s impressive is that we re-use electric car batteries when they come to the end of their first life, giving them a second life as an energy storage solution.” Dundee has already set the benchmark for sustainable city infrastructure, having saved 1,840 tonnes of CO2 through its innovative framework. So far, it has 170 EVs in its fleet and it’s set to receive its most innovative charging hub this spring.
Fleets that have larger vans, however, are often met with both parking and charging predicaments. Either spaces have been installed with electric cars in mind, and are simply not large enough for bigger vans, or the charging cable is too heavy, due to cooling jackets, or not long enough to meet the various charge points found on the sides or rear of larger LCVs. Gridserve has combatted these issues at various sites by designing them like a traditional petrol station where van drivers can parallel park in sizeable bays next to a long-reach-cable charger that also features a levered harness to help reduce weight.
When buying an electric van, the charging cables should be provided by the manufacturer, although in some instances the cables are too short. Installation companies such as Mer can assist fleets by sourcing extension cables if required or help to install reel systems that sit permanently at the charger allowing for full charge point reach.
It’s also worth preparing a smart back office as the amount of data that can be fed back to the fleet operator, such as how many kWh have been used to charge the fleet, how much CO2 they are saving and how well the vans are performing, is significant. Training the van drivers is also imperative as they need to know how to charge the vans, what the batteries are capable of, as well as how to maximise the vans’ range. Fleets that are due to make the change don’t have to do so alone as installation companies can support the transition.