DO YOU NEED TO START SWITCHING YOUR FLEET TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO SWITCH TO ELECTRIC?
The future of the transportation industry is electric. It’s no longer a question of if you want to make the switch, but how quickly and at what level do you get on board with this tran- sition? It will require us as individuals and businesses alike to take stock, not only physically (e.g replacing old diesel vehi- cles with suitable EVs) but also mentally - giving up old ways and habits that are ingrained in our day to day operations.
In this month’s column, I look at some of the main challenges and opportunities that come with a shift to electric and how the challenges can sometimes outweigh your desire for greener pastures, while explaining how - for others the grass is greener on the EV side.
As the inevitable shift to EVs gains momentum, fleet owners need to begin planning for how to handle your own transi- tions. It’s a daunting task, but one that The Connect Consultancy can help with.
RECORD SALES OF NEW EVs AS DIESELS PLUMMET
EVs are now quickly becoming mainstream and pushing diesels down the pecking order. December’s new car sales revealed pure EVs were at 26% while diesels were just 7%.
KNOCK-ON EFFECTS
The huge downturn in new diesel sales will create uncertainty over future residual values (RV) of diesels - while the upsurge in new (and used) EV sales will have the opposite effect. But it’s worth noting that the EVs will also have a longer ‘shelf-life’ and their RV will be largely protected by their most expensive component, the battery - which has a ‘second-life’ use in static battery storage systems.
The EV market growing so rapidly also exposes the public charging networks, which have not yet sufficiently evolved to meet the demand. This is one of the biggest problems for professional drivers in high-mileage vehicles who don’t have private parking spaces.
PUBLIC CHARGING NETWORKS
The existing public charging network (outside of Tesla’s) is still dominated by 50kWh ‘rapid’ DC chargers which is as it was, back when the first Nissan Leaf was introduced over ten years ago. This compromises availability, due to increase in user demand especially in congestion hotspots, and urban city centres, where there are simply not enough. They also, unfortunately, tend to be poorly supported and maintained. On the plus side - ultra-rapid charging hubs are now springing up in urban areas, notably in MFG petrol stations, typically with eight rapids at each station.
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New EVs are capable of charging far faster on DC chargers, 100kWh plus is the norm - this is so important to minimise dwell time when topping up and to prevent queue bottle- necks at public chargers.
Queuing and longer dwell-times to charge are both obvious obstacles to the daily viability for taxi and PHVs - and this impacts those drivers and fleets that don’t have access to their own private parking and charging facilities. It’s also significantly more expensive than home or work to use public rapid chargers.
HOME CHARGING
Those drivers and fleets with their own private parking are in an advantageous position to transition. While home charging is convenient and ultra cheap using low peak energy, it really limits charging to overnight, as the maximum speed of 7kWh on a home charger means adding c.22 miles of range per hour, but this is still entirely practical for those who work day shifts and would drastically reduce running costs to a fraction of diesel or for that matter public EV charging.
WORK CHARGING
Those fleets operating from depots which also have private parking are really in pole position to take the lead in transitioning to electric. Typically power supplies in commercial buildings offer us the ability to design and install innovative and class-leading solutions on DC rapid chargers and faster AC chargers than you might use at home.
TAKING ACTION - FIRST STEPS
We’ve been helping companies like yours get their fleets ready for the EV revolution since 2013. Our team knows everything there is to know about EVs – from charging infras- tructure to battery life cycles – so let us be your guide as we walk through this exciting new world together! And don’t worry about price either because we offer competitive rates on our services. So why wait any longer when it comes to making the switch? Contact us today!
For a free consultation on making the transition into an all-electric future, please call: 0161 635 6553 or email us at:
info@theconnectconsultancy.com now!
Article supplied by Tim Scrafton
THE CONNECT CONSULTANCY CONSULT
DESIGN SUPPLY INSTALL
The UK’s leading independent electric vehicle infrastructure consultancy 0161 635 6553
hello@theconnectconsultancy.com
FEBRUARY 2022
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