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FLEET MANAGEMENT
solution. Site-specific data about a depot is also vital. This can include physical location, site conditions, frequency of vehicles arriving and departing, even access at different times of the day. When you factor in what a vehicle does on site, how long it is stationary for, whether the vehicles remain on site overnight for night-time charging or need frequent top-up charges and so on, the picture starts to become even clearer. All of these variables add up to a very specific, intricately detailed site-by-site, vehicle-by-vehicle basis for your fleet electrification plans.
EXPERT HELP IS ON HAND It may sound scary, but this is analysis that the fleet manager doesn’t have to do independently. Data analysts at a charge point partner, like Mer, are well-versed in performing this type of analysis. These are people who love this kind of deep analysis. By combining data from multiple sources into fleet optimisation tools, they provide an accurate and trusted foundation for Mer’s design and consultancy services. Mer’s experts in design and consultancy take insights from the data to model and design a charging infrastructure that is fit for purpose for today, and to meet future requirements. They take into account logistical restrictions such as available space; how it is currently being used, whether it makes sense to move parking bays or
a smoking shelter, for example, to optimise the space for EV charge points for the fleet. They will also look at a business’s growth plans to determine what the fleet’s future EV charging needs might be.
Underpinning all this, of course, is the
importance of getting sufficient power to the site to fulfil the EV charging needs, again for now and into the future. This involves engaging with the Distribution Network Operator (DNO), which presents its own challenges. But, equipped with accurate, irrefutable data about the scale of the fleet transition and any power upgrade needed, those engagements can be more straightforward. Again, partnering with an experienced charge point operator who can engage with the DNO on the business’s behalf alleviates the pressure for the fleet manager.
CONTINUAL OPTIMISATION Optimising an EV fleet does not end at the transition phase. Fleets are an essential part of the UK’s economy. The whole EV fleet ecosystem needs to be optimised to keep goods moving across the country. This extends from data analysis and design and consultancy, right through to installation and the ongoing operations, including the back-end and servicing and maintaining the charge point infrastructure and hardware.
GETTING STAKEHOLDERS ON BOARD Putting all of these pieces together is not easy. There is a lot to coordinate, and the whole process demands buy-in from key stakeholders. When you consider that often the strategy has been defined at the most senior level, the challenges of obtaining 100 per cent commitment from key decision makers are substantial. Involving them in the EV charging solution design process is an important step towards a successful implementation. Being able to show the board that the decisions made are based on robust, accurate data helps advance the whole process, saving time and money. It establishes that financial decisions are sound as you can prevent overspending on back-and-forth efforts to get designs approved. Designs arise from intelligence matching the EV charging requirements to information about the site and any logistical restrictions such as space and power upgrades.
YOUR FLEET OPTIMISATION PARTNERS While there may not be a magic button, there are experienced allies who can help your business navigate this journey. Mer is one of them.
Mer
uk.mer.eco
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