How to make business charging infrastructure plans fit for the future
With the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme currently only promised until March 2025, Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) Fleet is encouraging businesses to take advantage of it while they can – and to use it to implement a futureproofed charging solution.
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is growing exponentially, with the number of EVs registered in the UK hitting one million in early 2024. Fleets are a key driver of EV adoption, as more than half of fleet vehicles being delivered are now electric. Designed to encourage and support EV adoption, the Workplace Charging Scheme gives businesses financial support to install on-site charging infrastructure.
Why do businesses need onsite charging solutions?
“Ultimately onsite charging solutions make EV adoption much easier for employees, as it reduces reliance on public charging solutions, which can be more expensive for drivers,” explains Tiago Carrapatoso, Fleet Product Manager for EVs at VWFS Fleet.
VWFS Fleet’s recent survey of 2,000 UK employed adults revealed that 75% of employees want to reduce the emissions associated with their journey to and from the workplace. Onsite charging infrastructure can encourage employees to switch to an EV, with the confidence that their charging needs are covered.
“Although many businesses often associate onsite charging with the fleet’s needs, incentivising EV adoption for all employees, including those outside the company car scheme, can have a big impact on wider Scope 3 emissions. But to do this it’s important to provide reliable, accessible and affordable – if not free – charging.” adds Tiago.
For businesses looking to take advantage of the Workplace Charging Scheme, VWFS Fleet outlines top considerations to ensure the charging solution designed is fit for future business needs.
Determining charging requirements
Calculating the number of chargepoints needed: Businesses need to look at the number of EVs the business fleet currently operates, as well as the number of employees who may want to charge their own vehicles. Undertaking an employee survey to understand key information, such as distance from the office, access to a home-charger or other close-to-home charging solutions, and the length of time spent at the office will all help.
Understanding load capacity: It’s crucial to assess electrical volume, to ensure the site has sufficient capacity to manage the additional load of EV chargepoints. To do this, businesses need to understand the size of the grid connection and electricity supply to the site, as well as the power demand from current business activity. They will also need to assess the potential smart charging and load balancing strategies that can be implemented.
Determining power requirements: Different vehicles often have different power requirements. For example, commercial vehicles sometimes need a faster, higher voltage charge (DC charging from 50kW to 350kW) to keep them on the road and avoid downtime during shifts. Whereas for everyday employee charging needs, where vehicles typically sit stationary for the whole working day at the office, or where company vehicles often sit onsite overnight, AC charging at a lower voltage, typically 7kW, 11kW or 22W, is often sufficient.
Identifying the right charging equipment: Tethered or untethered? The answer to that question will depend on how the chargers are being used. For those charging cars for commuting, untethered, universal sockets are often the norm – as employees will often carry a charging cable in their car. However, for depot charging, or to charge vehicles that are on the go, tethered charging may be more suitable, as it avoids the risk of misplaced cables, preventing delays to vehicle charging.
Once a business has determined the type and number of chargers required, it’s also important to consider how these will be maintained on an ongoing basis to maximise their performance. To do this, organisations can incorporate a chargepoint management system (CPMS) as part of the installation. A CPMS can monitor the condition of each charger, its current state and the organisation’s energy use. The management system will also give a holistic view of charging behaviour, control overall charger access, and enable organisations to set a tariff matrix. These factors could include the time of day, type of vehicle, energy demand, or duration of the charging session. The tariff matrix helps manage costs and optimise the use of charging by encouraging efficient charging behaviours.
Additionally, having robust and well-defined SLAs with the charger manufacturer is critical to achieving a reliable and seamless workplace charging solution. This will ensure any potential issues with the chargers are dealt with efficiently.
Futureproofing the charging solution
“With any business charging infrastructure installation, it’s also important to consider what future demand will look like,” explains Tiago. “As EV adoption continues to accelerate, demand for workplace charging will inevitably increase over the coming years.
“It’s often more cost-effective to install additional chargers at the outset, even if they’re not activated straight away, or to at least incorporate the cabling for additional charge points that may be required in the future.”
Partnering with a charging expert can help businesses to ensure their business charging infrastructure solution is designed to meet their current needs. They can also help to develop specialist charging strategies, which allow for flexibility and scalability, to meet future charging growth needs.
VWFS Fleet also has a comprehensive Business Infrastructure Charging Guide, which helps businesses understand more about workplace charging infrastructure and the key considerations needed to develop an effective solution.
If you have a specific question or would simply like to discuss your fleet requirements, please contact us.
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