Energy innovation nonprofit EPIcenter said Wednesday that electric-vehicle adoption is growing in the fleet markets of delivery services, school districts, public transit, construction firms, and governmental entities, among others. It reported the finding in its white paper Charging Forward: How Fleet Owners, Utilities, and the Planet Can Benefit from Deliberate and Optimized EV Charging, which introduces the benefits and challenges that the advancement of EV technology present in commercial and rental fleet spaces. The paper details how fleet owners and the utilities that supply their power can work together to manage costs, optimize charging operations and maintain grid stability.
EV adoption hinges on the accessibility and affordability of electricity for recharging. A report published earlier this week by professional services firm EY found that charging infrastructure will make or break fleet transitions from ICE to EV vehicles. EPIcenter says utilities must be proactive on this front:
“The best-case scenario is where both the fleet-operating companies and their utilities begin talking long before the actual EV adoption process begins,” Kimberly M. Britton, CEO of EPIcenter, said. “This approach allows both to locate and size infrastructure appropriately and to efficiently deliver the power needed while enhancing grid stability. Such collaboration should lead to minimized battery and equipment degradation, maintenance cost savings, and enable EVs to draw electricity when it is most plentiful and least expensive.”
EPIcenter highlighted that the goals of utilities are similar to those of the fleet owners: mission accomplishment with the least costly financial impact. For example, for fleet owners, the long-term benefits of optimized charging should outweigh the near-term costs of installing new EV charging infrastructure. And for utilities, carefully planning the scale of any new distribution infrastructure that delivers power to the fleet charging station can keep costs down. When the utility comes out ahead financially, shareholders realize better returns. By intentionally aligning their goals and working together to achieve them, both fleet owners and utilities can surmount the challenges to EV fleet adoption.
EPIcenter pointed out that EV adoption also rose in the personal vehicle market despite challenges such as pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and the lapsing of some EV subsidies. It asserted, “The question is not if but when EVs will overtake their internal combustion engine competitors,” citing a forecast by consulting firm BCG that half of light vehicles sold globally will be electric by 2026. EPIcenter listed some EV benefits driving the transition, including less pollution, lower maintenance costs, and more stable fuel prices, affording significant savings.