Transformational Solutions to Power Your EV Charging Strategy 

With the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the demand for efficient and accessible charging infrastructure has become paramount. This need is driving the expansion of both public charging stations and private networks. Fleet operators are increasingly turning to EVs due to their lower total cost of ownership and environmental benefits. Workplaces are becoming critical nodes in the charging infrastructure network as more employees switch to EVs. On-the-go fast charging is also gaining traction, with charging networks expanding along highways and in commercial areas to cater to long-distance travelers and those needing a quick top-up. This evolving ecosystem presents an opportunity for business leaders to embrace EV charging solutions, aligning their organizations with sustainability goals and driving innovation in the transportation sector.

Swift growth and advancements in the electric vehicle industry are driven by increasing concerns about carbon emissions and the need for sustainable transportation. Major automakers offer a wide range of EV models with improved battery technology, longer ranges and faster charging capabilities. Governments worldwide are implementing favorable policies to promote EV adoption. As the EV industry continues to push the boundaries, the importance of an efficient and widespread charging infrastructure will remain at the forefront.

Commercial electric vehicles, including electric pick-up trucks, vans, and medium and heavy-duty trucks, are becoming increasingly commonplace. Transitioning your fleet to electric vehicles yields many benefits, including lower maintenance costs, an improved driver experience for your employees, alignment with your clients’ sustainability goals, enhanced brand reputation, and a contribution toward your carbon footprint reduction.

The market is swiftly evolving, accelerated by government-led green initiatives and increased demand and supply of EVs. Innovation has served as the core of our transportation-electrification future, from grid integration to battery chemistry to lightweight materials. As the EV industry expands, a deepening pool of lessons learned – even for industry veterans – will mitigate the difficulties associated with EV infrastructure implementation. To successfully navigate these challenges, business leaders should pursue a fully integrated approach, as utility engagement, site planning, technology availability, and operations and maintenance components are as critical to transportation-electrification projects as the EVs and chargers themselves.

An integrated strategy includes these components:

1. Current fleet and operations assessment
   
   Before designing a fleet electrification strategy, assessing your current fleet and operations is key. A comprehensive view of what kind of vehicles you already have, how many miles they drive on average per day and the amount of dwell time will all be factors in developing the right-sized solution. For industry veterans, continually reassessing your strategy creates opportunities to identify and correct inefficiencies, reduce costs, and optimize power use. A portfolio-wide analysis of power availability at each site can uncover additional energy requirements or opportunities to fine-tune utility rate structures.
   
   Beyond the vehicles themselves, analyzing key influences such as routes, utility tariff structures, available grants and incentives, and power availability will also contribute to a holistic strategy and help determine where you are best served electrifying first. A best practice is to gradually introduce EVs into a fleet across multiple locations rather than converting the entire fleet at one location simultaneously. This allows EVs to be utilized on the best-suited routes and provides an opportunity to make incremental adjustments to operating procedures if needed.
   
   
2. Utility provider engagement
   
   EV infrastructure projects often require a new service from the utility to support the installation of EV charging equipment, especially when implementing direct-current fast-charging (DCFC) stations. Significant numbers of slower alternating current (AC) chargers at a single location will often require a utility upgrade, as many fleet facilities were constructed well before the first commercial EVs were launched. In many cases, the EV fleet’s power consumption will be significantly larger than the power consumption of the building itself. 
   
   With more than 3,000 utilities across the U.S., there is a lack of uniformity in how transportation electrification requests are addressed. Utilities facing particularly high demands for new power generation may have substantial backlogs, creating multiple-year delays for new EV infrastructure projects. Limited power availability often necessitates taking a phased approach to fleet electrification. As more power becomes available, charging infrastructure can be expanded, and additional EVs can be introduced into the fleet. 
   
   
3. Streamlined procurement and sourcing
   
   EV infrastructure projects often require a new service from the utility to support the installation of EV charging equipment, especially when implementing direct-current fast-charging (DCFC) stations. Significant numbers of slower alternating current (AC) chargers at a single location will often require a utility upgrade, as many fleet facilities were constructed well before the first commercial EVs were launched. In many cases, the EV fleet’s power consumption will be significantly larger than the power consumption of the building itself. 
   
   With more than 3,000 utilities across the U.S., there is a lack of uniformity in how transportation electrification requests are addressed. Utilities facing particularly high demands for new power generation may have substantial backlogs, creating multiple-year delays for new EV infrastructure projects. Limited power availability often necessitates taking a phased approach to fleet electrification. As more power becomes available, charging infrastructure can be expanded, and additional EVs can be introduced into the fleet.
   
   
4. Operations and maintenance
   
   With charger reliability as a common challenge in the EV industry, having a comprehensive operations and maintenance strategy to combat costly downtime is essential. Out-of-commission chargers are a major business disruption, and while some enterprises will retain a reserve of spare vehicles, this is a significant expense. To minimize such disruptions, a holistic maintenance program is crucial, combining remote monitoring and a strong on-the-ground presence to maximize charger uptime. Integrating equipment with maintenance practices is a valuable approach that optimizes the operation of EV charging stations, enhancing uptime and reliability.
   
   
5. Offsetting costs with incentives and grants
   
   The upfront capital expenditure associated with fleet electrification is significant. Offsetting these costs with incentives and grants can protect your bottom line and shorten the time to see a return on investment. The challenge often lies in knowing what is available and finding what’s right for your business. Incentives are location-based, change frequently, and are often available for a limited time. Accessing a real-time database with this information will allow you to identify, track and maximize value from these opportunities.

The rapid increase in both passenger and commercial electric vehicle sales has led to high demand for on-the-go charging services. While passenger vehicles often charge at home or the workplace, and fleet vehicles charge at a depot, on-the-go fast charging is critical in the transition to electric vehicles. With substantial investments made by energy companies, automotive manufacturers, and an ever-expanding number of dedicated charge point operators (CPO), the race is on to secure the best sites, gain access to power, deploy chargers as quickly as possible, and deliver a superior user experience while maximizing uptime.

An integrated strategy includes these components:

1. Identifying and securing the highest quality sites
   
   With billions of dollars invested into DC fast-charging infrastructure, securing sites that score the highest on a complex and extensive set of criteria is highly competitive. As on-the-go fast charging is typically located near major traffic corridors, a comprehensive network of charging sites is key to providing optimal charging solutions for end users. Access to sophisticated site selection tools that combine extensive data on traffic patterns, EV penetration, other competitor DC fast-charging infrastructure, power availability, site ownership, and other key criteria is essential in building out a network of fast-charging sites at pace.
   
   
2. Lifecycle program management
   
   Given the need for a rapid deployment of EV charging infrastructure and the fierce competition for superior sites, a programmatic approach to manage these multi-year, multi-state deployments is critical. This requires comprehensive program management. Projects may hit delays for landlord and site owner negotiations, permit approvals, utility upgrades, and equipment availability. Holistically managing the entire program allows for interventions or reprioritization of projects when the sites fall behind schedule. In addition, this program management benchmarks cost and schedule performance, extracts valuable insights that can help reduce cost, and accelerates deployments across the entire portfolio.
   
   
3. An integrated solution
   
   An integrated, end-to-end charging solution optimizes costs, creates consistency, and ensures reliability. Adapting a solution that streamlines facilities assets beyond the chargers themselves – restrooms, waiting areas, vending equipment – under the same provider can drive greater return on investment through new revenue streams and peak performance.

Globally, more and more employers, irrespective of size and industry, are recognizing the benefits of on-site EV charging, including incentivizing employees, meeting ESG commitments, and complying with current and anticipated regulations. However, many organizations are unaware of the complexities involved and the number of considerations to deploy and operate a successful EV charging program. Workplaces with an existing EV charging program face low charger reliability, higher-than-anticipated costs, inefficient utilization with extensive idle time, and difficulty meeting GHG goals. Regardless of where your organization is in its EV journey, a comprehensive strategy that considers all stakeholders during each phase of the EV lifecycle will reduce complexity and result in better outcomes for your employees, visitors, and organization.

An integrated strategy includes these components:

1. EV charging infrastructure ownership model
   
   During the planning phase of your EV journey, evaluating ownership models and weighing each model’s pros and cons is essential to ensuring alignment with your short- and long-term outcomes, such as employee satisfaction, regulatory compliance, and sustainability. Options include ownership of the charging infrastructure by the tenant, ownership of the EV chargers by the landlord (potentially in return for an increase in the office lease rate), charging-as-a-service with a fixed fee per charger per month, or an outsourced model, where chargers are provided at no cost, and a third-party charge point operator (CPO) monetizes the charger assets by charging a fee per session or per kWh. When evaluating an ownership model, factors include whether your organization owns or leases its workplace locations, capital and budget requirements, number of sites and locations, and deployment timeline. The infrastructure model will also determine operations and maintenance responsibilities and risk burden.
   
   
2. Program management
   
   Organizations with complex, multi-location or multi-year EV charging programs face additional challenges and considerations and require complete control and visibility throughout the EV lifecycle. An integrated program management approach for workplace EV charging can simplify project-level progress reporting toward total completion while providing full accountability and transparency, scalable cost management, and actionable insights through benchmarking and real-time analytics. These insights will enable teams to continuously optimize their program by identifying improvement areas and integrating lessons learned across the organization.
   
   
3. Procurement and sourcing
   
   Procurement and sourcing for an EV program go beyond the ordering and installation. With dozens of EV hardware and software providers in a competitive marketplace, procurement is essential to containing costs, transferring risk and achieving carbon-reduction targets. With an effective procurement operating model, workplace EV programs can avoid increased costs and a suboptimal charging experience for employees and visitors. The right supply-chain partner can streamline and simplify the entire process, ensuring a reliable workplace EV program that delivers on your objectives.
   
   
4. Operations and maintenance
   
   Ongoing operations and maintenance plans are critical to mitigating the risk of charger downtime and equipment failures and ensuring compliance with local regulations and building codes. Charger failure points can come from several places: the charging unit itself, the network management system, in-ground infrastructure, or the electric utility provider. Integrating equipment with maintenance is a valuable best practice that will optimize the operation of the EV charging station to maximize uptime and reliability. One of the best methods to manage all the charger maintenance operations is through a service level agreement (SLA), which should be agreed upon prior to making a purchase decision and ideally in partnership with an integrated solutions provider. Leveraging existing facilities management services on-site can be a cost-effective way to maintain EV charging infrastructure.
   
   
5. Portfolio and site analytics
   
   Employing a holistic, single-pane-of-glass analytics and forecasting model for your workplace EV program can uncover actionable insights on site suitability, which helps anticipate future performance metrics. Using a combination of geospatial methods and analysis will yield more informed location strategies and EV charging decisions, including identifying capital funding strategies that address current and future priorities, determining site readiness, and implementing an organization-wide rollout plan that accounts for available incentives, EV adoption rates, and employee behavior and utilization data.