Key Charging Considerations for Municipal Fleets Transitioning to Electric

^{A fleet of light-duty electric vehicles, charging at a municipal depot.  Stock image/The Mobility House} 

Across the United States, cities operate more than 4 million vehicles, and they are transitioning to electric much faster than the average consumer. A panel of industry experts recently assembled virtually to discuss the unique challenges and considerations of municipal fleet and facilities teams as they look to implement charging infrastructure for their growing electric fleets. Panelists from The Mobility House, Ameresco, and Epic Charging had a dynamic discussion on all facets of charging infrastructure and answered questions from the audience. Here’s what they shared as their key takeaways: 

Leading off the panel was Trevor Smith, the Director of EV Infrastructure at Ameresco. Smith emphasized that before any transition can begin, it's crucial to understand the capabilities and limitations of your current infrastructure and the new electric vehicles against the expectations of daily fleet operations. A thorough fleet and site assessment will help identify energy challenges and anticipate reliability issues. 

 

Key Steps in Assessment: 

• Fleet Assessment: Review duty cycles and operational patterns of the fleet to compare to specifications of vehicles on the market such as battery capacity, charging compatibility, and energy consumption. 

• Charging Simulation & Energy Needs Analysis: Bernardo Raymundo, Commercial Fleets Lead for The Mobility House, also shared examples of a Charging Simulation for municipal fleets. Working with a charge management system provider, calculate the load requirements and charging profile for your new fleet. This will help you assess if your existing grid can support this demand, and whether you could potentially save capital and operational energy costs by implementing advanced load management technologies.  

• Reliability Assessment: Determine what equipment and systems will need to be put in place to ensure minimum uptime and reliability requirements are met.  

Electric vehicles and their associated charging equipment are relatively new technology, compared to gas and diesel combustion engines and fueling systems. New technology can bring unforeseen risk. Smith of Ameresco emphasized that municipalities should consider how they anticipate and offload risk to contracted parties to ensure clear lines of responsibility and minimize equipment downtime.  

Consider potential risks from cost overruns, system downtime, and future proofing for technological changes over time. These risks can each be negotiated in contracting with project engineers, installers, and the operations and maintenance vendors. Or, Smith suggested that municipalities may be able to take advantage of Charging as a Service (CaaS), which can assume financial and operational risk to operate charging systems on behalf of the city with guaranteed uptime at a fixed price. 

As a municipal fleet invests in charging technology for city-owned vehicles, the city has an opportunity to enable staff to transition as well by offering workplace charging. Adrian Gomez of Epic Charging suggested that cities could explore a hybrid public-private charging model in which fleet charging stations could be open to staff during office hours. This is enabled by software that enables payment systems as well as RFID authentication. If the site is accessible to the public, chargers could potentially be accessible to visitors as well. 

The transition to an electric fleet is a significant step towards a more sustainable future for municipal operations. By conducting the necessary fleet and site assessments, managing financial and operational risks, and considering innovative models such as the hybrid public-private approach, municipal fleet managers can pave the way for successful electrification. This strategic approach not only supports sustainability goals but also positions municipalities as leaders in the drive toward a greener future. 

For those ready to start this transformation, continuing education and consultation with industry experts can be invaluable. Watch the recording of the full conversation, and download the 2024 Charge Management RFP Guidebook for Electric Fleets.