CHARGING AS A SERVICE
EV Infrastructure
There’s a lot to think about
Establishing the charging infrastructure needed to support a fleet of electric vehicles can be complex, time-consuming and expensive, to the point of being overwhelming for fleet managers who are used to vehicles which run on diesel or gasoline. There are a lot of things to keep track of. Some of the steps, such as getting permits, can take a long time so it’s important to know when to kick off each part of the project. In fact, it will probably take a full-time project manager to stay on top of everything so you can be ready to charge your vehicles as soon as they’re delivered.
That’s where we come in
Lightning eMotors can take the headache out of electrification by project managing your EVSE provision from start to finish. We can manage the whole project, including:
- Capacity planning: making sure you’ll have enough juice to keep your fleet running – and to grow with your business. This includes understanding how charging vehicles in shifts – while keeping your fleet productive – may save you money by avoiding peak demand tariffs.
- Technology planning: Some chargers are “smart” and can be controlled remotely by sophisticated software that optimizes charging rates and vehicle productivity. Understanding what this type of technology can do for your fleet will help you to plan your operations as you balance charging time against time on the road. In this phase, it’s important to identify and engage technology partners such as remote EVSE management companies who can help you to get the best value from the hardware.
- Working with your power utility: In some cases, new supply capacity will need to be provided to your site. Some utilities charge for this; others subsidize it to support the move to electrification.
- Design: Drawing up plans for exactly where the charging stations will be placed, and where the electrical connections will run, while complying with applicable regulations.
- Permitting: Once those designs are done, permits may need to be obtained from local government.
- Engaging contractors: Now it’s time to build, which typically involves boring, concreting, and electrical and data line installation, and finally installing the charging stations in their final locations. Many of these steps require inspections along the way.
- In some cases, it may be desirable to deploy a microgrid, where electricity is generated on-site, through solar panels or a natural gas generator.
- Ongoing charging management: Our Charging Management Software provides in-depth analytics and powerful tools for optimizing your fleet’s energy utilization.
- Support and maintenance: We’re here for you 24/7 so your fleet’s uptime is maximized.
Put all of this in Lightning eMotors’ hands, and we’ll take the weight off your shoulders. Our Charging as a Service (CaaS) offering provides end-to-end peace of mind.
