Schneider Electric is a company supporting fleets in the EV space. Schneider partnered with GM and BrightDrop’s Ultium Charge 360, a fleet charging service. Schneider’s core specialty is meeting customer’s commercial charging station needs to via its partner network. John Lindsey, head of sales – electrification of transportation NAM at Schneider Electric discusses the path to electrification in an article with Fleet Forward. Some of the points from the article are summarized below.
1. Plan Infrastructure First
“We’ve stepped back and asked, ‘How do we service the needs of a customer across the board and provide solutions to make their electrification journey easier?’” he says. “We don’t focus on the charger or the software; we think about the entire model.”
When electrifying a fleet, the vehicles themselves are only a small part of the equation. Other aspects such as your building, utilities and finance are essential for consideration.
2. Coordinate with Utilities
“You have to coordinate that with utilities, they have to be engaged in the discussion, and that requires some forward thinking to connect your resources,” Lindsey says.
Review your energy usage and negotiate a new rate schedule agreement to limit the cost of scaling up infrastructure before you are too far down the line. Starting slow and scaling up over time is recommended so you don’t overbuild or use too much energy as you learn. Using power effectively will help future-proof your fleet and allow for increased flexibility as your operations evolve over time.
3. A good platform is paramount
“You want to be able to have a full view of your infrastructure and platform applications to manage costs and give you visibility into where you’re heading,” Lindsey says.
Select a platform that can apply to all aspects of your EV fleet operations will be beneficial in the long run.
4. Cybersecurity and Data Management
Many often forget about the importance of cybersecurity and data management, but in today’s digitized environment, these components are critical.
“Everything in this space is connected,” he says. “I recommend a comprehensive view of all integrated platforms tied to the EV infrastructure.”
This can include distributed energy management, load management, charging station and fleet management systems. Make sure you have a complete architecture for a secure cyber environment that monitors for threats.
5. Financing
Finally, financing is a critical piece of the infrastructure puzzle. Lindsey suggests a good funding strategy should consist of a mix of funding solutions which could include capital investments, pay-as-you-go, or working with a third party such as a Fleet Management Company that offers leasing solutions.
Doering Fleet Management works with many EV fleets offering services such as EV planning, sourcing and procurement, financing, upfitting,and remarketing for a variety of industries. To learn more, see www.myteslease.com
Article Source: https://www.fleetforward.com
Link to complete source story: https://www.fleetforward.com/10159571/5-steps-to-future-proof-your-ev-strategy
Photo Credit: Schneider Electric.
Disclaimer: In the News blog posts are Doering's take on the best content and the latest news in the Fleet Management Industry. Doering did not write the original source article.
