For most fleet managers, cost effectiveness is the primary criteria when choosing vehicles. To maximize profitability, one must properly assess their needs to select a suitable vehicle that is not unnecessarily overpriced and oversized. As with gasoline vehicles, basic features such as seating capacity, interior configuration, vehicle size, and type of drivetrain must be considered.
Knowing the daily mileage of each vehicle, as well as the distances of each trip, is critical to selecting the right range. The right choice of vehicle range is the key to a profitable electric vehicle fleet. Indeed, a large portion of the vehicle's price is related to the size of the battery. Also, a larger battery will be heavier and more costly in energy. And the production of a large battery has a much greater environmental impact than a smaller battery.
It is crucial to size the range based on average daily needs and not consider exceptional needs. For example, an occasional trip of 1,000km in a single day a few times a year should not be included in the needs analysis. This trip will be accomplished by using fast charging during one or more stops along the way or will be accomplished using another vehicle.
Every period of vehicle inactivity is an opportunity to charge the vehicle. In most scenarios, the vehicle is fully charged in the morning, but you should also consider charging opportunities during the day. An accurate assessment of charging needs and opportunities could save you a lot of money.
To correctly choose a charging station, you must know the duration of the stops (on a daily basis) because the charging power depends on it. Special attention must also be paid to the charging power accepted by each vehicle model that is being considered.
Ask Hydro-Québec about your electricity rate. It is quite possible that you will be billed if you have an uninterrupted power demand of at least 50kW for more than 15 minutes. It would then be to your advantage to consider installing a charging management system, or to spread your charging stations over several sites. It is also possible to rethink the logistics of vehicle use so that the need for fast charging is avoided. To minimize the electricity bill associated with the operation of electric vehicles, it is important to avoid significantly increasing the power demand of the building.
|
Type of charging |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Fast charging |
Tesla Supercharger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Charging power |
1.4kW |
3.6 to 19.2kW |
24 to 150kW+ |
120kW+ |
|
Charging speed |
5 to 6km/h |
15 to 80km/h |
150 to 200km/h |
300 to 400km/h |
|
Infrastructure needed |
Charger included with the vehicle 110V outlet |
240V charging station 240V outlet |
Direct current fast charger |
Tesla Supercharger |
|
Estimated purchase price |
$0 |
$700-5,000 |
$15,000-100,000 |
Owned by Tesla |
|
Main advantage |
Low cost |
Optimized for battery life |
Fast charging |
Fast charging |
|
Main disadvantage |
Slow charging |
None (Might be too slow in some cases for commercial vehicles) |
Infrastructure and installation costs |
Owned by Tesla |
*Content created in collaboration with IVI.