Advantages and Disadvantages of Depot Charging

Switching commercial electric vehicles (EVs) is the next great revolution in transportation. Already, its effects are having a marked impact on global energy consumption. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global EV fleets account for just 0.5% of the world’s energy consumption. 

Businesses taking advantage of EVs can also see a significant impact on their bottom line, but what about charging? Here’s what you must know about the pros and cons of depot charging.

What is Depot Charging?

Depot charging charges commercial EV fleets at a private hub under the operator’s control or a dedicated depot location.

Positioning depots within business parks, ports, airports, and close to major highways makes sense. It’ll become essential as the number of light commercial EVs is projected to grow from 24,000 in 2021 to 3.8 million by 2030.

Pro: Establish a Green Brand

Electrified fleets are a chance to establish an environmentally friendly brand. Social responsibility is a priority among shareholders, investors, and even employees, meaning working to establish a green brand can pay dividends.

‍

Pro: Increased Profits 

Depot charging enables mass charging of EVs overnight while employees are off the clock. Businesses themselves also enjoy the benefits because EVs are a proven way of cutting costs, which means extra dollars in their pockets.

‍

In most cases, depot charging offers a cheaper kWh rate than public chargers. Why? The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is typically lower, businesses stop paying the high markups levied by public charging providers, and they can guarantee consistent charging rates, which nearly always works out cheaper than relying on public EV charging networks.

Con: Cost of Installation

Designing and developing a depot charging solution requires a significant upfront investment. 

Expect the costs to run into potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. For example, the fastest Level 3 chargers aimed at commercial fleets may cost up to $80,000 each.

Con: Time to Install 

Another disadvantage is the time needed. Streamlined development plans can drastically cut the time it takes to get a depot charging hub up and running, but it can still take multiple years.

Innovations are cutting timelines, though. For example, public charging operator EVGo has released a brand-new prefabrication approach to new stations, which could halve the average installation time, but depot charging remains a slow-moving process.

Con: Suitability

Only some businesses can utilize depot charging. The issue is businesses need land to install a depot charging solution. Plus, zoning restrictions could throw up another obstacle. Likewise, the cost means smaller businesses may find the idea of depot charging isn’t feasible.

Find Your Nearest Charger With Bluedot

Unsure about investing in depot charging? Bluedot unlocks public and at-home charging for fleets aggregating 80% of the nation’s chargers in a single app and tracking home charging sessions. If you are interested in learning how Bluedot can simplify charging, billing, and monitoring for EV fleets, connect with partnerships@thebluedot.co.

‍