What Are the Best Strategies for Charging EV Fleets with Public Charging Networks?

Public charging ports account for 88% of all available charging ports (excluding residential charging) in the United States as of the first quarter of 2023.

Public depot charging networks can be a complementary power source to your primary charging infrastructure, especially during long-distance journeys.

Using public EV charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is fraught with challenges, especially for larger fleets. This article delves into some challenges and provides strategies to overcome them. 

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Common EV fleet charging challenges

Some of the common challenges with charging EV fleets using public infrastructure include:

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Limited number of EV charging stations

Although the number of public charging stations has grown every quarter since the beginning of 2019, there’s still a big gap compared to gas stations. 

There are 104 gas pumps per 1,000 road miles in the United States, compared to 22 EV chargers. 

Some states and locations also have higher EVs per charging port than others, which can significantly increase wait times. 

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Unequal mix of charging stations

Of 61,910 public stations in the United States, only 9,387 (about 15%) offer DC fast charge (DCFC) ports. That means most EV drivers have to contend with facilities that only yield 80% battery strength in 4-10 hours of charge for battery electric vehicles. 

Also, public facilities operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Drivers mostly have to wait their turn, irrespective of the required urgency. All these factors compound the waiting time. 

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Multiple payment options and apps for tracking payments

An EV driver may need to charge multiple times along different routes and at various stations. 

These stations will have different rates and payment options. This makes expense management and reimbursements a chore for EV fleet managers. 

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Strategies for charging EV fleets with public charging networks

Owners and managers of fleet vehicles can diminish the impact of the challenges mentioned above by doing the following:

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Encourage pre-planning

Planning routes before setting out allows drivers to optimize their travel path by considering multiple factors. These factors include: 

• The EV range and current battery health.
• Operational needs such as urgency and essential stops. For example, vehicles on urgent and time-bound journeys can only accommodate fast charging solutions. 
• Budget considerations. Drivers may need to consider the cost of charging during the journey. If they’re having sleepovers at a particular location, the drivers may consider hotels or areas with free or relatively affordable overnight charging EV ports. 

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Utilize a flexible EV-charging app

You can adopt solutions like Bluedot to help your drivers find the best-fit charging station for their needs and to track and manage EV charging expenses. 

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How Bluedot for Fleets solves the EV fleet charging challenges

Bluedot provides comprehensive EV charging solutions for different types of businesses and fleet sizes, ranging from driver management to fleet and expense management. 

Drivers have real-time visibility into available charging stations and can enter filters to pinpoint stations matching their needs. Plus, you can pay for all charging services from your Bluedot app, irrespective of the station location.  

Furthermore, its reporting and dashboard tools provide insight into charging costs, average kWh delivered to all fleet EVs, and battery health. The latter, in particular, is helpful when making pre-plans and for effective battery management. 

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Simplify charging EV fleets with public charging networks

Navigating public charging networks for your EV fleet comes with its share of challenges, from limited stations to varying payment methods. However, with careful planning and the right tools, you can overcome these obstacles and streamline your charging operations.

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.

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