Electric HGV Infrastructure

The IET is developing guidance to address the needs and considerations around the provision of eHGV charging solutions and the operation of eHGV fleets. Although the full document will not be available until later in the year we will soon be publishing a “first steps” document on some of the key issues for those depot owners looking to make the switch.

Why go electric?

There are three main drivers towards fleet operators decarbonising their fleets:

A moral imperative, to do and be seen to be doing the right thing.
Commercial pressure from customers for a reduction in emissions.
Regulatory pressures – it will increasingly be mandatory to comply with national and local regulations and limits including Clean Air and Low Emission Zones.

The majority of fleet operators considering decarbonisation and electrification are at the start or trial stage of their journey and are in urgent need of help in planning their fleet electrification.

What do I need to know?

The IET is developing guidance to address the needs and considerations around the provision of eHGV charging solutions and the operation of eHGV fleets. Although the full document will not be available until later in the year we will soon be publishing a “first steps” document on some of the key issues for those depot owners looking to make the switch.

The guidance includes:

The fundamentals

It provides a broad coverage of the eHGV technology and policy landscape, including an overview of current products, concepts, key considerations, terminology, the basics for operation, the organisational impact, new energy considerations, and the charging infrastructure value chain.

The technical issues and different charging solutions

It’s important to understand depot charging and journey charging, usage profiles, relevant equipment and commercial models (charging as a service, asset ownership, open access), as well as being clear about the various standards in the area.

Other coverage will include:

The link between vehicle duty/operation, vehicle specifications (EV range/EV battery) capacity/recharging, efficiency, chemistry-dependent attributes such as lifetime degradation, low-temp effects and the charging solution.
BAU requirements such as working hours and stop times, routes (distance and topography); stopping locations (depots, customers, en-route); payload; depot space and staff capabilities.
The EV spec: charging spec (power and connectors), charging port location, range, size and weight.
The impact on wider stakeholders: external users, in depot locality, en-route, fleet suppliers and Customers etc.

The financial considerations

There is no one-size-fits-all financial forecast calculation for eHGV transition. Each fleet operator’s financial scenario is inherently unique, contingent on their specific use case(s). So, it’s vital to understand the costs, business models, ownership options, and the significant issues that need to be considered in understanding the differing investment, energy and operational costs involved in the transition.