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Research Outline

Prepared for francis w. | Delivered March 2, 2020

Fleet EV Infrastructure Needs

Goals

Gain an understanding of the infrastructure needs for EV Fleet Vehicles, including chargers per vehicle, charging infrastructure, any electricity upgrades for buildings to host them, and any additional data on how transit buses (Class 8) have electrified their fleets.

Early Findings

  • The cost of EV charging infrastructure varies, with costs including the cost of actual charging equipment, installation costs including trenching to place electrical conduit, upgrades to electrical service panels, and for large installations, the cost of upgrade to the local electrical distribution grid.
  • The main ongoing cost for EV fleet infrastructure is the cost of electricity and impact to utility bill which may include a monthly service demand charge for high usage rates.
  • There are 3 levels of EV charging, Level 1, Level 2 and DCFC, all of which require different upgrades and costs.
  • Level 1 is the most minimal, potentially costing only a few thousand dollars to install, with Level 2 and DCFC potentially requiring more costly upgrades to the local electrical distribution grid, between $10,000-$25,000. 
  • Trenching is one of the more significant costs for installing an EV fleet infrastructure, with trenches dug into asphalt costing around $100 per foot.  
  • One way to offset costs of EV fleet infrastructure is through state and local government incentive programs and tax credits that often reimburse for EV charging installation costs.  
  • Some companies such as EverCharge have also designed load management technology for EV fleets that allow for garages to add hundreds of charging stations without high electric infrastructure upgrade costs.