Parcel delivery company DPD is to trial a mobile powerbank charging concept for van drivers unable to charge their vehicles at home overnight.
The OnCharge Zir0 prototype charging system will be trialled at DPD’s Bicester eco-depot, with drivers able to take home a powerbank overnight.
A driver will then be able to plug their vehicle into their powerbank, which has a real operating capacity of 50kWh, resulting in a 100% charge by the time their working day starts the next morning.
Olly Craughan, head of sustainability at DPD, said: “It’s fantastic to work with OnCharge to try this system in the real world.
“Working together will give us the opportunity to really understand the impact it can have on our drivers first hand.
“It allows both us and OnCharge to see how the system works under different scenarios and allows our transport and sustainability teams to explore how an agile powerbank model can amplify our investment in EV and on-site renewable generation.”
Charging an electric van overnight is the most productive time to do it, as it minimises downtime, but it is estimated around 70% of fleet van drivers are unable to do this.
OnCharge Energy believes its take-home powerbank could revolutionise commercial EV fleet management and help encourage more drivers to switch to EVs.
DPD aims to be the most sustainable parcel delivery company in the UK and the company is on track to have more than 4,000 electric vehicles on the road by the end of this year, when it will be delivering to 30 towns and cities using EVs only.
The prototype trials will allow OnCharge and DPD engineers to gather field data and review driver feedback.
DPD’s Bicester eco-depot is the most sustainable facility in the company’s network, and the trial will also provide insight into potential integration with the site’s on-site solar panel array.
The trial is part of OnCharge Energy Field Test and Development programme and a key step towards scaling up customer production in late 2023.
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Andrew Ryan is the features editor at Fleet News. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and has specialised in the fleet industry for the past 12.
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