Watch again: workplace and public charging webinar

Innovations around workplace and public charging for electric vehicles was the topic of a webinar hosted by Fleet News. 

The hour-long session featured a panel of sector experts discussing their own electric journeys, highlighting the realities of establishing and maintaining electric fleets, and the need for a robust charging system for electric vehicles – whether public or private. 

Stephen Briers, group editor at Fleet News, was joined by: 

• Alex Georgianna, associate director, Steer 
• Chris Demetriou, assistant director of corporate fleet, transport & accessible community transport, London Borough of Islington 
• Elaine Pringle, fleet manager, Scottish Water 
• Fraser Crichton, corporate fleet manager, Dundee City Council 
• Matt Pretorius, head of fleet solutions, Octopus Electroverse for Business (webinar sponsor) 

The full video recording of the group conversation is available here

The webinar explored the shift towards electrification and panellists explained the value of effective Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and advised fleet managers to establish strong working relationships with them.  

They recommended that fleet managers ensure a full understanding of the energy usage and requirements of their vehicles to better define their needs when choosing a CPO. 

Workplace and public charging

The challenges involved in maintaining workplace charging were defined, such as the need for enough electricity to maintain in-house vehicle charging points. Panellists recommended investing into internal infrastructure to futureproof its energy capacity. 

They acknowledged the short-term costs involved but maintained that this would avoid the need for immediate updates and greater expenditure later. Other innovations like on-site battery storage or solar-powered charging were also highlighted.  

Public charging solutions then became a focus, as the panellists considered how to improve this experience for commercial drivers and brands.  

Issues include locating charging points in unfamiliar areas, the time required to charge a vehicle, and the lack of easy data on the availability, reliability, and price of public charging points.  

A proposed solution was for a mechanism for drivers to locate the nearest charger, then check its status and price, and for CPOs to ensure all charging points are accessible regardless of signal or reception. Panellists also registered a desire for additional charging points.  

BEV: prospects and challenges

They then discussed the potential of Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), how usage could unlock greater range – ideal for commercial vehicles.  

Solid state batteries could also enable faster charging and allow CPOs to maximise the utility of charging stations. However, the current trend of primarily applying BEV to passenger cars – not commercial vehicles – would need to change. 

Final thoughts

The webinar concluded with advice from the panellists: find and use a supplier you trust and contact them directly to explore all options. Also, when working with charging and EV technology, anticipate a significant speed of change.