Fleets often need proof of concept for stakeholders, strategy, or funding. Will a system work, and will it lower costs, or at least start an operation on that path? Projections and modeling can help support lofty claims, but an actual live demonstration is much more powerful proof. Here is now one fleet in the Pacific Northwest created their EV charging infrastructure pilot program.
Will It Work?
While cloud solutions are comprehensive and accessible, they can sometimes lose internet connectivity. Edge solutions (vehicle-mounted hardware that collects and shares data) don’t require internet connections. This means they can add resilience to EV charging systems.
This fleet had an edge device, and wanted to test enhanced system resilience by using a combination of the edge device and cloud computing. The pilot required combining multiple vendors, systems, and dashboards into a unified network.
Figure 1: This fleet tested EV charging infrastructure that included an edge device to create system resilience.
Panasonic Smart Mobility Office managed the multi-vendor coordination and myriad online systems. The Panasonic Smart Fleet Transition Solutions team created a unified dashboard for a network that included 12-15 chargers at two sites, used by 30 fleet EVs and countless public EVs. Fleet access to the charging system required RFID authentication, which was also onboarded for the pilot.
Proof of Concept Delivered
In going live with the pilot, generally a 90-day project, the team confirmed that they could deploy a utility-integrated edge solution to mitigate risk, manage charging loads, and automate demand-response events. The centralized system managed five different vendors and their software packages using one dashboard.
When applied to a fleet configuration, this 90-day framework for a pilot program would include:
- Vehicle selection and sourcing
- Depot readiness plan (basic charging if needed)
- Driver training and operational workflows
- Performance monitoring dashboard setup
Within months, a pilot can create, test, and prove many types of system configurations. These can include multiple vehicles, depot readiness, driver training, and even various CMS dashboard setups. With a proven result, approvals and forward momentum gain powerful traction.