Is your management team slipping into analysis paralysis when it comes to fleet decarbonization? This can happen easily when teams don’t have a clear overall plan to lead the effort. With so many interconnected elements, including vehicles, chargers, and software, it can be overwhelming deciding where to begin. Various stakeholders can have strong opinions, but only when a team agrees on a clear blueprint can they effectively move forward efficiently.
Brownout Risks Increase
A Southern fleet needed such a blueprint for future proofing their charging system while converting more of their fleet to EVs. With the current fleet already using 10 chargers, some of which were open to the public for charging private vehicles, the fleet couldn’t risk overloading the charging system by onboarding new EVs.
Figure 1: Anxious to avoid brownouts or blackouts, this fleet needed a blueprint for de-risked EV infrastructure planning.
Large loads and sudden surges in demand can cause system brownouts and blackouts. With a system connected to the city’s grid, the fleet could potentially cut off power for residents and businesses. The repair costs and public relations ill will would be astronomical.
To mitigate the risk, fleet managers asked Panasonic Smart Mobility Office for load modeling to analyze the multiple “what ifs” of converting various numbers of their fleet’s diesel vehicles to EVs, and how that could impact charge demand. How high was the risk of brownout in each scenario? What if they added new chargers? When would they need to build another grid? Modeling answered these questions and more.
Modeling for Success
Modeling from Panasonic Smart Fleet Transition Solutions showed a forecast for demand and costs, creating a clear blueprint for this fleet’s transition. With this blueprint, the fleet now knows what they need to change and when. They can build resilience into their system as they transition the fleet. And they know how to optimize energy usage during the entire transition.
This framework can be completed in an average of 60-90 days and includes:
- Inventory of telematics, FMS, CMS, charging platforms, etc.
- An architecture blueprint for future integrations
- Recommended priority integrations
A comprehensive blueprint for energy resource management is highly effective for launching a multi-vendor, decentralized decarbonization initiative. Not only does it help unite teams to reach their goals, but it will identify optimization tactics along the way.