When it comes to the acceleration towards sustainable transportation, commercial and government fleets are one transportation sector that presents a significant opportunity for growth and industry impact. By transitioning to EVs, fleets can lead the charge in reducing emissions, cutting costs, revolutionizing business, and setting a new standard for the future of transportation.
For business owners, the transition toward fleet electrification presents more than just an opportunity for environmental stewardship — it’s a strategic business move. By adopting this shift, businesses can reduce operational costs, enhance their brand’s sustainability profile, and gain a competitive edge in an increasingly eco-conscious market.
Taking the Right Steps for Future Growth
Some businesses might wonder how best to prepare for future growth while moving to EV fleets. At Blink, our strategy is to avoid going backward and move forward. To achieve this, we address future growth in our initial planning as part of our three-phrase approach.
In the initial phase, the focus is primarily on strategy and planning. Blink works with business owners to understand what their immediate and long-term goals are to begin integrating the steps needed to achieve the long-term electrification goals into day one planning. In consideration for the long-term plans, including expansion, Blink ensures to factor in compliance with permitting and codes at this stage. The first phase encompasses on-site assessment, a thorough electrical analysis, and any necessary utility upgrades.
With the insight gained from the on-site visit and assessment, and with details of requirements for the business in mind, the following step involves designing a meticulously engineered plan tailored for the needs of the current and future fleet, as well as coordinating with your utility providers. The consideration of anticipated growth involved in crafting a comprehensive engineered plan is critical to ensuring a smooth and scalable electrification project, avoiding the need for redesigns in the future.
The last phase of Blink’s three-phase approach is dedicated to construction and the different facets involving civil engineering, project coordination, inspection, code enforcement, and charger installation and commissioning. This methodical approach ensures that fleets are not only operational upon project completion, but they are also poised for future expansion. By building a solid foundation now, businesses can confidently scale their operations as demand for EVs grows, ensuring long-term success in a rapidly evolving industry.
Blink recognizes that the specific needs of fleet and commercial-grade EV charging equipment are different from those of retail and residential needs — what someone puts in their home garage differs from what a fleet depot needs. Factors such as environmental elements, fleet equipment wear, and utilization rates must be considered. Fleet-grade equipment is designed to withstand heavy usage and harsh conditions, ensuring reliable and efficient charging for fleet operations.
The Series 7, a workhorse of Blink’s commercial line, is a Level 2 station capable of outputting 48-80 amps with a charging rate of up to 19.2 kW per hour. The durable design ensures you have access to reliable technology and are prepared to handle innovative updates. The Series 7 is cellular enabled, though it can also be hardwired or rely on WiFi, allowing for seamless access to chargers when servicing, minimizing operational friction.
Blink’s approach focuses on maintaining high operational uptime for chargers. By making proactive recommendations, we help fleet operators seamlessly operate and maintain their EV charging infrastructure, addressing the unique needs of fleet management.
Blink Charging’s overarching mission is to accelerate the widespread transition to EVs. To achieve this, we conduct comprehensive fleet analyses to help customers identify which types of vehicles have electric equivalents in terms of duty cycle, payload requirements, and price range, thereby creating an EV ecosystem for fleet operators. We also collaborate closely with fleet leasing companies to align with fleet customers’ electrification needs. This allows us to assist clients in meeting their decarbonization goals on time and at the lowest cost.
The Role of Data Analytics in Fleet Electrification
Cost is a top-of-mind consideration for any responsible business owner. The great news for businesses looking to make the transition to fleet electrification is the vast amount of financing, funding, and tax deductions available from the state and federal government, local sources, and utility companies. Additionally, precise management of a business’s electric fleet also plays a significant role in reducing costs and increasing operational efficiencies. Once in the ground, chargers can become a source of revenue for fleet managers, which can be easily tracked, reported upon, and utilized for tax purposes and financial business planning with a detailed data portal, such as Blink’s Fleet Management Portal.
Clients often ask us about the different types of data available for managing EV charging infrastructure, particularly how this data can be leveraged to lower costs and improve efficiency. The key to effective fleet electrification lies in accessing and utilizing a wide range of data that provides actionable insights into various aspects of operations. For example, data on electricity usage, peak demand times, and load management on a site-by-site basis allows fleet managers to optimize energy consumption and minimize costs. By analyzing this data, businesses can implement smart charging strategies, such as charging during off-peak hours, to reduce energy expenses significantly.
Additionally, data on public-facing infrastructure, including usage patterns, can be used to monetize charging stations. By understanding when and how often chargers are used, fleet managers can adjust pricing and explore revenue-generating opportunities that enhance the profitability of their EV infrastructure.
This detailed data is accessible through the Blink Fleet Management Portal, a centralized and comprehensive platform that allows businesses to oversee and optimize their fleet operations. The portal provides a single dashboard where fleet operators can gain a global view of their fleet assets, charging sessions, and electricity management on a site-by-site basis. With this tool, businesses can monitor and adjust access policies, track vehicle and driver performance, and manage assets in real time.
In addition, by using tools such as the Blink Network, customers’ facilities teams can easily view real-time analytics ranging from station availability, charge history, pricing, waitlists, and location details. Data analytics reports can also be downloaded, containing reports on location usage, charging sessions, energy consumption, revenue, station utilization, and CO2 reduction.
In today’s business landscape, sustainability is a key metric in annual reports. By providing detailed summaries of environmental benefits, such as CO2 reductions, fuel savings, and cost efficiencies, the data provided by the Blink Network make it easier to justify the investment in EVs, compare operational costs between electric and internal combustion engine vehicles, and strengthen your corporate sustainability initiatives. This data not only supports your sustainability goals but also highlights the financial advantages of fleet electrification.
With Blink Fleet Management, fleet managers can oversee the entire fleet and workplace or public charging stations through the same host portal in the Fleet Management tab. Fleet managers can create fleet groups, each with its own assigned delegate, zone, and vehicle data. Besides the analytics available to all Blink hosts, fleet managers can also download data on the fleet’s CO2 offset, fleet station usage, fleet alerts, and fleet authorizations.
Preparing for EV Fleet Success
One effective strategy for safeguarding success when preparing for a transition to electric is to implement a proactive maintenance program for chargers to optimize uptime. This comprehensive approach ensures the optimal performance and longevity of EV charging infrastructure, providing a strong foundation for successful fleet electrification and instilling confidence in the reliability of the system.
Blink Charging offers the Blink Care program, a comprehensive maintenance program with benefits tailored to different charging levels. For Level 2 AC charging, we recommend and offer two visits per year, a thorough detailing of equipment, inspection of the RFID card reader, testing of the equipment via a plug-in simulator or electric vehicle, and visual inspection and documentation of any damage, including scratches and nicks. A full visit report, including a complete service checklist and photographs of the equipment before and after service, is also provided. The same is recommended and offered for Level 3 DC fast charging stations and equipment, with the additional inspection of filters and coolants and replacement as needed.
This comprehensive maintenance approach ensures optimal performance and longevity of EV charging infrastructure, laying a strong foundation for successful fleet electrification.
With Blink’s solutions for integrating EV charging infrastructure into your business’s commercial or government fleet program, the process from day one through installation is seamless and the program control for fleet managers through the Blink Fleet Management Portal is thorough and precise.
Now is the time for forward-thinking business owners to invest in the future of transportation, driving both profitability and progress. The reasons why a business should consider transitioning to electric fleets are many and clear. The way how to do it is with Blink.
