TRC works with hundreds of organizations who have made investments in fleet electrification and EV charging infrastructure as means to achieving their carbon, climate and clean transportation goals. As large energy users who are committed to decarbonization, many have already installed several generations of charging equipment. As a result of our energy transition and transportation electrification work with private fleets and public transportation agencies, we have identified some speedbumps and overlooked considerations that, when addressed as part of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) deployment and operational planning, can help optimize and accelerate your energy and electrification transition.
1. Focus on your specific needs.
The EV charging landscape is complex and selecting a hardware vendor is the easy part of the process. Take the time to educate yourself and define your unique requirements around interoperability and networking, operational needs, charging speeds, load management and cybersecurity to name a few. Our clients are often faced with a complex “spaghetti chart” of EV charging communication and charging standards (OCPP, 15118, etc.) in addition to dozens of EV charging equipment and charge management providers. It is worth investing in vendor agnostic technical guidance and screening support to simplify the landscape and help clarify your needs.
2. Take a holistic look at your anticipated electric loads.
When assessing your electrical needs, look beyond vehicle electrification. Developing a holistic energy demand forecast for all future loads will help identify future constraints from EV charging and other electrification investments. For example, limiting energy planning to fleet electrification may overlook capacity required for building electrification. Make sure to talk to your utility to see how they can support your growing energy needs. Your goal should be to allow your fleet to operate, manage costs and enable EV charging and interconnections sooner than later.
3. Incorporate regulatory and compliance requirements into your electrification roadmap.
Don’t forget to factor in all the compliance regulations that may require new loads or impact technology considerations. Entities who have developed their energy forecast primarily from fleet electrification run the risk of omitting regulatory and policy requirements that may require multiple equipment types to also transition to electricity. If you operate an industrial facility, have you factored in regulatory and compliance requirements for mobile, stationery and facility electrification? Have you included regulations around specialized equipment in your fleet electrification planning?
“As fleets adopt electric vehicles, they are faced with a complex landscape of technology fit, operational impacts, costs, regulatory requirements, security and safety concerns. A strategic approach that allows a fleet to solve for their immediate goals while providing flexibility to adapt to an uncertain future is critical to successfully navigating this transition.”
-Patrick Couch, Senior Vice President, Clean Transportation Solutions, TRC
4. Assess and engage with equipment manufacturers.
While EV charging site designers, resellers and installers are critical partners in your process, make sure to include original equipment manufacturers in your conversations, especially when charging equipment has not yet been paired with a particular piece of equipment. For first-of-kind deployments, the equipment manufacturers’ support can help resolve unexpected technical issues and provide peace of mind regarding which chargers have been successfully deployed with the equipment you are buying. We also encourage clients to include post-install support and operational requirements such as uptime provisions when developing RFPs, bids, and technical requirements.
5. Take a stepwise approach, and don’t overinvest.
There are many opportunities for EV charging to serve as the backbone and enabling technology for distributed energy management systems, microgrids and virtual power plants. Take the time to make sure you are investing in what you need now. Standards and technology are evolving rapidly and the charging infrastructure you install today may not be an ideal fit for the vehicles you buy in five years. Phased deployments that align with vehicle procurements allow you to adapt to the evolving technology landscape. Consider pilot testing for new applications.
6. Make sure IT, operational and cybersecurity considerations are part of the mix.
Cybersecurity risks exist at all levels within the EV charging ecosystem including at the device, endpoint on the host network and in the cloud. As EV charging becomes a critical asset for your business, specific risks include loss or theft of sensitive data, denial of service and even coordinated attacks that can compromise the electrical grid. Are your back-end systems and data management requirements able to integrate with EV charging data? Has your organization discussed EV charging and cybersecurity risks? Have you included EV charging in your security monitoring and penetration testing? What about operational monitoring of your charging network?
Bottom line – Take the time to ensure your charging infrastructure/deployment plans:
- Incorporate vendor and regulatory standards that meet your emerging needs
- Can be supported and optimized internally
- Support energy demand requirements cost effectively
- Are pilot tested for new and complex applications
Next Steps: TRC Can Help
TRC helps clients plan for and scale EV charging infrastructure based on deep experience in clean transportation, smart grid technology and advanced energy markets. We develop operational and actionable plans to scale fleet and equipment charging to meet electrification, net zero and other customer goals and help you optimize available energy capacity to support charging management needs. TRC expert staff include dozens of experts in fleet and building electrification, digital and smart grid solutions, power studies and energy planning, charging infrastructure, regulatory and policy compliance and distributed energy resource planning. For more information contact Brenda Enos, VP Energy Transition Solutions, at benos@trccompanies.com.
