Mastering depot charging: Unlocking operational reliability and efficiency for heavy-duty fleets
Co-written by Hilmar Van Den Dool, and Stephan Nahmer
Key takeaways
As the number of battery-electric trucks grows, the heavy-duty fleet sector needs access to a robust network of charging solutions.
Customised eDepot solutions will form an important part of this network, offering fleets access to hardware, software and operational support.
Energy management can help fleets balance power needs across facilities, giving them greater control over costs, energy sources and grid constraints.
Future innovations, such as dynamic pricing, demand response and predictive maintenance, will continue to improve the field of eDepot charging.
The challenge
Transport and logistics-based businesses are facing increased pressure to decarbonise their operations. In turn, fleet managers are increasingly viewing decarbonisation as a crucial part of wider business strategy and, subsequently, a necessity when building out future roadmaps. However, in doing so, fleet managers must ensure that their approach is: reliable, in that it mitigates operational disruption; efficient, in that it can be implemented with ease; and cost-effective, in order to maintain competitiveness.
The solution
Amid this backdrop, electric vehicles (EVs) are emerging as an increasingly critical route to emissions reduction for many road transport fleets. Albeit, as electrification continues to emerge as one promising solution for heavy-duty transport, fleets鈥 attention turns to the wealth of complex decisions and wide-ranging solutions at their disposal.
After all, to take charge of your heavy-duty fleet鈥檚 e-mobility journey, you must be equipped with both the hardware and software necessary to make the transition. Fortunately, when it comes to the vehicles themselves, the picture is looking clearer. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of battery electric (BEV) heavy-duty truck models more than doubled globally, from 56 to a total of 116 models offered by 48 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).1 Looking further ahead, there is an 80-fold increase projected between 2022 and 2030, which will see Europe鈥檚 electric heavy-duty vehicle (eHDV) fleet reach approximately 500,000 units.2
Yet, the transition to BEV trucks goes beyond the vehicles themselves. Heavy-duty road transport fleets must also be able to rely on a robust network of charging solutions to power their new electric vehicles 鈥 solutions that need to help drive efficiency in order to support growing demand.
What鈥檚 more, these solutions must be varied enough to meet the wide-ranging needs of the global fleet 鈥 from on-the-go charging along key logistics routes to public or private eDepot solutions.
The latter will be particularly important for commercial road transport businesses that require the ability to recharge their BEV trucks at their own depots, just as they fill up their trucks powered by conventional fuels to prepare them for urban and regional journeys.
Though this involves a lot more than simply installing a selection of charge points 鈥 which is where customised eDepot solutions come in.
Exploring eDepot solutions for heavy-duty fleets
Customised eDepot solutions can deliver BEV truck depot charging infrastructure that meets the specific operational needs of a fleet. For example, typically, an eDepot solution combines:
The hardware that powers vehicle charging.
The software that manages that charging process.
The operational support to maintain EV operations.
Customised solution design and engineering for current and future business needs.
It can also include the full suite of integrated, on-site energy solutions to help provide the power needed to charge the vehicles. From access to 100% renewable energy supply (as standard to help reduce scope 2 emissions) to the charge points, solar panels, stationary batteries, and the digital tools needed to manage those multiple sources of energy on site.
Shell SBRS GmbH (Member of the Shell Group) have come together with logistics company Contargo (part of the Rhenus Group) to install the largest private charging network for heavy-duty fleets in Germany鈥 an example of how the sector is future-proofing their operations with heavy-duty electric trucks. Focused on decarbonising and scaling its fleet from 7 to 33 BEVs, the fully customised, turn-key solution will see 33 charging points at 14 unique terminals across the year. Together, this also involves the integration of EV chargers, solar power, crane energy recuperation, specialised cooled containers, and real-time energy management resulting in award-winning efforts towards sustainability. For this project, Contargo received the German Sustainability Award in the transport and logistics industry category and SBRS GmbH won the NTV award for sustainability projects.
Hilmar Van Den Dool, General Manager, E-Mobility and Global Accounts at Shell鈥淩eliable EV charging infrastructure will be critical to ensure that electric vehicles are fully charged when needed, but for many heavy-duty fleets, the majority of this charging will take place at depots. And because operational requirements and vehicle mixes can change over time, it鈥檚 crucial that these depots can flex to the evolving needs of the fleet in question 鈥 which is why the customisable qualities of eDepots are so important.鈥
Optimising operational reliability with an eDepot solution
To make sure that their operations are as reliable and efficient as possible, fleet operators need to be confident that their vehicles are charged and ready to go when needed; eDepot solutions provide this by enabling fleet operators to:
What鈥檚 more, fleet operators can use software to manage their charge points, helping to provide uninterrupted and cost-effective charging. The data this software captures can then be used to facilitate budgeting 鈥 working to reduce capital expenditure and ongoing operational expenditure.
鈥淔or fleets looking to take advantage of the benefits that eDepot charging provides, it鈥檚 important that they consider both the hardware and software requirements of their fleet. By working with an expert that understands their business needs, such as voltage requirements and charge point speed, operators can make sure they are investing in an eDepot solution that will provide them with operational reliability over the long term.鈥
Stephan Nahmer
Managing Director, SBRS GmbH
Plus, they can be retrofitted in existing spaces or purpose-built, using data modelling and site design 鈥 making them a viable option for heavy-duty fleets of all sizes.
Managing the energy demands of an electrified fleet
Another factor that commercial road transport businesses need to consider with depot charging is the extra electricity demand 鈥 and potential indirect emissions 鈥 their BEV truck operations will generate. To address this, heavy-duty road transport fleets will need to explore their energy management options.
Energy management is the process that businesses use to balance their power needs across their facilities, covering everything from managing the electricity demands of their operations to reducing the carbon intensity of the power they draw from the grid 鈥 which can be done by purchasing an electricity supply contract with 100% renewable supply as standard.
This gives fleet operators the ability to take control of their power usage 鈥 improving operational reliability, keeping costs low and reducing the carbon intensity of their fleets. Helpfully, eDepots and integrated energy solutions can support this across three key areas:
Costs
Having software to meet the specific EV charging needs of each fleet means operators can schedule charging times around energy and grid pricing.
Energy source
By adding on-site energy solutions to their depot, fleet owners can make more efficient use of the energy sources powering their vehicles.
Grid constraints
Charging software data can enable both Dynamic Power Management and Dynamic Power Sharing, helping operators to more efficiently manage power distribution between the grid, their buildings and their charge points.
Integrated energy solutions will be vital for reducing carbon emissions and supporting heavy-duty transport鈥檚 decarbonisation 鈥 which is exactly why MAN and SBRS GmbH, Member of the Shell Group, are exploring opportunities around this technology.鈥疉nd with MCS (Megawatt Charging Systems) installation plans for the near future, we can provide faster charging times and higher power delivery to electric trucks, making them a viable option for long-distance travel and heavy-duty applications.
Future trends and innovations in eDepot charging
One key route to greater efficiency and reliability for heavy-duty fleets will be the development of faster charging technology. This includes megawatt charging, which has the potential to charge large vehicles like trucks in minutes, rather than hours.3
Smart charging networks that integrate advanced features such as dynamic pricing, demand response and predictive maintenance are also likely to emerge in greater number, supporting fleet managers when it comes to charging schedules and cost control.
And as truck design develops in parallel, these networks will increasingly cater to specific vehicle features, too, whether through longer cables, easy-to-navigate layouts at charging sites or higher charging ports.
After all, EV charging is not a one-size-fits-all concept, meaning the continued customisation of future EV charging solutions will become increasingly important. In fact, this is something that Shell already provides by building bespoke charging solutions on in-house-developed hardware and software.
鈥淓-Mobility is a fast-moving space, so our portfolio is constantly evolving to meet changing industry and operator needs in Europe. Through our innovation centres we are undertaking ongoing research around energy innovation in the EV charging space. Meanwhile, we are continuing to invest in our charging technology to ensure electrification solutions are available at scale. A big part of this innovation will revolve around ensuring heavy-duty fleets can grow sustainably, while receiving the ongoing consultancy they need to engage drivers and shareholders throughout their energy transition.鈥
Hilmar Van Den Dool, General Manager
E-Mobility and Global Accounts at Shell
Further down the line, more advanced hardware is likely to emerge as well, ranging from battery swapping stations to dynamic wireless charging technology and high-power overhead cable infrastructure. All of which will only help to make EV fleet management a more efficient and cost-effective affair. However, to ensure more customers are able to receive these efficiency and reliability benefits in the near term, today鈥檚 charging solutions must prioritise scalability. Which is part of the reason why Shell acquired SBRS GmbH 鈥 a leading provider of charging infrastructure solutions for commercial electric vehicles in Europe 鈥 in 2022, to help expand and strengthen their EV charging offering.
Collaborating to create the solutions that deliver success
Ultimately, there is plenty for commercial road transport businesses to consider as they bring BEV trucks into their fleets 鈥 though there is a good chance that they cannot deliver it all alone. As such, creating the right eDepot solution for their needs requires collaboration, which means that working with an expert to understand what is possible for each site 鈥 both now and in the future 鈥 is vital. By doing this, operators can implement the charging infrastructure that best supports their operations 鈥 helping them to meet demand more efficiently, while reducing CO2 emissions across both fleets and facilities.
1 Global Drive to Zero. 鈥.鈥
2 ChargeUp Europe. 鈥淗DV Research for ChargeUp Europe.鈥 September 8, 2023.
3 Automotive World. 鈥.鈥 2022.
