FLEETDRIVE reducing , and will continue downward to the socalled “ tipping point ” where moving to electric will soon become a purely financial imperative . EVs also have significantly reduced running costs , due to having less moving parts and reduced “ fuel ” costs ( electricity is roughly 60 % cheaper than petrol ). This is without even considering any of the environmental benefits or compliance with sustainability policies .
A trial of one or two EVs in a local government fleet is the usual first approach , and the feedback in generally unanimous . Staff prefer driving EVs due to the smooth acceleration , quiet ride and the benefit of never having to visit a petrol station again . Charging is easy ( as long as the correct charging infrastructure is installed ) and is as simple as plugging in your mobile phone each night .
Data is the final piece of the EV charging puzzle , and this is where having the right software in place is key . Software allows EV chargers to be networked ( either via the 4G mobile network or local Ethernet ) and connected to a backend system ( usually cloud-based ). Software-driven solutions provides benefits such as :
• Access control ( unrestricted , via App , via RFID card )
• Charger usage statistics ( times , days , session duration )
• Electricity usage rates / costs ( cents per kWh )
• Carbon offset reporting ( CO 2
-equivalent )
• Real-time status ( online / offline / in-use / faulted )
• Load-balancing electrical supply across a group of chargers ( to avoid power supply upgrades )
• Smart-charging ( linked to solar or other eventdriven systems )
Finally , it is highly recommended that any hardware or software is fully compliant with the Open Charge Point Protocol ( OCPP ) to allow flexibility and to avoid lock-in with proprietary systems .
James Downes CEO EON Charge Pty Ltd
info @ eoncharge . com . au EON Charge Pty Ltd https :// eoncharge . com . au
ISSUE 28 APRIL 2021 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU 17