How Fleets Can Overcome the Hidden Challenges of Home Charging
WORDS BY JET CHARGE
As fleets shift to electric, one truth is becoming clear: where vehicles park overnight is where they should charge. And with nearly half of all fleet vehicles garaged at employees’ homes, home charging isn’ t a niceto-have. It’ s mission-critical.
But it’ s rarely straightforward.
From navigating property access and electrical upgrades, to managing reimbursements and ensuring long-term uptime, home charging introduces new layers of complexity, just as fleets are under pressure to simplify.
That’ s the challenge: how do you deploy reliable, scalable charging, not just at one depot, but at thousands of homes across Australia?
The good news? It’ s solvable. But only if we’ re willing to identify the problems and design for them.
What’ s Really Holding Back Home Charging for Fleets
For many businesses, home charging feels like the logical next step in fleet electrification. But making it work in practice is harder than it looks.
Here’ s why. 1. Blurred Lines on Ownership
Who owns the charger? Who maintains it? Who pays when it breaks? These questions are often unresolved, leaving both employees and employers exposed to risk, confusion, and unplanned costs.
2. Installation Isn’ t Plug and Play
Retrofitting chargers into homes, especially apartments or older buildings, can mean switchboard upgrades, approvals, and coordination headaches. The result is often delays, budget blowouts, or a decision to walk away altogether.
3. Reimbursement Adds Admin
Without the right tools, tracking home energy use for business charging becomes a manual process. Spreadsheets, receipts, and estimates create frustration for drivers and extra work for payroll and fleet teams.
38 ISSUE 53 JUNE 2025 / WWW. AFMA. ORG. AU