Client Overview
A regional last-mile delivery company operating 50 diesel vans in a major metropolitan area sought to electrify their fleet to reduce fuel costs, meet emissions regulations, and improve their sustainability profile.
The fleet operated on a hub-and-spoke model: vehicles departed from a central depot at 6 AM, made 80-120 deliveries per day, and returned by 6 PM for overnight charging. The depot had limited electrical capacity, requiring creative load management.
The Challenge
Limited Electrical Capacity
The depot had only 200kW electrical service, but 50 vehicles × 7kW AC charging would require 350kW. Upgrading utility service would cost $80,000 and take 6 months.
Charging Window Constraints
Vehicles returned between 5-7 PM and departed at 6 AM, giving a 12-hour charging window. However, not all vehicles returned simultaneously, creating peak demand spikes.
Cost Sensitivity
As a mid-sized operator, the client needed a solution that minimized both capital and operating costs while delivering reliable charging.
The Solution
Smart Load Management
FBK POWER's intelligent load management system distributed 200kW across 20 charging ports based on vehicle state-of-charge and departure time. Priority charging for vehicles with earliest departure times.
Mixed AC/DC Strategy
10 × 7kW AC chargers for vehicles with lighter duty cycles and 10 × 20kW DC chargers for high-mileage vehicles. This balanced cost and charging speed.
Time-of-Use Optimization
Charging scheduled during off-peak hours (10 PM - 6 AM) reduced electricity costs by 40%. Vehicles arriving before 10 PM were queued and started charging at the optimal time.
Implementation
Fleet Analysis (Week 1-2)
Analyzed 30 days of fleet data: daily mileage, return times, battery states, and parking patterns. Identified that 60% of vehicles needed only 7kW AC charging.
System Design (Week 3-4)
Designed charging layout with 10 AC pedestals and 10 DC fast dispensers. Load management algorithm optimized for 200kW service limit.
Installation (Week 5-6)
Installed charging infrastructure without disrupting daily operations. Weekend work for electrical panel upgrades.
Go-Live (Week 7)
Phased rollout: 10 vehicles in week 1, 20 in week 2, full fleet by week 3. Driver training on charging procedures and mobile app.
Results & Impact
Key Metrics
- • 50 vehicles fully electrified within 7 weeks
- • 200kW service limit maintained (no utility upgrade needed)
- • 100% vehicles charged by 6 AM departure
- • 40% reduction in electricity costs via time-of-use
- • 97.2% charging uptime
- • $180,000 annual fuel cost savings
- • $45,000 annual maintenance savings
- • 60% reduction in CO2 emissions
- • 4.5/5.0 driver satisfaction rating
- • ROI achieved in 3.2 years
"FBK POWER's load management system was the key to making fleet electrification work within our electrical constraints. We avoided an $80,000 utility upgrade and still charge all 50 vehicles overnight."