Brainstorming - logistics of fleet of electric vehicles
Discussion
I'm mulling over something that would represent where I want to take my business. It's not something I can do just yet, but I'm trying to work out if it's viable.
I run a cleaning business on the edge of Norwich. I am trying to streamline things, and one of the things I am tempted to do is zero in on a super tight geographical area and completely saturate it. That area would be essentially be the city.
As such, I'd ideally like a fleet of fully electric vehicles. Perhaps micro-vans, car based vans, or even things like Citroen Amis. The Ami would actually be ideal.
The main issue is that we do not have a business location of our own. Quite simply, all we need is a secure place where we could park up, say, 10 vehicles securely, and charge them. Ideally, there would be a small storage facility, to be able to store some products, but that really isn't critical, more of a nice-to-have.
So how could we acheive this?
Have thought of self-storage places, but they don't seem to have lots of parking spaces that we could have free access to
It feels like there should be an easy answer to this. Even a supermarket carpark that had 10 charging bays would be fine, and have it on a sub-lease, a bit like the carwashes I guess
The floor is open! Cheers
I run a cleaning business on the edge of Norwich. I am trying to streamline things, and one of the things I am tempted to do is zero in on a super tight geographical area and completely saturate it. That area would be essentially be the city.
As such, I'd ideally like a fleet of fully electric vehicles. Perhaps micro-vans, car based vans, or even things like Citroen Amis. The Ami would actually be ideal.
The main issue is that we do not have a business location of our own. Quite simply, all we need is a secure place where we could park up, say, 10 vehicles securely, and charge them. Ideally, there would be a small storage facility, to be able to store some products, but that really isn't critical, more of a nice-to-have.
So how could we acheive this?
Have thought of self-storage places, but they don't seem to have lots of parking spaces that we could have free access to
It feels like there should be an easy answer to this. Even a supermarket carpark that had 10 charging bays would be fine, and have it on a sub-lease, a bit like the carwashes I guess
The floor is open! Cheers
cptsideways said:
Research super remuneration for ev infrastructure eg chargers if going for a site you need to install chargers. Ami will charge from a 3pin overnight I think which will cut your costs down massively.
Yes, the Ami would happily go from a standard 3 pin, which could make it easier. Just need to find a place that could take a few of them, simultaneously.Will look into super remuneration now
Cheers
essayer said:
Gridserve Norwich has plenty of chargers 
Indeed they do! But I envisage leaving vehicles in these spaces any time that they aren't out being used for business. So that would be, at the minimum, 5pm until 9am the next day, plus all weekend.In an ideal world, a supermarket that had the ability to plug in 10x 3 pin plugs would be absolutely ideal. But I fear the EV charging bit will be the limiting factor here.
Mikebentley said:
Surely you could park 10 Ami in a smallish industry unit. Would that not work?
Yes, that could work, however I just feel that getting a unit, and all that comes with that, is overkill for what I need. I don't need indoors storage really.When really distilled down, I just need space to park the vehicles, and facility to charge them all. And would need guaranteed access to those spaces.#
Cheers all
The issue you’re going to face is finding somewhere with sufficient spare current capacity and the desire to accept the credit exposure.
A 13a plugged charger will probably pull 10-11A. Unless they are somehow interconnected/sequences to avoid all 10 charging simultaneously then you’re looking at somewhere with above average power capacity, probably industrial or agricultural with 3-phase.
Unless you have a dedicated supply installed then anything other than chargers with inbuilt/connected billing systems introduces a requirement for your host to to sub-meter (to see how much is being used) and the willingness to accept your credit risk (even if you don’t pay them, they’re going to have to pay the electricity supplier).
Probably the only way it works is to find a site that has high daytime use but limited overnight/weekend demand for power and space. Your staff will presumably drive their own vehicles and need to leave them during the day? If so, you obviously we’d the space at all times.
When I was looking at chargers with inbuilt billing recently I saw one that was connected to the internet and allowed employees fo automatically submit expenses claims to their employers. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name but sure a Google will uncover it. Sending the employees home with the vehicles and having something like that installed may be an option?
A 13a plugged charger will probably pull 10-11A. Unless they are somehow interconnected/sequences to avoid all 10 charging simultaneously then you’re looking at somewhere with above average power capacity, probably industrial or agricultural with 3-phase.
Unless you have a dedicated supply installed then anything other than chargers with inbuilt/connected billing systems introduces a requirement for your host to to sub-meter (to see how much is being used) and the willingness to accept your credit risk (even if you don’t pay them, they’re going to have to pay the electricity supplier).
Probably the only way it works is to find a site that has high daytime use but limited overnight/weekend demand for power and space. Your staff will presumably drive their own vehicles and need to leave them during the day? If so, you obviously we’d the space at all times.
When I was looking at chargers with inbuilt billing recently I saw one that was connected to the internet and allowed employees fo automatically submit expenses claims to their employers. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name but sure a Google will uncover it. Sending the employees home with the vehicles and having something like that installed may be an option?
Mr Overheads said:
Employees take them home, charge overnight on the Octopus EV tariff which you reimburse the employee for.
I think we're a little way (but not a long way) for mandating that employees must charge their vehicles at home and specifying the energy provider and tariff.Unless this is a specialist cleaning company then most cleaners will be paid at the lower end of the spectrum and may have prepayment meters that they cannot easily change over to credit meters. It would not be fair to impose expenses and reimbursement on their cleaners at this level.
If you were in the public sector, dealing with a fleet of electric vehicles would be much less stressful for you.
1. Buy a fleet of electric trucks.
2. Break for tea.
3. Park the electric trucks in a field.
4. Break for a pre-meeting, meeting.
5. Forget about the electric trucks, because they won't go.
6. Prepare to issue a pamphlet on green paper, to every council tax payer, telling them the Council is very net-zero and stain able.
7. Order an independent review at vast cost, to investigate why the electric trucks do not work.
8. Break for tea.
9. Someone has just realised that electric trucks need chargers.
10. Instigate a diversionary cover up.
11. Break for tea.
Target clients that have home EV chargers installed. Part of the deal is that you can plug in the Ami. You won't need to plug in on every job. Loads of pricing/marketing options e.g
Discount for each week you have to use their charger
Payment in cash for each time you use their charger
All clients with a home EV charger get a discounted price plan all the time vs those without whether you use it or not.
Sideline in referrals to one of the home EV plug installing companies and to a solar company
Discount for each week you have to use their charger
Payment in cash for each time you use their charger
All clients with a home EV charger get a discounted price plan all the time vs those without whether you use it or not.
Sideline in referrals to one of the home EV plug installing companies and to a solar company
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