Scottish start-up Evata has launched its fleet infrastructure sharing platforms to help improve charging availability for electric vehicle (EV) fleets.
According to the company, this platform can reduce the total cost of operations by 30% and cut downtime by approximately 73%, thus improving charging efficiency.
The shared infrastructure platform allows fleet operators to use third-party sites for hosting portable charging infrastructure for the operator’s specific needs, as well as allowing them to negotiate how much they pay for charging as long as it is lower than or equal to £0.52/kWh.
In 2023, the UK saw a substantial increase in fleet EV buyers, as was documented by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The research group reported that one in six new cars registered in 2023 were battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and of those, 10 in 11 buyers were business or fleet customers.
However, the charging infrastructure for these fleets is, according to Evata, unsatisfactory. Many fleet operators are reportedly limited to operating vehicles on certain routes where the duty cycles permit electrification or waiting for longer-range models.
Shakeel Ali, the co-founder of Evata, has said these limited options hinder electrification plans “beyond the ‘ low hanging fruit’”.
He added: “Ultimately, in the use case of complex duty cycles – vans, delivery trucks, commercial vehicles, etc. – they are required to shoe-horn fleet operations into an existing model which isn’t suitable nor economical. Slowing the transition to electrification.”
Jaeson Blythe, Evata CTO, said: “Our platform allows charging infrastructure to be hosted by third parties where a fleet needs it, with our technology demonstrating a potential 73% saving in downtime when compared with using the public charging network.”
What the UK has to offer
Despite specific firms involved in the UK’s charging infrastructure growth surpassing key personal milestones, the wider picture remains murky.
In a study published by the RAC, the UK government missed its target of at least six rapid or ultra-rapid chargepoints installed at every motorway service area in England by the close of 2023 by 61%.
In terms of numbers, 46 of the 119 motorway services it reviewed on Zapmap have a target amount of EV chargers above 50kW.
Moreover, new figures published by Zapmap earlier this month (February) revealed that the overall cost of high-powered charging on the public network increased by 11% in 2023.
According to the Zapmap Price Index, the average price of charging an EV in the UK using a rapid or ultra-rapid increased from 73p/kWh in December 2022 to 81p/kWh. Prices for slow chargers also increased, growing from 49p/kWh in December 2022 to 55p/kWh in December 2023.