Success Stories: Dundee shows what an energy-first fleet strategy looks like

A panoramic outdoor view of Dundee.

Dundee City Council has built a fleet-energy model that combines solar generation, second-life battery storage and overnight EV charging.

Its workshop supports a fleet of around 750 vehicles, with almost 40% already electric. Solar panels feed second-life Renault Zoe batteries, which store surplus energy and release it when vehicles return to charge.

For fleet managers, the most useful lesson is that electrification works better when energy planning comes before vehicle procurement.

Dundee has developed charging infrastructure around how its sites and drivers actually operate, rather than assuming the same model will work everywhere.

The council has also used fleet data to improve safety and driver behaviour, while its charging strategy has helped reduce local public charging tariffs.

The takeaway is clear: fleet, property, energy and operations teams need to work together.

Businesses planning depot electrification should understand power demand, dwell times and future vehicle volumes before ordering large numbers of EVs.

Dundee’s experience shows that charging should be treated as part of the operating model, not a separate infrastructure project.

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