Sam Rawson, Enterprise Sales Director at Monta, asked this question on Linked in…
Should Fleets Share Their EV Charge Points?
Fleet depots across the UK are installing thousands of EV chargers – but they’re often locked behind gates, used by just one operator.
Meanwhile, many other businesses are struggling to electrify because their depots are in older buildings with limited grid capacity and upgrades can take months or even years.
So, should fleets open their chargers to other fleets? Join the debate with FleetWise.
Leave your comment here
Here are a selection of responses…
Bruno Lucarelli, EV Safety Inc – Insurance and liability issues abound
SR – Absolutely, it seems to be one of the biggest sticking points.
Until there’s a clear, standardised approach to insurance and liability, a lot of fleets will stay cautious, no matter how strong the business case is. Definitely an area that needs more industry collaboration.
Lindsay Yeoman, FOR EV – What we know from our work with Fleets is that this works well for some and not workable at all for others. The theory is sound, but operational needs and varying risk appetites all come into play when scaling EV operational vehicles.
SR – Absolutely, the theory makes perfect sense, but once you get into the day-to-day ops, it quickly becomes clear there's no 'one-size-fits-all'.
Risk appetite, scheduling and control are big variables. Curious to see how flexible models can evolve to suit different fleet needs over time.
Joel Teague, Co Charger Ltd – The answer is ‘Yes’, because all the negatives are problems that can be solved, and the alternatives will often make fleets less efficient and effective. It's happening, and it's a good thing.
Will David, Clenergy EV – We are seeing it more and more, especially in the E-HGV sector. The questions you raise are real issues and will really depend on the CP owner and relationship with the potential 3rd party company that will use the charge points. We have it working well for some, but other companies it will not work.
Christian Kurtenback, Monta – It makes a lot of sense to me to open up during some hours to other fleets that have complementary needs in the area, eg: taxis. You make dedicated agreements instead of making it fully public.
SR – Private agreements also feel like a realistic middle ground between doing nothing and going fully public.
Candice Edge, IAEI – I think we did a pretty fantastic job in Atlanta, with The City of Atlanta 2025 ordinance. I sat down, personally, at a meeting with Georgia Power. By the end of the meeting, we had proceeded to make an agreement between the city and GPC, this so it doesn’t turn unto the Wild West.
Jim Fitzpatrick, Solutioneers – Seems like a competitive advantage. Unless you can build it and have someone else pay for it?
SR – Exactly Jim, if you can turn sunk cost into a shared asset and get others to help cover it, that’s not just smart… it’s a strategic win.
Kishore Devisetti – Utilities, local, state, federal governments should mandate incentives to offer public charging like Georgia Power's make ready program.
https://www.georgiapower.com/business/products-programs/business-solutions/electric-transportation-business-programs/make-ready.html
SR – Mandating the right incentives can definitely accelerate infrastructure rollout, especially when paired with utility-backed programs like this. Would love to see more UK-based initiatives with that kind of forward thinking, it could be a real unlock for fleets and depot sharing models too!
Aaron Acworth, EV Charging Specialist – What are you thoughts on a business fleet charging hubs for local businesses to use? Could maybe have a monthly subscription to ensure user access & the hub owner would return its investment from the revenue. This would remove the upfront costs for businesses and remove ongoing maintenance and support costs.
SR – I think there is definitely an appetite for this sort of arrangement.
Sam G – In China, the semi-private charging stations are open to any vehicle if with demand of charging. For example, the bus station charging networks would be open to private vehicles, non-bus vehicles, etc.
Dave Simpson, Stagecoach North Scotland – Absolutely, why not share. I’m currently working with a couple companies utilising my sites in Inverness and Aberdeen with plenty of space for more to join.
Adam Moss – Stagecoach Group – We are trialling this with several organisations to test feasibility and the expected shared benefits. Bus charging infrastructure can offer large commercial vehicle charging capability so eHGV as well as eLCV can benefit.
What’s your take on EV fleets sharing charge points?
Leave your comment here
Here's an example of businesses sharing EV charging infrastructure…
Paua and First Bus collaborate with Paua Share, a pioneering charge-sharing platform