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Energy

EV fleet charging

ActivePublished: 9 November 2026Updated: 9 November 2026Published
Key innovation
Shifts EV charging from single standalone points to coordinated depot infrastructure for dozens–hundreds of vehicles, where charging power is actively managed against grid connection limits.
Category
Energy
Abstraction level
Technika
Operation level
DeploymentSystem
Use cases
Electric bus depots in public transportDelivery van fleets and last-mile logisticsElectric trucks in transport and warehousingCourier depots and distribution centresCharging integrated with energy storage and solar PV

How it works

Vehicles return to the depot and plug into AC chargers (up to about 22 kW three-phase) or DC chargers (from about 50 kW to 350+ kW, and for trucks the Megawatt Charging System for even higher power). A central charge management system (CMS/EMS) knows each vehicle’s departure schedule and required state of charge, then uses dynamic load balancing to distribute the available power over time and across charge points so total draw stays within the connection limit (or a non-firm connection cap). In the background, peak shaving from buffer battery storage (BESS) and self-consumption from on-site solar PV may be applied. In the V2G variant, communication between grid, charger and vehicle (e.g. SAE / ISO 15118 standards) enables bidirectional energy flow and returning power to the grid at peak.

Problem solved

Charging many electric vehicles simultaneously at one depot creates a power peak that can exceed the grid connection capacity and drive high peak-demand charges. Reinforcing the connection is often expensive and slow. EV fleet charging addresses how to power a whole fleet in a coordinated way within grid and energy-budget constraints.

Components

Depot AC/DC chargersPhysical charge points for fleet vehicles

AC chargers (up to ~22 kW) for slower overnight charging and DC chargers (50–350+ kW, Megawatt Charging System for trucks) for fast top-ups during the day.

Charge management system (smart charging / EMS)Depot brain: scheduling and power control

Software aware of departure schedules and required state of charge; decides charging order and power (managed charging, V1G).

Dynamic load management (load balancing)Keeping total draw within the connection limit

Distributes available power across charge points in real time to avoid exceeding the connection capacity and to cut peak-demand charges.

Buffer battery energy storage (BESS)Power buffer and peak shaving

A battery store charged off-peak and discharged during intensive fleet charging, limiting peak draw from the grid.

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G)Returning energy from vehicle batteries to grid/building

Bidirectional energy flow letting fleet batteries act as distributed storage; requires grid–charger–vehicle communication (e.g. ISO 15118).

Depot grid connectionPoint of coupling with the grid and its power cap

A connection with limited capacity; often a non-firm connection contract, lowering cost and connection lead time.

Execution paradigm

Primary mode
Conditional

Charging is conditionally controlled: power and timing depend on the fleet schedule, connection limit and energy price.