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WORKPLACE CHARGING
Actemium offers a full range of EV charging services, from initial planning including design to product selection, back office, electrical installation, and civil construction and commissioning. It works together with VINCI Facilities to provide maintenance and support.
Actemium’s primary aim is to establish the level of power at the site, and this typically involves a site survey alongside the FM or energy manager. “Once we have determined the amount of power available on site,” says Benbow, “the first question is: what are we trying to achieve? The answer will differ from business to business. A vehicle in the workplace will have different requirements to a fleet of vans, for example.”
The answer to the question helps to set the parameters for the design of the charging array, establishing the baseline performance to meet the objective. “In some circumstances, it’s entirely realistic to increase the electrical connection, should the existing supply be too small. However, this may prove to be impossible, uneconomical or completely unnecessary. We have a range of tools at our disposal to assess and deliver load-managed charging solutions which can provide the required level of charging performance within the existing electrical supply capacity, avoiding potentially costly electrical upgrades.”
He adds: “There is no point trying to charge a car very quickly if it doesn’t need to be used for a while – for instance, if it’s going to be parked there for four or eight hours while you’re at work. People assume being futureproof requires fast chargers, but in my opinion we will inevitably have many electric vehicles on the road, so the most futureproof solution is one that can charge the greatest number of vehicles simultaneously. This approach can reduce the inconvenience to the driver and the business, as well as the wasted time of staff members managing their charging.”
In addition to designing a charging array in line with the current business requirements, Actemium considers future expansion. “The expansion could be more chargers, or even better, increasing utilisation of the existing asset through software which can alter driver behaviour to encourage more considerate usage of the charging station.”
In terms of cost, Benbow says that as a rough guide, in a typical workplace he will consider three to five per cent of parking spaces for EV charging, with average capital expenditure of £10,000 to £20,000. There are financial incentives for businesses interested in installing EV chargers(7).
The other frequently asked question is how to pay for the power used, given that the end users might range from a director with his own car whose company picks up the tab, a staff member who pays, and a pool car which is invoiced directly.
“We don’t want FMs to have to run around figuring all this out,” says Benbow, “so we make the system as self-administering as possible, with mechanisms for charging users via smart, intelligent charging stations. These include a physical interface connected to a software suite that can identify drivers and charge the right people.”
