Alameda County Gets Smart About Growing Its EV Fleet
Municipal Fleet
Industry
126
Charging spots supporting nearly 100 fleet EVs
196,011 kg
Greenhouse gas emissions avoided
Electric vehicles (EVs) significantly lower fuel and operations costs for fleets, but charging many EVs simultaneously can create spikes in demand for power and incur expensive “demand charges” from a utility. Over the course of five years, Alameda County has grown its fleet from a small group of charging stations and EVs to a sophisticated EV charging system capable of fueling dozens of fleet and public EVs at more than 100 ports, all without making major upgrades to its electrical infrastructure.
Networked Charging Simplifies Tracking, Enables Growth
Alameda County, a national leader in sustainability, has been buying hybrids and EVs for its municipal fleet for several years. The county’s Board of Supervisors has an aggressive climate action plan, and EVs are responsible for meeting 10% of the county’s scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. From the beginning, Alameda County saw that a networked charging solution would be required to measure progress toward these climate goals and enable county staff to manage dozens of charging spots with ease, from a single location. Additionally, the county wanted to install a future-proof solution that would evolve with the fleet’s increasingly complex needs. After initially selecting ChargePoint networked EV charging solutions through a competitive bid process, Alameda County’s requirements evolved over time and were achievable through the ChargePoint Network.
ChargePoint Solution Grows to Accommodate More Vehicles Over Time
After a successful initial installation, ChargePoint networked EV charging solutions have added new features over time to meet Alameda County’s changing needs. Power Management features such as circuit sharing and load shedding have allowed the county to increase its charging capacity without additional electrical upgrades. These features currently have the potential to save the county more than $10,000 per year (and the savings increase with every additional EV added to the fleet), can be modified at any point in time and set by time of day or location. Finally, the county’s DC fast charging station is given “priority” and diverts power from non-urgent fleet charging, enabling vehicles to receive a quick charge (in 15-30 minutes), while also reducing costly demand charges. Once the fast charging is complete, power is restored for non-urgent charging.
Results and What's Next
ChargePoint networked EV charging solutions have enabled Alameda County to grow its EV fleet from 0 to 80 vehicles in 4 years and promote EV driving among county employees and residents. Future plans include continuing to expand the EV fleet while experimenting with new ways to charge more EVs without spiking demand for power.
"Having internet-connected charging stations has been instrumental for us to track energy consumption and utilization for grant compliance and internal fleet metrics. "
Phillip Kobernick
Logistics Services Manager
Alameda County
ChargePoint Delivered
- Future-proof, networked solution shows charging status and energy use at a glance
- A variety of station types manage charging demand across fleet, employee and visitor
- Users can choose when they will depart to receive a full charge by that time
- Power Management increases charging capacity without infrastructure upgrades
- Networked solution adds new features and controls costs as the EV fleet grows
- Real-time data informs parameters to ensure that electrical demand doesn’t exceed capacity
- 1500+ Charging sessions per month
- 3X number of charging spots without adding additional capacity
- 35-54% Savings compared to gas vehicles
At ChargePoint, we believe stories have the power to change the world.
Our customers share their stories because they’re passionate about the often-unforeseen ways the electrification of transportation has impacted their organizations. Like many companies around the globe, they’ve discovered that what’s good for the planet can also be good for business.
E-mobility is here to stay. Perhaps it’s time to tell your own story. Reach out to us at sales@chargepoint.com and let us know. We’d love to hear it.
