Electric vehicles aren’t new, but are continuing to gain acceptance and be implemented into more and more applications. Fleet managers, maintenance technicians, and drivers will all need to be well versed in the daily operations surrounding electric vehicles, maintenance, and the infrastructure needed to make these fleets successful.
ACT Expo has three breakout sessions at their conference this year that will help all involved in the management, repair, and operation of electric fleets to be sucessful.
More about these and other educational opportunities can be found at https://www.actexpo.com/agenda#filter=.key-theme-commercial-evs.
Battery Technology Workshop, Monday, April 30, 2018, 9:00am
With the ever-increasing proliferation of electric vehicles, increases in battery production, capacity, and performance has surged. This rapid shift has led to a plethora of questions about source materials, recycling, and second-life capabilities. This workshop will provide an overview of some of the basic battery chemistries being used by OEMs today. In addition to performance, weight, and affordability, learn more about important beginning and end-of-life issues. Other key topics will include expected advancements in battery technologies, national and global market trends. It will also explore the feasibility and effectiveness of second life applications and the regulatory frameworks that could be applied to ensure best use.
Costs and Considerations for Developing MD & HD Charging Infrastructure, Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 10:45am
The electrification of the medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle sector – in both on and off-road applications – has drawn wide appeal from policy makers, fleet executives, electric utilities, and the communities that host these operations. Accordingly, the latest product offerings, fleet commitment, or vehicle deliveries have dominated the press headlines in the last year. However, a less covered topic has been the infrastructure that is required to “fuel” these electrified vehicles, especially in applications that go beyond a pilot demonstration of a couple of vehicles. There is a lack of comprehensive information in the market about: how much a large-scale charging station will really cost a fleet to install; what are the challenges, issues and processes required to secure such power from the local utility; available rebates from the utility or other public agencies; anticipated demand charges and electrical rates at different times of the day; and an array of similar issues. Facing the challenges of upgrading or installing new charging infrastructure can open the door to long-term cost savings if done right. Come and hear from fleet managers, EVSEPs, leading electric utilities, and other industry experts on how to approach the dynamic decision making and navigate the best charging infrastructure technologies for an electrified fleet of vehicles in both the on and off-road sectors.
Key Considerations for Commercial EV Deployment and Market Development, Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 2:15pm
The deployment of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles in North America is expected to see significant growth in the next several years. To ensure the successful development of this market, fleet operators need to understand a lot more than simply the range, weight and purchase costs of the vehicle. Training for maintenance technicians, drivers, management, and even sales personnel will be critical. New nomenclature, measurement units and how to effectively calculate the total cost of ownership must be understood. And standardization of charging infrastructure to accommodate a range of OEM products in a typical fleet is a must. This panel of experts will provide this "must have" information for those fleets looking to move to electric drive technology in the near term.
