Load management at the depot: reduce TCO and avoid grid connection costs
The electrification of your fleet places high demands on your depot’s power supply. Without intelligent control, costly demand peaks and expensive grid upgrades are a risk.
The topic briefly and concisely
Dynamic load management significantly reduces annual electricity costs by avoiding peak demand spikes.
It avoids costly grid expansion, which can save investment costs of €50,000 or more.
Intelligent charging planning secures vehicle availability and ensures the scalability of the charging infrastructure for future growth.
The transition to an electric fleet is essential for local authorities and companies in order to meet the quotas of the Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD). However, charging 10 or more electric commercial vehicles at the same time overnight quickly creates a power demand of over 200 kW, which often overwhelms existing grid connections. The result is high power charges and potential investments of more than EUR 50,000 in grid expansion. Intelligent load management in the depot controls charging processes so that the available power is used optimally. This not only reduces direct electricity costs, but also secures the scalability of your charging infrastructure for future fleet growth.
The challenge: high power peaks in the electric fleet
The electrification of a commercial vehicle fleet begins at your own depot. Charging 15 electric commercial vehicles requires a significant amount of energy of more than 1,650 kWh. If all vehicles are charged at the same time at 22 kW AC charging power, a demand peak of 330 kW is created. This peak load exceeds the capacity of many commercial grid connections by more than 100%. The consequence is high annual capacity charges, which can increase the electricity bill by thousands of euros. In addition, the grid operator may require an expensive upgrade to the connection, which delays the payback period of the fleet electrification. Many operators underestimate that the charging infrastructure can account for a significant share of the total investment. Avoiding these costs is a key lever for TCO optimisation. The solution does not lie in more expensive hardware, but in intelligent software control.
Static vs dynamic load management: a strategic decision
There are two basic approaches to controlling charging power. Static load management distributes a fixed, maximum charging capacity (e.g. 150 kW) evenly across all active charging points. If 10 vehicles are charging, each receives 15 kW. This approach is simple but inefficient, as it takes no account of the building's other electricity consumption. Dynamic load management, on the other hand, measures the site's total consumption in real time. If the building only uses 40 kW of a 200 kW grid connection at night, the system flexibly makes the remaining 160 kW available for charging processes. Dynamic load management can utilise the available charging capacity more than 50% better than the static method. For fleets with variable schedules and differing charging requirements, this is the superior strategy for fully exploiting the benefits of AC depot charging. This flexibility directly leads to lower operating costs and greater fleet availability.
Reducing TCO through intelligent depot charging
Intelligent load management is a decisive factor in reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an EV fleet. By deliberately shaving load peaks, annual grid usage charges can be reduced by 15–25%. Avoiding an expensive grid upgrade alone can save an investment of between 50,000 and 100,000 euros. In addition, software control enables charging processes to be prioritised. A vehicle for an early route the following morning can therefore be charged at full power, while vehicles with longer dwell times charge more slowly. The specific benefits include:
Avoidance of power peaks: Maximum connected load is never exceeded, which significantly reduces annual electricity costs.
Optimal use of the grid connection: Saves investment costs of over €50,000 for a grid upgrade that would otherwise be necessary.
Prioritised charging: Ensures that vehicles with urgent routes the next day are charged to 100%.
Integration of PV systems: Maximises self-consumption and can further reduce energy costs significantly.
These measures ensure economical operation and make overnight charging the most cost-efficient strategy. The financial benefits are therefore the direct result of intelligent planning of the charging infrastructure.
Implementing a Load Management System in 4 Steps
The introduction of a professional load management system typically follows a structured process. HEERO supports fleet operators together with partner companies in the analysis and planning to ensure a tailored and scalable solution. The process ensures that the charging infrastructure is precisely tailored to the operational requirements of today and tomorrow. Careful planning is the key to fully realising the TCO benefits. Implementation follows these four core steps:
Needs analysis: Recording the vehicle types (e.g. 20 HEERO minibuses), their downtime (typically 10 hours overnight) and the daily mileage of an average 280 km per vehicle.
Site check: Analysis of the available connection capacity (e.g. 250 kW) and the electrical distribution at the depot by HEERO & partner companies.
Hardware selection: Installation of communication-enabled AC wallboxes with 22 kW charging capacity and a central controller that consolidates the data from all charge points.
Software integration: Connection to a backend for dynamic control, monitoring and optional billing of charging sessions in real time.
Professional planning of the depot charging infrastructure is the foundation for a smooth transition. This turns load management into a tool that not only saves costs, but also helps ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Ensure future-proofing and CVD compliance
The Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD) requires public contracting authorities to meet fixed quotas for clean vehicles in procurement: in 2025, this already amounted to 45% for buses and 38.5% for light commercial vehicles. Scalable load management is the operational foundation for running a growing electric fleet without recurring, high infrastructure costs. It makes it possible to expand the number of charging points flexibly without pushing the grid connection to its limits. A dynamic load management system implemented today secures the operational capability of a fleet that could be twice the size in three years. Investing in intelligent control is therefore an investment in the long-term viability of the entire fleet. It ensures that the charging infrastructure for electric buses and light commercial vehicles keeps pace with legal requirements and company growth.
More useful links
NOW GmbH offers a guide to simple charging at the depot.
NOW GmbH provides an overview of studies on TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) and climate-friendly commercial vehicles.
The Öko-Institut publishes a report on the electrification of lorries and the associated charging infrastructure.
The ifeu offers a potential analysis for battery-electric commercial vehicles.
acatech presents a status report and recommendations for action on charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in Germany.
FAQ
What is the main advantage of dynamic over static load management?
The main advantage of dynamic load management lies in its efficiency. It takes into account the real-time electricity consumption of the entire site and uses only the residual power that is actually available for charging. This ensures optimal use of grid capacity, which significantly reduces costs, especially with variable load profiles, as is common in businesses.
What technical requirements are needed for load management at the depot?
You need smart charging stations that can communicate and are connected via a protocol such as OCPP. In addition, an intelligent electricity meter or an RLM meter is required at the grid connection point to measure total consumption. A central controller or software platform processes this data and manages the charging power of the individual charging points.
Can a load management system be retrofitted?
Yes, retrofitting is generally possible, provided the charging stations already installed are communication-capable. If non-smart wallboxes are in place, these typically need to be replaced. The Flying HEEROs will be happy to review your existing infrastructure and develop a concept for retrofitting intelligent load management.
How are vehicles prioritised in the charging schedule?
Prioritisation is handled via the management software. You can define rules based on departure time, the required state of charge (SoC) or the vehicle ID. A vehicle scheduled for an early route is automatically assigned a higher charging output by the system to ensure that it is 100% ready for use on time.
Does load management already save costs even with just a few electric vehicles?
Yes, even with a small fleet of 3–5 vehicles, load management can already be worthwhile. It prevents overloading the existing grid connection and provides the technical foundation for the smooth expansion of your fleet in the future, without the need for costly modifications to the electrical installation later on.
How does HEERO support you in planning depot charging?
HEERO offers comprehensive advice for depot charging. Our experts analyse your fleet, operational processes and the conditions at your site. Based on this, we create a tailored concept for future-proof and TCO-optimised charging infrastructure, including planning the appropriate load management system.
