Charging big fleets of electric vehicles has become more energy efficient and less costly thanks to a project we conducted with three research partners. Our engineers worked with experts from FedEx, General Electric, and Columbia University’s School of Engineering to show how smart-grid technology linked to charging stations can track and manage the power flow to electric vehicles. Large energy users pay “demand charges”—fees based on the largest amount of power a customer uses at any one time during the month. Our experts devised a system to control a fleet’s energy usage, which lowers the company’s peak usage and reduces demand charges. That means considerable savings for a company with a large fleet—savings that can be passed on to the customers. We estimate there are nearly 4,700 electric vehicles in New York City and Westchester County. We are committed to maintaining the industry-leading reliability of electric vehicles while providing electric vehicle drivers with the power they need.
