Fleet managers buy charging against a vehicle replacement programme, not from a catalogue. The sale is won by the seller who starts from the fleet’s own vehicle census and return-to-base duty, matches hardware class to dwell time, and stages supply and service with the vehicle deliveries. Unit price is one line in a file that also holds downtime, driver routine and who answers when a charger fails at 6 a.m.
Key Takeaways
- Start from the buyer’s parc census and duty pattern; quote after reading them, not before.
- Match hardware class to dwell: overnight AC for vans, access control for pool cars, honest compact DC for top-up duty.
- Stage supply with the vehicle programme and put service duties in writing before phase one.
- EVDANCE covers light-duty fleet charging and states its boundary: no bus or heavy-duty product.
Start From the Parc Census, Not the Catalogue
The first document in a fleet sale is the buyer’s: the parc census — vehicles by class, the inlet each carries (J1772, NACS or Type 2), the order in which they are replaced, and the duty pattern: which vehicles return to base nightly, which go home with drivers, and how long each sits before its next shift. A seller who quotes before reading it is pricing a fleet they have not seen; a seller who reads it can say, class by class, what the charging has to do — and which classes sit outside their range.
One distinction matters early: public and larger fleets often buy through formal tenders, where the tender documents rule. This article covers the direct sale. The evidence discipline is the same.
Match the Hardware Class to the Dwell
| Duty pattern, from the census | Charging answer | Evidence the seller shows |
|---|---|---|
| Vans and light commercial vehicles back overnight | Depot AC: U.S. DOT figures put Level 2 at 7–19 kW, which across an overnight dwell covers most light-duty rounds | The sizing method, worked per class — as in our guide to fleet depot charging for vans and light commercial vehicles |
| Pool and service vehicles, shared drivers | Access control and session records, so any driver can take any vehicle | The model’s stated access method — RFID or app, as listed |
| Take-home vehicles on mixed inlets | Standardised portables for the home end, plus adapters where inlets differ | Per-model stated facts: connector, current steps, cable — from the listing, in writing |
| Short-turnaround light duty | Compact DC for top-up duty, placed honestly in its own class | The unit’s stated output against the DOT bands, without borrowing the 50–350 kW DC fast class |
Phasing, Service and the Second Order
Vehicles arrive in phases, and charging that lands all at once strands capital in empty bays. Sell the rollout as the replacement programme runs: a pilot phase, records from it, then the rest sized by evidence. The employer’s wider policy — who may charge, how home charging is treated — is covered in our workplace charging program guide; the seller’s part is narrower, and mostly about service. Downtime is priced in missed work, so service terms matter more than the brochure: spares held against the installed base, first-response duty and the claim route, each agreed in writing before phase one. Fleet managers reorder from the seller whose first phase caused no surprises.
The EVDANCE Range for Light-Duty Fleets
For depot AC, the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station serves two bays from one floor-standing unit — two Type 2 connectors sharing up to 43 kW (22 kW per connector), OCPP 1.6J, RFID, IP54 — and the EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW three-phase wallbox covers single bays with RFID and app access. Take-home drivers standardise on portables such as the EV-ACS4005T (9.6 kW NACS portable, 16/24/32/40 A adjustable, IP66). The EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger, at 22 kW, suits light-duty top-up duty. The honest boundary: EVDANCE offers no bus, pantograph or heavy-duty product and no high-power DC — where the census shows those classes, say so and leave them to another supplier. EVDANCE was founded in 2011, exports to 30+ countries and carries a 3-year standard warranty. Fleet supply runs through the distributor program or contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do fleet managers buy through tenders or directly?
Both. Public fleets and large programmes often must tender, and the tender documents then set the rules. Private fleets commonly buy directly. Establish the route before preparing a bid file or a direct proposal.
Can one charger model serve the whole fleet?
Only if the census says the parc shares an inlet and a duty pattern. Mixed inlets and mixed dwell usually mean two or three hardware answers — depot AC, take-home portables, adapters where inlets differ — each matched to its class.
What about drivers who charge at home?
Standardising the home unit is the seller’s part: one portable model, its stated facts on file. Reimbursement and eligibility are the fleet’s own policy decisions, not charger features.
Related Reading
- Fleet Depot Charging: How to Size AC Chargers for Vans and Light Commercial Vehicles
- How to Plan a Workplace EV Charging Program
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
- What Is the Best Commercial EV Charging Station? How to Choose
