Smart Charging Still Has Some Growing Up to Do

Tests conducted by Dutch charging research organisation ElaadNL and government agency Rijkswaterstaat examined 36 combinations of electric trucks and charging equipment, revealing problems when charging power was automatically adjusted.

While all combinations successfully initiated conventional charging, six experienced difficulties when power levels were varied to simulate the demands of a depot energy management system. Four failed to resume charging following an interruption, while two stopped unexpectedly.

The findings raise questions about the reliability of smart charging systems, particularly where operators depend on overnight charging to ensure vehicles are ready for the following day's work.

Further testing revealed that two of four chargers could not initiate a delayed charging session when the initial power allocation was set to zero.

For fleet operators, intelligent energy management is becoming increasingly important. Controlling charging times and avoiding expensive peak electricity periods could make a substantial difference to the economics of electric HGV operation.

However, those savings quickly become irrelevant if a vehicle fails to charge overnight.

The research does not suggest that such failures are widespread in everyday operations. Nevertheless, it highlights the importance of testing complete vehicle and charger combinations before committing to large-scale deployment.

Electric trucks may be advancing rapidly, but dependable charging software will be equally important to their commercial success.