“Standards are Key to Building Scalable and Future Ready Charging Ecosystems”: Interview with Umar Sharif of Volvo Trucks

Choosing the right chargers can determine just how successful a charging network is. In this installment of The Buyer’s Journey, we talk to Umar Sharif of Volvo Trucks about his perspective on building out the right infrastructure for heavy duty fleets. Working as Electromobility Support Manager for Volvo Trucks, Sharif spoke to eDRV about what the main considerations are when choosing the right charging hardware, the importance of interoperability testing and the journey ahead for electric Heavy Duty Vehicles.   

1) What are the most crucial considerations when choosing the right charging hardware?

When choosing the right hardware for our trucks, we ensure we involve approved suppliers who can carry out feasibility studies in the first instance to establish the headroom for capacity on customer sites and/or the power required for operations. The next step would be ensuring the hardware is chosen from an internal list of charging equipment which has undergone interoperability testing and support open protocols (e.g., OCPP) etc with our vehicles. 

The chargers required for trucks often have differing requirements compared to passenger vehicles as we generally require peak power to be sustained for longer periods of time to minimise dwell time. We encourage customers to consider scalability for future growth plans when it comes to electrification and thus opt for hardware which can support this such as satellite systems. 

2) What are the biggest setbacks you're finding when setting up chargers for fleets?

Today, the biggest and most common setback we see in the market is with the DNO (Distribution Network Operator). There often are lengthy lead times and high prices to pay when upgrading site grid connections. Even if all the pieces are in place for an EV order to go ahead, the lack of site infrastructure and wait times can stall the project for considerable amounts of time. In the UK, energy prices are higher than most of the developed world and thus the public charging prices are also higher. Customers want their own infrastructure for resilience and to begin their journey today whilst public infrastructure catches up. 

Other notable setbacks include site constraints such as limited physical space, insurance issues, short leases with landlords reluctant to invest as well as the lack of standardisation of truck charging (is the charge port on the left, right, front etc). 

3) Where can charging hardware OEMs improve on their current offering?

At the moment, charging OEMs are in the learning stage when it comes to Electric Heavy Goods Vehicle (eHGV) charging. Even if the hardware has been pre-tested, we find intermittent faults occur and getting to the bottom of said faults can be tedious and difficult. Many chargers lack easy methods of troubleshooting for depot staff and thus require engineers to visit sites which causes downtime and loss of earnings for vehicles. SLAs also need to be tight and adhered to when it comes to down time. 

Dynamic load balancing also is crucial when working with a fleet of vehicles to allow for ease of integration into current customer operations. 

4) How crucial a role does software play in setting up charging reliability?

Software is absolutely crucial to reliability and transparency. Customers require easy access to real time monitoring of charge behaviour and the ability to detect anomalies remotely. Software is also crucial in enabling remote diagnoses and troubleshooting to avoid costly call outs and minimise down time. Software also enables smart scheduling which links back to the dynamic load management which allows customers to flex their charging speeds and windows on a vehicle by vehicle basis. Software also means OTA updates and resets are possible.

5) Do charging standards play a key role in your work (eg OCPP, ISO 15118)?

Yes, charging standards like OCPP are central to ensure flexibility, interoperability and long term value. Other standards like ISO 15118 are becoming increasingly relevant to allow plug and charge features to remove complexity for drivers of eHGVs and streamline the user experience during this transition. 

However, there is a way to go with standardisation. In the near future, MCS will be available on most trucks from all OEMs. MCS is on the left side of the vehicle as standard and CCS does not have such a standard. This means sites will have to cater for charging on both sides of the vehicle for a long time which can double the required charging guns on a site. It would be great if CCS also made it mandatory for there to be chargers on the left so eventually the need for charging to suit right hand sockets disappears.

In short, standards are key to building scalable and future ready charging ecosystems but more work is needed.

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