The seven mistakes
Most early-stage problems come from treating vehicles, charging, site power and operations as separate purchases rather than one operating system.
- Selecting chargers before analysing duty cycles.
- Adding nameplate power instead of scheduling demand.
- Ignoring the site's existing load profile.
- Designing only for the first vehicle order.
- Treating grid augmentation as the only option.
- Using unverified tariff and utilisation assumptions.
- Approving construction before responsibilities and acceptance tests are defined.
A better sequence
Begin with measured operations, create an energy and charging model, assess the site, compare scenarios, then define staged infrastructure and procurement requirements. Recheck the model whenever vehicle specifications or routes change.