Fleet Electrification
Charging strategy, EV scheduling, depot electrification, energy modelling, transition planning.
The Problem
What fails without this service.
The global transition to electric bus fleets has reached Africa, bringing with it a set of assumptions about charging infrastructure, depot configuration, and scheduling logic that were developed in European and North American contexts. These assumptions do not hold in most African urban markets.
Scheduling models designed around predictable overnight dwell times break down in systems where depots handle split shifts, high vehicle utilisation, and uncertain grid supply. Charging infrastructure specifications designed for stable, high-capacity grids produce stranded assets in markets where load shedding can remove four to six hours of charging capacity per day. EV procurement decisions made without understanding route energy demand result in vehicles that cannot complete their assigned work.
Fleet electrification in Africa is primarily a scheduling and operational problem. The technology works — when it is configured for the operational context it is entering.
Fleet electrification is not an infrastructure problem. Infrastructure consultants and vehicle manufacturers can solve the infrastructure problem. What they cannot solve — and where most African EV transitions fail — is the operational problem: how do you schedule electric vehicles, manage charging windows, and maintain service reliability in an environment that was not designed for EVs?
We approach electrification from the schedule outwards. Before specifying a single charger or selecting a vehicle, we model the energy demand of every route in the network. That model tells us which routes are suitable for the available vehicle range, which charging strategy (overnight, opportunity, or en-route) is operationally viable, and what the charger configuration at each depot needs to look like to support the schedule.
Grid resilience is non-negotiable in most African markets. We model load shedding scenarios explicitly and design charging systems that maintain service reliability across the most common outage patterns in the specific operating environment.
Scope of Work
What this engagement covers.
Route-level energy demand modelling — energy per kilometre by route profile
Charging strategy development — opportunity vs. overnight charging, charging windows, redundancy
EV scheduling — charge-aware vehicle scheduling integrated with timetable constraints
Depot electrification planning — grid connection, charger configuration, load management
Grid resilience assessment — load shedding impact modelling, backup capacity specification
Fleet transition planning — phasing, mixed-fleet scheduling during transition
Operational procedure development — driver handling, charging management, defect protocols
Vehicle specification support — range, battery capacity, charging compatibility requirements
Total cost of operation modelling — EV vs. diesel over operating life
Typical Outputs
What you receive at the end.
Route energy demand model
Charging strategy report
Charge-aware vehicle schedule
Depot electrification specification
Grid resilience and backup capacity plan
Fleet transition phasing plan
Mixed-fleet scheduling framework
EV operational procedures
Total cost of operation comparison model
Tools & Platforms
Downloadable Resources
Take it with you.
Project Examples
Where we have delivered this.
Engagements where fleet electrification was central to the work.
Ready to improve your fleet electrification?
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