FEVER Joint Stakeholder Workshop – Fleet and Commercial Users
The “FEVER Joint Stakeholder Workshop - Fleet and Commercial Users” took place on the 15th of May 2024 in Rugby, and was part of Future Electric Vehicle Energy networks supporting Renewables ‘FEVER’ project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the University of Southampton’s KE fund.
The event was supported by the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT) UK and forms part of the project's research activities on "Smart Grids and Commercial Vehicle Fleet Applications" led by Dr Erica Ballantyne.
The workshop served as a platform to introduce stakeholders involved in road freight transport and logistics to the core mission of the FEVER project, which is to develop innovative solutions to create EV charging stations that deliver zero-emission renewable energy in a scalable solution, independent of electricity grid connection, grid costs and constraints.
Dr Erica Ballantyne led the workshop and delivered a presentation providing an overview of EV charging, and considered the potential problems with the current charging infrastructure for commercial fleet transport operators. Professor Andy Cruden contextualised the challenges around clean and low-cost EV charging stations and introduced the FEVER project to participants. Both presentations served as a basis for the first activity, where participants had the opportunity to discuss and share insights in the vicinity of proposed FEVER charging stations.
Additionally, the event had the privilege to include two industry professionals to deliver presentations on electric charging infrastructure and sustainable logistics: Dr Iain Mosely (Director of Power Electronics at Nyobolt) and Dr Nick Head (Head of Sustainability at XPO).
Dr Iain Mosely's presentation focused on the challenges and opportunities for high-power fleet charging. He introduced the Nyobolt cell technology that allows for the EV battery to be charged in 6 minutes (with a C-rate of 10C). Dr Iain Mosely pointed out that battery technology is no longer the bottleneck in charging power. However, when it comes to short charging time, everything between the energy source and the battery needs to be sized to handle the significantly higher power levels.
Dr Nick Head introduced the sustainability roadmap at XPO, with the target to achieve net zero emissions in 2050 and discussed key challenges on EV charging from the commercial fleet perspective. Nick highlighted issues regarding feasibility and practicality associated with the electrification of HGVs too.
The workshop ended with a World Cafe activity which collected stakeholders’ views on certain topics relevant to the FEVER project. Maria Nunez Munoz, Professor Richard Wills, Dr Chris Jones, and George Hind hosted the tables and introduced the topics around electric fleet operations, integration of hydrogen into an off-grid charging solution, social acceptance and economic views, and EV charger power, respectively.
The event brought academic researchers from various disciplines (logistics and engineering) within the FEVER team together with freight stakeholders from the logistics and transport industry. It created an environment conducive to constructive conversations and knowledge exchange. This interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial to the FEVER project, as it bridges the gap between research and practical application, fostering innovation and progress.