Charge Ready Transport Program

While no two electrification projects will look the same, these three steps apply to any business planning to convert their fleet. Considering these steps holistically, before you apply, can help ensure that your fleet runs efficiently and saves your business money, both in up-front and long-term costs.

The very first step is determining which EVs are the best fit for your business. You’ll want to consider how much energy each vehicle will need to operate on an average day and how much time it will take for that vehicle to charge. You’ll also want to take into account what funding you can receive from manufacturers or available grants and rebates.

Our Electric Fleet Fuel Savings Calculator can help you estimate the electric fueling costs for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles. You can also compare your current fuel costs to your projected costs.

Estimate Fuel Savings

There is no standard electric vehicle fleet charging system for all vehicles, so choosing your charging system is just as important as your EVs. Your charging equipment will play a major role in determining your charging times, fleet availability, and energy costs. EV charging equipment is made up of three basic components.

Explore Infrastructure Options

Your Charging Interface

The Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (“EVSE”) charging interface is how you connect your EV to the electric grid and charge the battery.

The Charge Ready Transport Program supports plug-in and overhead charging for your fleet. Plug-in chargers are more common, but overhead charging provides faster charging in certain use cases.

Your Charger Power

Depending on your charging interface, your EV fleet will either charge using AC or DC charging power.

While Alternating Current (AC) charging requires an EV to convert electricity before it can charge the battery, Direct Current (DC) charging directly charges the battery, speeding up charging times significantly. AC charging is typically the most cost-effective option.

Your Charger Level

Most medium- and heavy-duty EVs can accept both lower-power AC charging and higher-power DC charging.

These levels correspond to the type of charger power you are using and the amount of time it takes to charge your vehicle. Keep in mind that the faster you want to charge, the higher the investment cost.

A key step in electrifying your fleet is finding funding to help offset vehicle, installation, and other infrastructure costs. Costs can vary greatly based on the type of EV you choose, the size of your fleet, and the size of your charging site. Taking advantage of rebates, grants, and other incentives can make a big difference.

SCE offers incentives and rebates to help you absorb your infrastructure costs and our team can help you identify ways to minimize your investment costs.

Search for Funding

As an EV fleet manager, your “fuel costs” will become electricity costs, and they’ll be reflected on your energy bill. Unlike filling up a tank with gasoline or diesel, when and how you charge a vehicle can make a big difference in how much you’ll pay each month.

SCE has special rates for EV customers that can help simplify planning for charging your EV fleet. These rates—called TOU-EV-7, TOU-EV-8, and TOU-EV-9—are designed specifically for electric vehicle fleet management and require a dedicated electric meter for EV chargers. These rates offer variable charging costs based on “Time-Of-Use” periods. To maximize savings, you will want to charge fleets as much as possible during “off-peak” hours during the morning, mid-day, and late at night, while avoiding “on-peak” times from 4 to 9 p.m. Your charging rate also varies based on season, with winter month rates costing less than summer months.

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Summer weekday rates have Off-peak pricing from 9 p.m. to 4 p.m. and On-Peak pricing from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Summer weekend and holiday rates have Off-Peak rates from 9 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Mid-Peak pricing from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Winter weekday, weekend, and holiday rates have Off-Peak pricing from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., Super Off-Peak pricing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Mid-Peak pricing from 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Understanding Demand Charges

You may have heard about demand charges, a component of your energy bill that charges you based on the maximum amount of power you used during the month. Depending on your rate and how you charge your electric vehicle fleet, these demand charges could make up a large portion of your bill.

We understand that you may have concerns about how demand charges will affect your bill. That’s why our EV rates for fleets have zero demand charges through 2025. Removing these charges helps simplify your bill as you transition to a new way of charging your fleet and gives you the opportunity to experiment with different charging strategies without having to worry about these extra costs.