Electric last-mile fleets: routes, charging and operations

Where electric last-mile operations get difficult

Average distance is misleading: P90, stops, payload, traffic and return time matter.
Vehicle range alone does not guarantee tomorrow’s route margin.
The depot can limit more than the battery: power, chargers and overnight window.
Cold weather, high payload or one failed charger can change the decision.

BaseFit

Decide which routes to electrify, with which vehicle and under what conditions.

Route Energy

Calculate route energy demand from km, stops, payload, weather and speed.

Depot Fit

Check whether the depot can charge what the operation needs overnight.

Stress tests

Test winter, higher payload, late returns or one charger out of service.

Fleet Control

Run the plan daily: SOC, charging, availability and incidents.

A realistic simulation of an urban and peri-urban operation aiming to electrify without risking daily availability.

12 route families

Dense urban, pharmacy, HORECA, parcels, mixed routes and refrigerated delivery.

6 vehicle candidates

Small, mid-size and large vans, plus a refrigerated option.

Constrained depot

A reasonably equipped depot: 95 kW contracted power, 4 AC chargers and a limited overnight window.

✅ 10 out of 12 routes had a feasible electric fit

There was real potential, but not for a full switch at once.

⚠️ Recommended first phase: 6 electric vehicles

Even with a decent charging setup, the depot should not absorb every compatible route at once.

📉 Under stress, some routes moved from green to yellow or red

Average-day feasibility is not enough for electric operations.

🔌 Available energy: 453.6 kWh vs 594.9 kWh required

The bottleneck was not only the vehicle. It was also the depot.