Before the first vehicles are connected to the charging points, the right charging management system is crucial to the success of the entire electric fleet. If this is neglected, expensive breakdowns can occur and vehicles may remain uncharged at crucial moments.

An underestimated risk in fleet charging

Many companies assume: all vehicles must be able to charge simultaneously at full power.

It sounds logical – but in practice, it’s a costly misconception.

This all-charging-at-once myth often results in overloaded grids, system failures, and idle vehicles. Without smart charging management, logistics operations risk delivery delays and avoidable expenses.

What’s behind the myth?

With diesel fleets, multiple vehicles can refuel at once – no problem.

But electricity works differently: if every charging point is active in parallel, load peaks occur that overwhelm the infrastructure.

Typical consequences include:

• Blown fuses in the main distribution panel – typically overnight.
• Missed deliveries – because vehicles are not charged in time.
• Higher electricity costs – since charging happens during peak load periods.

Why does this happen so often?

The main reason: a lack of knowledge about load and charging management.

Frequent causes:

• The “all at once” assumption – a habit carried over from diesel fleets.
• No understanding of the difference between static load management and dynamic load management.
• Short-sighted cost focus – avoiding investment in smart charging software, even though it prevents costly grid upgrades and downtime in the long run.

How to keep your fleet operational

The good news: with the right charging strategy, load peaks can be prevented, and fleet operations kept running smoothly.

How dynamic load management distributes charging intelligently, how fleets can prioritise vehicles, and which best practices are already applied in logistics – you’ll learn in our free email course “Your roadmap to successful fleet electrification.”

More From the Series “The 5 Biggest Mistakes in Fleet Electrification”

• Grid capacity trap – the most expensive mistake in fleet electrification
• Overdimensioning cost trap – when too much infrastructure makes costs explode
• 1:1 replacement myth – why diesel vehicles cannot simply be swapped one-to-one
• Data silo blockade – how missing data integration slows down your EV fleet