Solving the Complexity of Multimodal EV Delivery Fleet Implementation
A multimodal delivery fleet makes a lot of sense… in theory.
It allows operators to deploy the most appropriate vehicle (e.g., truck, van, tricycle) to meet the conditions and requirements of each run and route. For example, why use a 30-ton truck to move a few small packages through a crowded urban area?
A small electric 3-wheeler uses less energy and navigates the traffic much more effectively — making it a much more efficient solution for last-mile deliveries. In fact, UPS is experimenting with delivery tricycles in Seattle where traffic congestion has become a top concern.
Source: Wired
A well-managed multimodal EV delivery fleet allows companies to improve operational cost-efficiency, reduce resource usage, shrink their environmental footprint, and contribute to solving traffic and pollution issues, especially in urban areas.
However, electrifying a multimodal EV fleet isn’t as simple as it seems. Let’s explore the challenges and fine prints and how to overcome them with a flexible, modular battery system.
Common challenges of implementing and maintaining a multimodal EV delivery fleet
A multimodal EV fleet poses various challenges (e.g., organizational, financial, technical, regulatory compliance, etc.) Moreover, launching a fleet is just the first step — we must also overcome the cost, logistical, technological, and regulatory hurdles involved in the ongoing maintenance and operation.
High cost of new vehicles
The high upfront costs of purchasing new EVs mean only the world’s largest enterprises can afford to launch an EV fleet. Moreover, disposing of existing vehicles is expensive and wasteful. So, what about retrofitting existing vehicles?
Current battery technologies require product builders to adapt their equipment to the battery’s form factor (unless you have the resources to develop a custom battery for each application.) Retrofitting sounds good on paper, but it isn’t practical with existing battery technologies due to their monolithic and inflexible nature.
Complex inventory management
Vehicles of different sizes require different voltage outputs. For example, a tuk-tuk typically runs a smaller single-digit kilowatt-hour battery in the 48V range, while a van needs a much bigger one — tens of kilowatt-hours and supplies around 350V.
Operators must stock battery packs of multiple sizes and output voltages — one for each vehicle type in the fleet — increasing the cost and complexity of managing an inventory of numerous battery packs.
Hidden environmental costs
Today’s battery technology has various environmental downsides. For example, the monolithic nature means you have to throw out the entire battery pack, even if just one cell has issues. Also, EV batteries are grossly over-dimensioned, so most vehicles waste a lot of power dragging unnecessary weight around.
Additionally, most battery management systems don’t provide granular data on the cells’ state of health (SoH). Most operators perform just-in-case maintenance, swapping out cells with a lot of capacity to avoid unplanned downtime — an expensive and wasteful practice.
Extended downtime required for charging
Current EV technologies require operators to take vehicles off the street for hours to charge the batteries. They'd need to invest in a much larger fleet to support round-the-clock operations. The extended downtime significantly impacts the ROI equation, while the rigid charging schedule lowers an operation's agility and adaptiveness.
Regulatory compliance
Requirements for EVs are fast-evolving. What works today may not be compliant in the near future. For example, laws may restrain maximum output voltage for small EVs in crowded urban areas or require battery chemistries with fewer environmental impacts.
Today’s monolithic, custom-designed battery packs don’t have the agility to adapt to these changes. Product builders and operators must replace the entire battery system on every vehicle to meet shifting requirements, resulting in high costs and extensive downtime.
Software-defined batteries enable cost-effective implementation of multimodal EV delivery fleets
Software-defined batteries (SDBs) supported by the Tanktwo Battery Operating System (TBOS) allow fleet operators to run EVs of any size and form factor (from tuk-tuks to trucks) with one standardized battery system. It vastly reduces the complexity of managing a heterogeneous fleet, enables micro-mobility, simplifies logistics, and lowers the total cost of ownership.
Here’s how the flexible and modular design streamlines operations and inventory management while the real-time data analytics helps optimize operation and maintenance:
1. Fit Any Form Factor: Ideal For Retrofit
Operators can stack our modular battery packs in any configuration to fit any existing vehicle instead of returning to the drawing board and designing the equipment around a battery’s form factor — making our technology the perfect answer to retrofitting existing fleets at a low cost and with minimum downtime.
2. Forward, Backward, and Sideway Compatibility
Vehicles can be designed to meet an organization’s operational requirements without worrying about accommodating the battery pack’s functionality or form factor. Our solution’s software-defined nature means operators can quickly adapt to changes by reconfiguring battery behaviors on a dashboard without physically accessing the vehicles.
3. Any Voltage Output: One Platform For All EVs
The Tanktwo Battery Operating System (TBOS) can charge from and output at any voltage without any conversion process that causes power loss. We’re the only solution offering this capability, allowing operators to run EVs with virtually any output requirement from a single technology platform for utmost simplicity and efficiency.
4. Real-Time Data Insights: Optimization For Every Trip
Our system can collect and analyze granular data in real-time to support resource optimization. For example, each vehicle can carry just the right number of cells for the planned route based on traffic conditions. Unlike traditional EVs with over-dimensioned batteries, these vehicles won’t waste energy dragging around an oversized pack.
5. Predictive Maintenance: Maximum Safety at Zero Extra Cost
Real-time analytics detects cells close to failing or at risk of a thermal runaway event. Operators can schedule just-in-time maintenance to prevent unplanned downtime without the high cost and wastage of a just-in-case approach. Meanwhile, the system can automatically bypass or disable faulty cells to minimize risks without impacting the battery pack’s performance.
6. Swap Cells or Packs in Minutes: Round-the-Clock Operations
The modular design allows operators to swap out old packs with new ones in minutes without taking vehicles off the street for hours to charge (although that’s an option.) The ability to swap individual cells and packs is unique to TBOS because our solution can mix and match cells of any chemistry, age, and state of health (which isn’t possible with any other existing technology) to simplify maintenance and logistics.
7. Chemistry Agnostic Technology: Future Proofing Operations
Since our platform is chemistry-agnostic, operators are less susceptible to supply chain disruptions. They can also adapt to shifting regulations (e.g., requiring battery chemistries with lower environmental impact) without upgrading or changing the existing system.
Accelerating the electrification of logistics and supply chain: Modularity, flexibility, and simplicity
Organizations struggle with implementing multimodal EV fleets because of constraints posed by current battery technologies.
TBOS will change the conversation — instead of spending months and millions building battery packs, companies can focus on retrofitting or developing mobility solutions without being hindered by battery form factors or shifting business and regulatory requirements.
Additionally, SDBs will simplify maintenance and inventory management — driving down the total cost of ownership to make electrification a compelling business case for more logistics providers.
