Substation

A facility of the grid operator that transforms electricity between voltage levels; its spare capacity decides how quickly a large new connection, such as a depot, can be supplied.

Explained in

Fleet charging · Stop 03How is a depot planned?Routes, energy per night, the time window and the grid connection: how a depot's charging is sized, and how much spreading the load over the night saves.

For those depots, the IEA notes that poorly optimised charging can significantly increase peak power demand, raising costs and lengthening grid connection timelines; in some cases, shifting part of the load can cut maximum depot demand by up to 60%. It calls grid connection delays a major bottleneck, especially for large depots: in urban areas, limited substation capacity, long permitting and network reinforcements can delay charging depots by several years. How a controller divides limited power between vehicles is explained in Load management, stop 04.

From “The grid connection sets the pace”, stop 03

Also in

  1. Truck charging · Stop 03How does depot charging work?Slow is enough at night
  1. Load managementShares a site's grid connection between the cars charging at the same time.
  2. Depot chargingCharging of fleet vehicles at the company's own site, for example overnight while they are parked.
  1. IEA: Global EV Outlook 2026: Electric vehicle charging. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026/electric-vehicle-charging-chap-6-and-10. Checked 09 Oct 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
  2. IEA: Global EV Outlook 2026: Electric vehicle charging. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026/electric-vehicle-charging-chap-6-and-10. Checked 09 Oct 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.