Fleet EV Charging: Cost Per Mile at Scale

For 50+ vehicle fleets, EV economics tilt strongly favorable but the buildout is the harder problem. Per-mile fuel costs drop from $0.10-0.12 to $0.04-0.08 with depot charging. The catch: depot Level 2 or DC infrastructure is a 6-figure investment.

The depot model

A 50-van delivery fleet at 100 miles/day each draws ~28 kWh per van per day, 1,400 kWh per day total. At a 9 cent/kWh commercial rate (lower than residential), that is $126/day in fuel — versus $510/day for diesel. Annual fuel savings: ~$140,000.

The infrastructure cost

Depot installation typically runs $4,000-$8,000 per port for L2, $50,000-$100,000 per port for DC fast. Federal AFD tax credits (US) cover 30 percent up to $100,000 per location. Demand charges from utilities can add 20-30 percent to your kWh price unless you smart-charge during off-peak.

Total cost trajectory

• Year 1: capital outlay heavy, savings ~$140k offset against ~$300k infrastructure
• Year 2-3: full fuel savings + 40 percent maintenance reduction (no oil, no transmission)
• Year 4+: pure savings, payback achieved by month 30 in most US markets

The decision factors

Fleet EV is a near-certain win when (1) routes are predictable and return-to-base, (2) fuel is a meaningful line item, (3) depot has electrical capacity. It is a tougher call for long-haul or unpredictable-route fleets where DC fast costs erase the savings.

Estimate per-vehicle costs in the calculator using your local commercial electricity rate.