Case Study

Enabling Electric Fleet Operations in a Live Delivery Environment

The Project

Across logistics and delivery networks, the move to electric vehicles is accelerating. For operators, the challenge is rarely about intent — it’s about introducing an EV infrastructure programme without disrupting operations or the services people rely on every day.

Successfully appointed on an ongoing national framework agreement, we are supporting the client’s multi-depot electrification programme across the UK. To date, over 30 sites have been successfully delivered under this structured rollout model.

Multi-Depot, Nationwide Locations

From Fleet Electrification Ambition to Operational Reality

Maintaining full operational performance as vehicles continued to move in and out of the depot yards throughout the day was essential, and power connection availability was business-critical, so robust safety and access management were non-negotiable.

What the customer needed was more than EV charging systems; they required integrated infrastructure to support the next phase of fleet transition, designed to be replicated across nationwide depots, delivered by a single accountable partner.

Our role from initial engagement, as Principal Designer and Contractor, was to enable that transition by managing feasibility, planning, and power supply capabilities to deliver compliant EV power infrastructure.

Project Challenges and Solutions

Delivering Critical Infrastructure Without Stopping Essential Services

As a live delivery environment, it operates to fixed schedules and constant vehicle movements. Any unplanned restriction to access or power would have had a direct impact on service delivery, on which the nation's clients depend.

Essential to our approach and planning was careful consideration of:

How charging assets would sit within an active yard
Whether the existing power supply infrastructure could safely support demand
How the electrical works could be complete without interrupting operations

The real risk was not technical installation, it was operational disruption.

Assured EV Infrastructure Delivery

Rather than progressing directly to installation, we paused at feasibility to assess how EV infrastructure could be introduced without impacting live operations. As an accredited Independent Connection Provider, we evaluated both existing capacity and new connection options, ensuring the final approach protected operational continuity and programme certainty.

As an approved Independent Connection Provider (ICP), we have identified and confirmed the most cost-effective on-site power solution for each site. We have successfully delivered both required connections, both utilising the existing supply and installing new LV connections where necessary. Design development focused on real site operations, from charger placement to vehicle turning movements, ensuring the EV infrastructure supported fleet activity.

Our integrated, single-source delivery provided clear project management, accountability, and assurance throughout the works.

As the programme expanded across multiple sites, we scaled resources across programme management, design, and site teams to maintain delivery schedules across the national framework. Through proactive communication and close collaboration with the Customer Operations Manager, challenges were resolved quickly and critical electrical works were completed out of hours, ensuring operational continuity.

James Burnett, Head of EV at Clarke Connect, commented on the project:

“Through this ongoing framework programme, we have successfully delivered over 30 live EV infrastructure sites to date from Existing Supplies and New ICP Connections respectively, supporting the client’s structured national electrification rollout. More importantly, this national framework programme demonstrates our capabilities in planning and managing EV infrastructure in live environments without increasing operational risk, all under an assurance-led model.

We shaped construction planning and delivery around how the depot actually operated, not how a site programme would typically be written. We planned and managed delivery sequencing, access windows and power works in consultation with site operations, allowing critical activities to be scheduled out of hours and ensuring daily service could continue without compromise.”

Operational Confidence Secured

As a result of this project, the operator now has a structured, EV infrastructure programme, fully integrated into its depot operations, providing a reliable platform for electric fleet charging.

Fleet electrification is more than an infrastructure challenge, it is an operational one. Successful EV deployment depends on how well you plan, integrate, and deliver around the environments it serves.

Clarke Connect continues to support the client’s national fleet electrification programme, providing scalable EV infrastructure delivery while safeguarding the dependable service the organisation is relied upon to provide every day.