Current affairs

You have made your choice. The vehicle fleet is going electric, the orders have been placed, the policy has been worked out. And then it turns out that the biggest obstacle does not lie with the cars, but with the power grid.

Grid congestion is no longer a distant problem for energy companies. For a growing number of organisations, it is the deciding factor in their sustainability plans. Anyone mapping out a fleet strategy for 2026 and beyond can no longer ignore this topic.

What is grid congestion exactly?

Grid congestion occurs when the demand for electricity at a specific point on the grid exceeds the available capacity. For your organisation, this concretely means: the network operator cannot provide a new or larger connection, or imposes restrictions on the times when you are permitted to draw power.

For a vehicle fleet transitioning to electric driving, this is immediately noticeable. Charging points demand significantly more power than an average office building was accustomed to using. In locations where the grid is already stretched, an application for a capacity upgrade can end up on a waiting list for months to years.

Grid operators use various statuses for a connection in this context. Where transport capacity is available, an application can in principle be processed immediately. In the case of transport scarcity, a waiting list applies and a grid operator can prioritise based on, among other things, the time of application and the nature of the connection. For large-consumer connections (typically from 3x80A upwards), different lead times and application procedures also apply compared to small-consumer connections, which is relevant as soon as you want to realise charging infrastructure for multiple vehicles simultaneously.

Which regions are hit hardest?

Grid congestion is not evenly distributed across the Netherlands. Areas with many business parks, rapid population growth or a combination of solar and wind energy nearby are quicker to hit capacity limits. Provinces such as North Brabant, Gelderland, Utrecht and parts of Limburg have long had areas where grid operators cannot simply grant new large-consumer connections.

In this respect, it is good to distinguish between generation congestion and demand congestion. In the case of demand congestion – the scenario that is most relevant for vehicle fleets – the grid cannot cope with the demand for electricity at peak times. This is more pronounced in areas with a high level of business activity that peak in their electricity demand at the same time, for example on industrial estates where multiple organisations want to charge their fleets at the same time at the end of the working day.

Do you have multiple sites? If so, the approach may vary per location. A charging plan that can be implemented without any problems at one site may come to a complete standstill at another due to available grid capacity. Consulting the capacity maps of the relevant distribution network operator (such as Liander, Enexis or Stedin) for each site is therefore a logical first step when drawing up a charging infrastructure plan.

What does this mean for your fleet strategy?

The practical impact touches multiple parts of your mobility policy:

• Schedule and lead time. An application for grid expansion often has a long lead time, sometimes even several years for large-scale expansions. If you do not factor this in early enough, you run the risk that the electric vehicles will be there, but cannot be charged (fully). This argues for starting the application for grid expansion simultaneously with, or even prior to, the ordering of electric vehicles.
• Cost structure. Solutions for grid congestion often entail additional investments, for example in battery storage, a load management system or a larger grid connection. These costs should be factored into the total cost of ownership calculation for your fleet, alongside familiar items such as purchase, maintenance and tax burdens. For an accurate TCO comparison between locations, it is advisable to budget the costs for charging infrastructure separately per site, as these can vary significantly based on the local grid situation.
• Personnel policy and expectations. When charging at the office is not always guaranteed, the question arises as to how employees deal with this in practice. This touches on the discussion about mobility policy more broadly than just the technology, and may call for additional agreements on home charging or the use of public charging points as a backup.

The 3 solutions that already work

Although grid congestion is a structural problem that takes time to resolve nationwide, there are practical measures you can take right now.

Step 1: Smart charging. By spreading charging times throughout the day and night, and taking account of peak times on the grid, a larger fleet can often still manage with the existing connection. A charge management system dynamically distributes the available power across all connected charge points based on priority, availability and the maximum capacity of the connection. This is also known as load balancing, and is often the most cost-effective first step because it generally does not require an upgrade to the grid connection.

Step 2: Local storage. An on-site battery system can store power at times when there is capacity on the grid, and release it during charging periods. This significantly reduces peak load on the grid, although it requires a substantial upfront investment. For organisations that also have solar panels, a battery system can additionally help to store generated power for use outside daylight hours, which can strengthen the business case.

Step 3: Early application and cooperation with the grid operator. Organisations that contact their grid operator in good time and substantiate their future charging demand well with a concrete charging profile are in a more favourable position on the waiting list than organisations that start late or come with a vague application. Some grid operators now also offer flexible connections (capacity-limiting contracts), where you gain faster access to the grid in exchange for a lower guaranteed capacity, often in combination with mandatory charging management.

Waiting is not a strategy

Grid congestion won't disappear simply by waiting. Organisations that map out their charging needs now, draw up a concrete charging profile and engage in timely discussions with their network operator will have a significant advantage over organisations that postpone this step.

For fleet managers and mobility officers, this means that grid congestion should firmly be on the strategic agenda, alongside the more visible themes such as vehicle choice and tax regulations. The choices you make now regarding charging infrastructure will determine whether your electrification plan stays on track, or stalls on a problem you could have foreseen.

Need help or advice?

Would you like to know how grid congestion specifically affects your organisation, and which solutions suit your situation? We are happy to think things through with you.

Barend Timmermans

Team Leader of Commercial and Data & Control

06-16160779  |  barend@dewagenparkbeheerders.nl