Fleet Charging Schedule Optimizer
Smart charging scheduling attacks fleet electricity costs from two directions at once: shifting charging into cheaper off-peak hours cuts the per-kWh energy cost, and staggering when vehicles plug in cuts the peak demand that drives commercial demand charges. This calculator takes the number of vehicles, charging energy required per vehicle per day, peak and off-peak electricity rates, the peak demand charge, charger power per vehicle, the share of charging shiftable to off-peak, and a managed simultaneity factor, then reports daily energy cost unoptimized and optimized, daily energy cost savings, unmanaged and managed peak demand, monthly demand charge savings, and annual total savings. For the broader build-vs-buy fleet economics, see our Fleet Electrification ROI Calculator; for sizing the site electrical service that charging load places on the transformer, see our Charging Station Load Calculator; and for how demand charges work on a commercial bill, see our Demand Charge Optimizer.
Total vehicles in the fleet you are scheduling for charging.
Average daily charging energy each vehicle needs to return to full.
The per-kWh rate your utility charges during peak (typically daytime) hours.
The lower per-kWh rate available during off-peak (typically overnight) hours.
Commercial demand charges based on your highest 15-30 minute peak draw during the billing period, typically $10-20/kW.
Power rating of each charger (Level 2 typically ~7.2 kW; DC fast much higher).
The share of daily fleet charging that can realistically be scheduled overnight or during off-peak hours without disrupting vehicle availability.
With smart/staggered charging software, not all vehicles charge at full power at the same time -- this factor represents realistic simultaneous demand versus all chargers running at once.
total daily energy × peak period electricity rate
(off-peak energy × off-peak rate) + (peak energy × peak rate)
unoptimized daily cost − optimized daily cost
number of vehicles × charger power per vehicle
unmanaged peak demand × (managed simultaneity factor ÷ 100)
(unmanaged − managed peak demand) × peak demand charge
(daily energy cost savings × 365) + (monthly demand charge savings × 12)
Results update live as you type. For planning and field-check estimates — always verify against applicable standards and equipment ratings.
How we calculate this →Smart charging scheduling attacks fleet electricity costs from two directions at once: shifting 80% of a 20-vehicle fleet's daily charging to off-peak rates saves $120/day in energy costs alone, while staggering that charging to avoid all 20 vehicles plugging in simultaneously can cut peak demand from 144 kW down to roughly 43 kW -- worth another $1,512/month in avoided demand charges. Combined, that's nearly $62,000/year in savings from scheduling alone, before any change in the vehicles, chargers, or electricity rates themselves.
How fleet charging schedule savings are calculated
This calculator quantifies the savings from two independent levers a charging management system pulls: shifting energy into cheaper off-peak hours, and staggering charging to reduce peak demand. Eight quantities tie the calculation together.
Total Daily Energy Required (kWh) = Number of Vehicles × Charging Energy Required per Vehicle per Day (kWh); at 20 vehicles and 50 kWh/vehicle, that is 1,000 kWh/day. Energy Shifted to Off-Peak (kWh) = Total Daily Energy × (% of Charging Shiftable to Off-Peak ÷ 100) — 800 kWh at 80%. Energy Remaining at Peak Rate (kWh) = Total Daily Energy × (1 − shiftable % ÷ 100) — 200 kWh.
Daily Energy Cost — Unoptimized ($) = Total Daily Energy × Peak Period Electricity Rate ($/kWh); at 1,000 kWh and $0.25/kWh, that is $250/day, the cost if every kWh is billed at the peak rate. Daily Energy Cost — Optimized ($) = (Energy Shifted × Off-Peak Rate) + (Energy Remaining at Peak Rate × Peak Rate); at 800 kWh × $0.10 + 200 kWh × $0.25, that is $80 + $50 = $130/day. Daily Energy Cost Savings ($) = Unoptimized − Optimized — $120/day.
Unmanaged Peak Demand (kW) = Number of Vehicles × Charger Power per Vehicle (kW); at 20 vehicles and 7.2 kW, that is 144 kW, the peak if every charger runs at full power simultaneously. Managed Peak Demand (kW) = Unmanaged Peak Demand × (Managed Simultaneity Factor ÷ 100); at 30%, that is 43.2 kW, the realistic peak when smart software staggers charging. Monthly Demand Charge Savings ($) = (Unmanaged Peak Demand − Managed Peak Demand) × Peak Demand Charge ($/kW); at (144 − 43.2) × $15, that is 100.8 × $15 = $1,512/month.
Annual Total Savings ($) = (Daily Energy Cost Savings × 365) + (Monthly Demand Charge Savings × 12); at $120/day and $1,512/month, that is $43,800 + $18,144 = $61,944/year. The two savings streams are independent and additive: energy savings depend on the rate spread and shiftable share, while demand savings depend on charger power, simultaneity, and the demand charge rate. The model assumes the shiftable share can actually be scheduled off-peak without disrupting vehicle availability, and that the managed simultaneity factor reflects what real charging software can achieve. Data sources: U.S. commercial electricity rate structures and demand charge benchmarks; EV charging management software case studies; utility rate schedules from major regional utilities; DOE fleet electrification cost analysis.