Electric fleet winter operations clearly show how well a depot is run. If a depot can run smoothly in freezing weather, it can handle almost anything. But if it struggles, more chargers, grid upgrades, or extra staff still won’t make the operation truly reliable. The key difference doesn’t come from hardware; it comes from how well the charging operation is managed, and the key to this? Charge Management Software.
Last winter in northern Europe, heavy snow covered charging stations, and connectors froze so badly they needed to be heated before removal. Low temperatures also meant chargers gave less power than expected, and batteries lost range faster, so buses had to return to the depot earlier than planned and charge more often.
Depot teams watched battery levels change in real time, unsure if their plans would work. Even the best-prepared teams had to adjust priorities, monitor SoC closely, and change routes and departures to keep service running reliably. Some depots managed, others didn’t. And more often than not, the difference was how well they handled charging.
How Winter Changes the Charging Plan
Batteries are sensitive to temperature. In hot weather, they lose charge faster because of the extra energy needed for cooling. In cold weather, they provide less power and take longer to charge. A bus that usually runs all day on one charge might suddenly need two or more. Cold weather also impacts charging stations. Chargers can slow down and staying within grid limits gets harder. Even if all the hardware works well, without a smart charging plan, depot teams still have to scramble when bad weather hits, instead of having a system ready to handle it.
What Went Wrong for Many Fleet Operators Last Winter
Last winter, many electric depots struggled with the cold. An uavhengig vurdering av NorConsult highlighted the main challenges operators faced. Buses used more energy in the cold and needed to charge more often, which put extra pressure on tight schedules. The charging equipment also had problems, sometimes slowing down or not delivering enough power in freezing weather.
Many operators started the morning with undercharged buses. Routes had to be rearranged at short notice, and departures were delayed. In several cases, this led to penalties from the transport authorities that could have been prevented with better operational insight. Depots with manual charging processes were stretched beyond their capacity when conditions became unpredictable.
Why Manual Charging Plans Fall Apart in Winter
When temperatures drop, electric fleet winter operations become much harder to manage manually. When conditions change quickly or without warning, manual planning just can’t keep up. Depot teams do their best to manage everything and figure out which buses need attention first, but in a depot with 100 buses, it’s hard to get the full picture and to react quickly enough. Even well-equipped depots struggled last winter. They had the infrastructure and charging capacity, but without a system to continuously rebalance power, update charging schedules, and protect buffers without constant manual intervention, the workload and unpredictability were just too much. When decisions rely on people catching issues in time, the margin for error disappears quickly, especially in sub-zero conditions when buses need longer to reach their desired SoC.
Evidence from Nordic Conditions
Norway shows how charge management works during the toughest winter conditions. In one of the coldest recent winters, a major operator using Tenix Charge kept operations stable, even when temperatures fell below minus twenty degrees, and snowstorms lasted for several nights.
Throughout the city, many depots faced similar problems. Chargers slowed down, buses came back with less charge than expected, and tight grid limits left little room for error. Some operators struggled to get control in time for the morning rollout.
Fleets that used Tenix Charge had a different experience.
Charging sessions were planned and adjusted all night. If a charger slowed down, the system shifted power to make sure the most important vehicles were ready to go. When weather led to higher-than-expected energy demand, the system updated the charging schedule accordingly.
The best run depots kept to their route schedules with 95 percent accuracy during the coldest weeks. Morning readiness remained high, and there were far fewer manual fixes needed. Drivers started their shifts with their assigned buses instead of making last-minute changes. Even though conditions were tough, the charging operation remained reliable because the system proactively dealt with issues before they caused problems.
Keeping Winter Operating Costs Down
Winter also impacts the financial performance of an electric fleet. Unpredictable charging leads to higher costs, increased energy use, higher peak loads, and delays that cause staff overtime and schedule penalties.
Operators who used structured charge management could control this. They spread charging throughout the night based on forecasts, keeping energy use steady rather than letting it spike during cold weather. By avoiding peaks and charging more during low-tariff hours, depots kept electricity costs steady and predictable. Operational costs were managed similarly. Careful overnight planning meant fewer late-night callouts and less early-morning scrambling. Drivers got the vehicles they were expecting, and shift managers did not have to change routes at the last minute. When charging is predictable, labour and operational costs are predictable too.
What Winter Teaches Us About Electrification Readiness
Winter shows us that being ready for electrification is not just about how many chargers you have or how big your grid connection is. What really matters is whether your depot can handle changing conditions without losing control. In winter, there is less room for mistakes, and manual coordination is often not enough. Depots that use automated charge management work with a live model of the depot instead of a fixed plan. They can see which buses are at risk, which chargers have slowed down, and how grid limits might affect charging times. As things change, the system updates the plan to prevent small issues from turning into bigger problems.
Electric fleets need to work reliably in any weather. Winter shows that hardware alone is not enough to ensure this. Coordinated charging is what makes charging infrastructure truly dependable. It helps keep energy use steady, ensures vehicles are ready to go, and reduces the problems that winter can bring. The depots that performed well last winter were those that had this extra layer in place, giving them full control even in the toughest conditions.
