Electrification 101: Enabling Truck Charging with Flexible Service Connections - RMI

This briefing by RMI explains how 'flexible service connections' can accelerate the deployment of electric truck charging infrastructure by allowing fleets to access underutilized grid capacity without waiting for multi-year utility upgrades.

• Traditional utility load-planning evaluates new connections based on the single highest-demand load hour of the year, which often leads to multi-year delays and high costs for site owners if the request exceeds available headroom during that peak.
• Flexible service connections allow utilities to provide a baseline level of power constantly and higher capacity during off-peak periods, provided the customer manages consumption during peak times. This approach can reduce energization timelines, improve utility asset utilization, and lower site upgrade costs.
• Electric truck charging is well-suited for flexible connections because fleets can often shift charging to overnight or peak solar hours without altering operational schedules. RMI analysis in New York and California indicates that such optimization can result in capital cost savings of 40% to 70% by optimizing charger size.
• Several utilities are piloting these programs, including National Grid, Southern California Edison, and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). PG&E's Flex Connect program enabled PepsiCo to increase a site from 30 to 50 electric trucks 18 months faster than conventional planning, saving an estimated $1 million in fuel costs.
• Electric truck charging depots present unique grid challenges, as they can bring loads of 5–10 MW per site online within months of a purchase decision, often in areas with cheap land rather than abundant electrical capacity.

APA

RMI (2025). Electrification 101: Enabling Truck Charging with Flexible Service Connections - RMI. https://rmi.org/resources/electrification-101-enabling-truck-charging-with-flexible-service-connections/

Chicago

RMI. Electrification 101: Enabling Truck Charging with Flexible Service Connections - RMI. 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/electrification-101-enabling-truck-charging-with-flexible-service-connections/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Electrification 101: Enabling Truck Charging with Flexible Service Connections - RMI |date=18 November 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/electrification-101-enabling-truck-charging-with-flexible-service-connections/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2025electrification, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Electrification 101: Enabling Truck Charging with Flexible Service Connections - RMI}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/electrification-101-enabling-truck-charging-with-flexible-service-connections/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }