How Lidl Electrifies Deliveries to 440 Stores in the Netherlands 

The Challenge: Power Grid Limitations as a Hurdle to eTruck Adoption

As Lidl Netherlands electrifies its truck logistics across all its distribution centers, it faces three critical hurdles:

• High Power Demand vs. Limited Grid Capacity: Each distribution center operates several high-power fast chargers. This new power demand, combined with existing building loads for cooling warehouses and machinery, exceeds the site's grid capacity. 
• More Trucks than Chargers: With outbound EV trucks cycling through each depot daily against a finite number of chargers, charger availability becomes a limiting factor. Scaling electric trucking is only possible if vehicles can charge swiftly and without delay, ensuring that departure times are respected
• Complex 3PL Coordination: Lidl has deliberately opened its charging facilities to its Third-Party Logistics providers (3PLs) as well as neighboring businesses during off-peak hours, requiring a proactive coordination and booking of charging sessions.

The Solution: Intelligent Energy Management and Charge Planning

To address these constraints, Lidl has selected the Ampcontrol platform which offers a  multi-layered energy management system (EMS) and intelligent charge session planning that synchronizes site energy usage with real-time fleet data.

1. Energy Management: Control EV Chargers, Batteries, and more

Ampcontrol deploys its AmpEdge controller solution to manage energy flow locally. The controller connects and controls all major energy assets including EV chargers, battery energy storages, and rooftop solar, while also monitoring auxiliary load from cooling warehouses to maximize power availability and solar consumption. The AmpEdge controllers dynamically adjust the power consumption of individual assets within milliseconds.

2. The AutoScheduler: Intelligent Reservation and Charge Planning

By integrating with Lidl’s fleet systems, Ampcontrol automatically plans future charging sessions for the electric trucks. The Ampcontrol AutoScheduler feature connects to route and real-time vehicle data, intelligently pre-booking charging sessions multiple days in advance. Using real-time vehicle updates, these bookings are refined automatically hours before the truck arrival. As such Lidl maximizes the number of trucks charged at distribution centers without adding additional charging infrastructure.

The Results: Full Electrification with Measurable Savings

The implementation of the Ampcontrol platform transforms the distribution centers into a high-efficiency charging hubs with measurable operational gains.

• Full Fleet Electrification by 2027: By deploying the combination of Ampcontrol’s AmpEdge and AutoScheduler, Lidl Netherlands has established the foundation for a seamless transition to a zero-emission fleet. This integrated technology supports the transition to a fully electric fleet for all 440 Dutch stores.
• Maximizing Cost and Emission Savings: Ampcontrol’s AmpEdge solution orchestrates energy between battery storage, solar, EV chargers, and buildings to increase solar self-consumption. As a result, Lidl increased its solar self-consumption by 22% and increased the available charging power by 32%.

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