CASE STUDY | E-Mobility | KFE Ltd & Cowling Electrical, UK
KFE Ltd is a leading supplier of professional, high efficiency frying ranges for award winning fish and chip shops. Their five-strong sales team travels the length and breadth of the UK, and KFE is in the process of switching the team over to electric Tesla Model 3s.
“Our sales team has historically driven diesel BMWs,” says KFE’s Financial Controller Mathew Henderson, “But this comes at a cost to the environment, and a cost to the company in other ways too. As a company, we always sell the benefits of high efficiency technology, and we are aware of our brand and the environmental consequences of what we do. The move to electric motoring is therefore a fairly natural step - it works for us on many levels.”
KFE has installed a 3 phase, 11kw, dual socket CTEK CHARGESTORM CONNECTED 2 (CC2) EV charger at their head office and showroom on the Bentley Business Park in Market Deeping, near Peterborough.
”We wanted a charger that was simple to operate and that delivered the maximum amount of charge in a 2 to 4 hour period. The CTEK CHARGESTORM CONNECTED 2 certainly fits the bill and we are really pleased with it.”
- Mathew Henderson, KFE Ltd
“Each sales person will have a lower powered overnight trickle charger at home, but we felt we needed something with a bit more oomph at our office so that, when they come for their monthly meeting or bring customers to the showroom, they know they’ll be able to get a pretty full charge in the couple of hours they’re on site,” said Mathew. “We wanted a charger that was simple to operate and that delivered the maximum amount of charge in a 2 to 4 hour period. The CTEK CC2 certainly fits the bill and we are really pleased with it. “We opted for a dual socket charger due to cost and practicality. There are going to be times when we have more than one sales person on site needing to charge at the same time, and the CC2 is a really neat way to provide a powerful, dual charging facility.
“The unit is compact, sleek and looks really smart, without being too intrusive. The unit remains locked until the sales person presents their personal RFID tag, which means we don’t need to be there for the sales person to use the charger - they can turn up, plug in their charging cable and have complete control over it."
“We also have customers visiting the showroom in EVs and we are planning to mark out the two EV parking spaces to make them more visible, so our customers can also make use of the charger.”
The CC2 is linked wirelessly through the internet to CTEK’s CHARGE PORTAL computer based management system. This allows KFE to track the charger’s usage, see who is using it and when, how much electricity is being used and, being separated from the electric bill for the rest the building, how much it’s costing. CHARGE PORTAL also provides control over the unit if, for example, you ever need to remotely switch the unit on or off.
As well as the environmental benefits, the lower running costs of the Teslas are also delivering considerable cost savings for KFE. “It’s amazing how much cheaper they are to run - we’re paying almost a quarter of the amount for electric as we did for diesel,” said Mathew. “And, with each sales person driving around 50,000 miles a year, that benefit is quite tangible. There are also considerable tax benefits for the sales people personally.”
Once KFE has their sales team up and running with electric cars, they may also look at providing electric vans for the 12 engineers they have out on the road. The CTEK CC2 is a futureproofed solution that allows more chargers to be added without into the same network needed to upgrade the system. So, as KFE add to their electric fleet and expand over the next few years, the CTEK product can grow with them.
ABOUT COWLING ELECTRICAL
The unit has been installed by Cowling Electrical Services Ltd. MD Robert Cowling said: “The CTEK CHARGESTORM CONNECTED 2 ticked all the boxes for this particular installation. It’s the only charger on the market to have a dual socket on one charger, so you can charge two cars in one go, with one install.
“As an installer, I have dealt with other manufacturers, but the communication and level of service from CTEK has been second to none. Right from the start, they’ve liaised with us, talked everything through, taken time to understand our requirements and have advised us on the best charger to meet our client’s needs.
“With CTEK, you work together for the best job and the best outcome. Communication is key to our own business and CTEK embraces that too, working with you to provide the best service and install for your customer.”
- Robert Cowling, Cowling Electrical
"As for the install itself, it really couldn’t have been simpler. The CC2 is well made, solid and really easy to install, with simple connections. And, as CTEK had met with us beforehand to show us the unit and talk us through the install, when we got on site we knew exactly want to expect. The product complemented the first class service we received throughout.
“There is a technical side to the units too of course, and CTEK offers the dedicated technical support we need to ensure a smooth handover for the customer, combined with excellent after sales service.
“The customer is over the moon with the charger. I would definitely recommend the CC2 and CTEK. They will certainly be our ‘go to’ supplier for EV charging installations going forward and we will be using them more in every application we can.”
