A latest Geotab survey of 110 fleet professionals discovered that 54 p.c of fleets surveyed have electrical automobiles (EVs) already of their fleet or on order. Whereas that quantity could seem excessive, when you attended this yr’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California, then it will appear the quantity needs to be a lot larger. And with the latest passage of California’s Superior Clear Fleets rule, that quantity will certainly go up. 

In talking with attendees all through the week who’ve participated in years prior, they stated this yr simply felt completely different as a lot of the 217 exhibitors within the expo showcased all-electric and zero-emission vehicles, automobiles, charging and zero-emission automobile parts. Whereas this was my first ACT Expo, I can verify that the transition to heavy-duty automobile electrification has hit a brand new period. However some challenges nonetheless exist.

‘The messy center’ 

The messy center is one thing the North American Council for Freight Effectivity (NACFE) and Mike Roeth, its government director, have coined to depict the transition to zero-emission trucking. Roeth spoke throughout a session at ACT, sharing insights about NACFE’s and RMI’s new Run on Much less Electrical Depot, the place eight fleet depots will give attention to scaling electrical vehicles throughout quite a lot of market segments. A type of corporations contains Frito-Lay, which additionally introduced it should use 700 electrical supply automobiles within the U.S. by the tip of the yr. 

The messy center, as proven within the diagram under, captures the place the heavy-duty trucking trade is at present because it strikes towards a way forward for zero-emission vehicles. Roeth emphasised the way forward for trucking can be zero-emission and what the trade does now will assist make that future a actuality.

The problem of charging 

I spoke with dozens of pros throughout the fleet ecosystem at ACT, each trade leaders at it for years and newcomers getting into the area. What turned clear in a short time was that automobile availability was now not on the forefront of the dialog. Many firm fleets shared tales of how they acquired supply of recent EV vehicles solely to have them be unusable due to an absence of charging infrastructure or deployed interim battery/charging options till their depot charging was up and working. 

Firm fleets are dealing with challenges with deploying depot charging, and lots of of those challenges contain utility engagement. Justine Chao, senior mission supervisor, e-mobility at Southern California Edison, shared some exhausting truths with viewers attendees — together with that it might take three to 5 years to get charging deployed for some giant fleet electrification plans resulting from energy necessities and system upgrades. Hannah Kassabian of Electrify America additionally shared a journey map to assist present fleets with a roadmap for participating utilities on charging, emphasizing the significance of planning and dealing with utilities as early as doable.

It’s all going to work out

Whereas critical challenges exist in participating utilities and getting EV charging deployed at amenities, I see this second, a.okay.a. the messy center, as a great factor. It means the transition is underway. Solely by motion do issues, like the present charging issues, get resolved. 

For instance, throughout ACT, Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Vitality Assets and BlackRock Alternate options introduced a three way partnership referred to as Greenlane to develop and function U.S. public EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty fleets. Greenlane is simply the latest public charging depot play as the corporate joins Voltera Energy and Terawatt Infrastructure, that are additionally constructing related public charging depots.

Neha Palmer, co-founder and CEO of Terawatt Infrastructure, in contrast the present struggles of deploying EV charging infrastructure along with her previous life working within the vitality area at Google. “I come from knowledge facilities, which have a really related kind of improvement cycle,” Palmer stated. “You gotta discover the placement, get the facility; it is a lengthy dialog with the utility as knowledge facilities might be lots of of megawatts, so there are templates on the market to comply with.” 

Matt Horton, CEO of Voltera Energy, additionally shared related ideas with me as the corporate prepares to announce its first public depot charging location in San Francisco, already totally reserved by fleets. “We’re at the start of making a brand new asset class, round specialty actual property targeted on charging,” Horton stated. “Loads of different industries have carried out what we’re doing, and we’ve taken a variety of classes from the information middle enterprise in addition to telecommunications.” 

The comparability to knowledge facilities and this pondering by leaders makes me hopeful the trade will remedy the charging challenges at present ongoing. We’ve carried out it earlier than and we are able to do it once more.

Do too many options exist?

ACT showcased the automobile electrification trade in full drive with a seemingly limitless room of varied charging options, electrical and hydrogen automobiles, software program options and extra. As Josh Inexperienced, founder and CEO of Inspiration Mobility, identified to me, that itself could also be a problem for fleet managers to navigate.

“Strolling round this huge expo corridor, whereas a really constructive sign for the trade, it’s additionally a little bit of a problem when you’re sitting in a fleet decision-making seat and making an attempt to determine the right way to electrify as a result of the sheer variety of corporations with related sounding options is intimidating and it’s most likely exhausting to distinguish which is finest,” Inexperienced stated. 

Inexperienced identified how this could result in paralysis from evaluation as fleet managers should then discuss to an extended checklist of potential companions. Inspiration Mobility represents one resolution as Inexperienced’s group helps take the burden of all that for fleets and is the integrator, partnering with fleets to finance, construct, personal and function property to allow fleet electrification. 

Inexperienced shared one resolution for fleet managers dealing with an extended checklist of suppliers. “Don’t get locked into an excessive amount of upfront,” Inexperienced stated. “Given the tempo of change, our recommendation is to remain nimble.”