What Fleet Owners Don’t Get About Electrification
Source: Elisa Wood | · ENERGY CHANGEMAKERS · | February 1, 2025
By some estimates, fleet electrification in the US will grow 12-fold in five years, buoyed by favorable economics. This will require rapid changes in fueling infrastructure and create complexities that fleet owners may not always understand.
Stories abound about schools, cities, and businesses contracting for EVs before considering if their local grid can accommodate the new demand, for example.
I was curious about what fleet owners don’t know but should about electrification. So I sought someone who frequently communicates with them: Jonathan Leicester, vice president of business development partnerships at EV Connect. EV Connect is a 15-year-old California-based company that offers EV charging software and services, including the EV Connect App.
“I have come across a situation where someone says, ‘I’ve ordered the vehicles, they’re coming, I don’t have any way to charge them. Can you help me?’ Obviously, that’s not the right way to approach it,” Leicester said during our recent interview.
Here are three insights I gleaned from our conversation about fleet electrification that may help fleet owners new to the journey.
Talk to your electric utility early
Engaging in an early conversation with your utility is beneficial for two main reasons. First, the utility might provide incentives that significantly reduce electrification costs. Second, it may take longer than fleet owners anticipate to bring power to their site and install the appropriate wires and conduits necessary to deliver it to the charging station. In the aftermath of the pandemic supply chain shortage, installations also faced delays due to a limited supply of EV chargers. Some installations required 12 to 18 months to finish.
“If all of your vehicles are already arriving, that’s a problem for you,” Leicester said.