Electric trucks are one of the most important climate investments businesses can make today. These vehicles are increasingly available, able to do the job required of them, and fleets are embracing them.

As fleets transition to a zero-emission future – especially early adopters – they are required to develop solutions to the many challenges that electrification presents today. This includes (but is not limited to) route optimization, designing pricing systems that can adapt to their current facility operations, and engaging drivers around this new technology. It is a difficult task.

To support fleets in the face of this unprecedented rate of change, EDF joined forces with the North American Council on Freight Efficiency, RMI and CALSTART and created the Electric Fleet Readiness Group.

This group is made up of leading private fleet executives who deploy or explore Class 6-8 zero emission electric trucks in their operations, including: Dependable Highway Express, Manhattan Beer Distributors, NFI, Pitt Ohio and Anheuser-Busch, among others. fleets. Collectively, the companies participating in the Fleet Readiness Group operate more than 50,000 trucks and have already deployed more than 50 electric trucks with plans announced for hundreds more.

Members of the Electric Fleet Readiness Group strive to accomplish four things:

1. Advance the deployments of zero emission vehicles within member fleets.
2. Gather critical insights and lessons these leaders gain through deployments and share them with fleets in the early stages of their electrification journey.
3. Inform the design of public policies that will influence the pace and success of electrification in the trucking industry.
4. Influence market offerings for heavy electric trucks and support equipment.

Leading New Fleet Group Leverages Collaboration to Overcome Obstacles to Truck Electrification Click to Tweet

Over the past year, this group of industry leaders has developed tips from a fleet perspective on how to design effective incentive programs that drive the purchase of electric vehicles; and the key actions utility partners should take to enable electrification of trucks in their service territories.

Success relies on collaboration and this Fleet Readiness group has provided a strong platform for industry leaders to collaborate with other pioneers and has enabled fleets to learn from each other and grow collectively faster. We are grateful that these fleets also help us uncover challenges and potential solutions.

In addition, EDF, NACFE, RMI and CALSTART help share these lessons throughout the sector and lead efforts to get more fleets off the ground in their electrification journey.

Building on their series of Electric Truck Guidance Reports, NACFE and RMI recently hosted Run on Less – Electric, a technology demonstration that showcased the zero-emission freight movement in the real world by sharing the stories and insights. Key actions from 13 pairs of fleet-OEM participants who operate electric trucks across the continent today. The race also included an Electric Truck Bootcamp educational webinar series that introduced dozens of fleets to the critical stages and challenges of electrification.

CALSTART, a nationally recognized nonprofit focused on accelerating clean transportation solutions, has created resources and tools that set up and remove barriers and solutions for fleet electrification marketing, highlighting how zero-emission trucks can help meet the company’s climate goals. They also formed the National Zero Emission Truck Coalition to increase investment in advanced zero emission technology solutions. Through its global Drive to Zero initiative, CALSTART aims to accelerate the growth of the global zero and near zero emission utility vehicle space, with the goal of having ZE technology become commercially competitive by 2025 and dominant in here 2040 in specific vehicle segments and Regions.

And EDF was able to deploy Climate Corps® fellows with leading fleets, such as Houston Metro and Iron Mountain, to help these organizations advance fleet electrification projects. We’ve also worked with fleets to demonstrate how managed charging, battery storage, and on-site power generation can reduce the costs associated with scaling electric vehicle charging at fleet depots.

What emerges most from our discussions with these leaders is their enthusiasm for the future of electric trucks. Despite being at the forefront of deployment with all the headaches that such leadership entails, these fleets are committed to unlocking the potential of zero emission trucks.

We are happy to be there. Together, we can help transform the trucking industry.