Bassam Javed charges an electric vehicle.
For businesses and public organizations with fleets of trucks, vans and other vehicles, cost is just one of the considerations when deciding whether to replace gas-fuelled vehicles with electric.
The PICS Fast Track project, Bulk Buy Program: Sourcing Zero-Emission Transportation Options for Small- to Medium-Sized Fleets, asks the question: “How do we get more electric vehicles into fleets that aren’t using them?”
In addition to price, according to project lead Bassam Javed, the key factors in organizations’ decisions whether to replace fossil fuel-burning vehicles with EVs include:
- timing (when a fleet switches out old vehicles for new);
- infrastructure (whether an organization can accommodate chargers and other needed equipment); and
- usefulness (whether EVs are available that have sufficient carrying and towing capacity, and charging range).
This research shows most of the vehicle categories studied — including cargo vans — can go electric now. Read the final report.
Price remains a key consideration, however, and that’s where Javed notes a bulk buy program — in which multiple fleet owners pool their purchases to create buying power and get cheaper vehicles — could prove powerfully attractive to small fleet owners.
Fast Track Project: Began May 1, 2021 / Project Duration: 1 year
