The EPA’s newest regulations have set tighter limits on tailpipe emissions across medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. Consequently, many headlines have referred to these regulations as an “EV push,” but the reality isn’t so black and white.
For example, the regulations mandate that medium-duty vehicles reduce their GHG emissions by 44%. But as these limits are applied across an automaker's entire fleet, OEMs have the flexibility to mix and match their products in order to meet restrictions. This can be achieved through a collection of more efficient ice engines, alternative fuels like hydrogen-powered vehicles, PHEV and EVs.
The EPA estimates that these changes will lead to around $13 billion worth of annual benefits related to public health, climate and fuel savings, so this is great news! But that doesn’t mean it’s not also stressful news, especially for fleet operators who don’t feel prepared to invest in alternative fuel-vehicles.
$13 billion worth of annual benefits related to public health, climate and fuel savings.
While we know this transition will not be without its bumps, we wanted to lay out three ways we can help ease you through the changes.
Choosing the Right Vehicles
When investing in a new commercial vehicle, upfront costs are obviously a major factor. For many, the higher price tags of fully electric commercial vehicles, including the costs of necessary charging infrastructure, can be prohibitive. If you’re writing off the possibility altogether because of such expenses, it’s worth considering that recent studies point to fully BEV trucks as having the lowest TCO when compared to their counterparts, owing to reduced expenditures related to fuel and maintenance.
The EPA is also in the process of designing a grant application program aimed at organizations located in areas with higher levels of air pollution. Future funds will be deployed to replace older Class 6 and Class 7 heavy-duty vehicles for newer zero emissions models. While applications have not yet opened, there are several steps to take in order to prepare as they’re anticipated to open in the coming months.
For those who are not eligible for these grants, it's worth looking into state-specific funding opportunities or LCFS credits.
Choosing the Right Infrastructure Partners
If the frequent headlines regarding the lack of available public chargers for commercial EVs have previously made you second guess adopting them into your fleet, rest assured that installing your own chargers means you’re not subject to these inconsistencies. However, it’s imperative that you choose the right partners.
Regulations around charger manufacturing are not nearly as stringent as those around electric vehicles themselves, which has resulted in an array of cheaper, “dumb” charging options that will only cost you more money in the long run as they can’t be connected to the cloud or charge management software like Synop’s, which you’ll want in order to optimize your energy management needs.
So ensure you work with charging manufacturers that follow the industry’s Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), a standard that allows compliant chargers to communicate with compliant software. Be aware, however, that challenges may still arise as hardware-software interoperability issues remain one of the industry’s biggest pain points.
For this reason, we’ve integrated with over 23 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) manufacturers and deepened our relationship with hardware providers. We also equip customers with a curated list of hardware options that all work with Synop’s software platform, made possible by extensive testing in our Charge Lab. Through this work we hope to remove friction and frustration from the charger selection process, making it as seamless as possible.
With the right software and hardware partners, you’ll have all of the tools at your fingertips to make the most of your new EVs.
Putting Evs and Charging Infrastructure to Work
With the right partnerships, your EV is no longer just a means to comply with new regulations, it’s also a source of money savings and potentially added revenue. According to our studies, fleets can save 25-40% off their utility bill simply through charge management practices.
Fleets can save 25-40% off their utility bill through charge management practices
For example, operators can cap energy consumption during peak demand hours in order to avoid higher energy prices. Taken a step further, in times when the grid is experiencing strain, EV batteries can actually be used to support the grid and generate additional revenue.
Energy curtailment & Vehicle to Grid shown below on Synop’s platform:
This is possible through vehicle to grid (V2G) software, which can reverse the flow of electricity from the battery, through the charger, and onto the grid when a vehicle is not in use. Because that energy was bought during off-peak hours, the energy is sold back at a high price. In a previous V2G pilot program, we saw a single electric school bus generate $23,500 across two summers.
But this is just the beginning of what’s possible when you begin to integrate EVs into your fleet. As your operation scales, you can take further control of your energy needs by integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) and implementing those into your EV charging plan.
Additionally, our newly launched Managed Access Charging features make it possible to monetize private charging depots by opening them up to commercial partners. Through our new Fleet Driver Mobile App, operators can onboard drivers, set rates, and issue RFID tags, allowing for seamless authorization and tracking of charging activity.
Change is always difficult, and changing the way an entire industry has operated for decades is a tall order, but working with the right partners can make this change feel more welcome.
Need help getting started on your EV journey? Contact us and we’d be happy to support you.
