By Jim Stinson, Utility Dive
Highlights
- Many EV truck manufacturers have preorders to help replace traditional fleets. Nikola has 14,000 trucks on preorder, with the first delivery of battery-electric trucks to European fleets expected in 2021
- Though the price of oil has dropped significantly over the past few months, fleets are still committed to transitioning to battery-powered trucks to keep on track with company environmental goals:
“Our target customers are typically very large and often global enterprises, and they need our battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and our fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) … in order to meet their announced strategic environmental, social and governance commitments,” -Nikola Motor president Mark Russell
- One example is Toyota, which has a plan to reduce its vehicle emissions by 90% by 2050
- Battery costs have declined as much as 80% over the last decade and are expected to decline by an additional 50% over the next decade, making EVs cheaper than gas vehicles by 2030
- Fleet management company Samsara released survey results of 300 fleet managers, with 90% agreeing that EVs are the future of commercial fleets
- The survey also found 85% of electric truck owners said traditional vehicles cost more than electric trucks to maintain and half of fleet managers surveyed would use the cost savings to increase pay for their drivers
The Climate Center’s Climate-Safe California campaign calls for investments and bold policies to support clean mobility, including a phase-out of all gas-powered vehicles.
Nina Turner
Energy Programs and Communications CoordinatorJanina is a graduate of the Energy Management and Design program at Sonoma State University with experience in non-profits that specialize in sustainability and volunteerism.
