If you happen to’re a decision-maker for a industrial automobile fleet that’s contemplating going electrical, probably the greatest issues you are able to do is to check the experiences of fleets which have efficiently electrified.
High quality Customized Distribution, a division of Golden State Meals, has been utilizing EVs in its operations for the final couple of years. FleetOwner’s Jade Brasher spoke with Shane Blanchette, Group VP of Operations at QCD, in regards to the firm’s electrification journey.
QCD, which presents distribution providers throughout the US, at present operates 40 Class 8 Volvo VNR Electrical vans and has 4 extra on order. The EVs are cut up between two QCD services in California, at La Puente and Fontana.
The corporate started its electrification technique in 2021 with a single Volvo VNL, acquired by way of Volvo’s Low Affect Inexperienced Heavy Transport Options (LIGHTS) venture, a pilot program designed to collect info on fleet EV deployment. After solely two weeks of working the VNR Electrical, QCD ordered 14 extra with the assistance of a grant from the Cellular Supply Air Air pollution Discount Evaluation Committee’s Inland Port Program. A 12 months later, QCD determined to order 30 extra VNR Electrical vans.
“The $20-million electrification venture contains 16 chargers and an industry-first renewable power microgrid to energy the battery-electric fleet and distribution heart in Los Angeles,” Blanchette stated.
A number of OEMs at present provide Class 8 electrical truck fashions, however QCD has caught with Volvo.
“As a Volvo Vehicles buyer for over 13 years, we knew we might anticipate the identical stage of security, consolation, and efficiency from the VNR Electrical as we’ve all the time had with the standard VNR,” Mike Douglas, QCD’s former Senior Director of Strategic Procurement, stated on the time of QCD’s first EV supply.
Getting charging infrastructure put in is often one of many greatest challenges for fleets which are going electrical, and QCD isn’t any exception. The corporate is at present counting on a short lived charging resolution—moveable 50 kW DC quick chargers leased from Volvo Monetary Providers. The corporate’s everlasting charging resolution, which features a microgrid, is predicted to be up and operating later this 12 months, after two years of labor.
Blanchette advised FleetOwner that the timeline might have been “minimize in half, if allowing and tools lead occasions [had been] extra favorable. The most important hurdles in constructing out the infrastructure had been tools procurement and allowing timelines, in addition to landlord alignment, as our facility is leased house.”
The corporate is utilizing two totally different charging infrastructure companions for its two services. “On our La Puente venture, we partnered with InCharge and Scale Microgrids, whereas the Fontana venture was coordinated by way of Volvo and concerned Shell Recharge.”
Each InCharge and Shell Recharge helped facilitate “grant funding identification, allowing, tools procurement, information analytics, infrastructure design and building.”
QCD initially determined to impress for sustainability causes, however has discovered one other profit: drivers love the brand new vans. Electrical autos have “made the drivers’ life simpler,” Blanchette stated, “which in flip, has helped with greater retention, decrease turnover, and most significantly, improved security.”
QCD’s fleet runs regional supply routes, with a median of lower than 100 miles per route. Class 8 electrical vans are nicely suited to this responsibility cycle. “The brand new era of EVs in our fleet will get as much as 275 miles,” Blanchette stated. “It’s been excellent for QCD as a result of when the workforce comes again, they nonetheless have wherever from a 40 to 50% cost remaining on them.”
After two years, QCD has discovered that the upkeep value for its Class 8 EVs has been about half that of its legacy diesel vans. “When evaluating the restore and upkeep value in opposition to similar mannequin 12 months and workload diesel items, we’re seeing the EVs value considerably much less,” Blanchette stated.
Supply: FleetOwner
