Commercial Case Studies

Overview

Company: City of Chula Vista
Type: Municipal fleet, charging infrastructure
Location: Chula Vista, California
Case Study Publishing Date: June 2019
Fleet Size: N/A
Program Goals: Municipal fleet electrification aligned with the City's sustainability goals
Replacement Vehicle Class: Light-duty vehicles
Vehicle Use Case: Short-distance travel by the City employees in the Senior Vehicle Patrol (SVP), building code enforcement, and city pool
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: In 2000 the City of Chula Vista became the first city in San Diego County to adopt a Climate Action Plan (CAP); updates were made to the CAP in 2017 to replace all new vehicles with AFVs wherever possible and in 2018 the City Council voted to acquire 34 new fleet vehicles, including 14 battery-electric vehicles and 28 plug-in hybrid models. The City transitioned vehicles based on age, mileage and expense to maintain.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 41
Types of EVs: Various; procurement via the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
EV Deployment Timeline: Beginning in 2018

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: 123 Level 2 charging stations
Charging Infrastructure Costs: $456 was the average cost for L2 installation and equipment; 30-35 stations were installed free of charge due to utility incentives in disadvantaged communities through a pilot project

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $28,000 per vehicles procured through a municipal lease program
Operations & Maintenance: EV maintenance & repair costs of $.03, compared to $.15 with older vehicles

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Individual trainings are conducted as departments are assigned EVs; larger fleet pools would require more broad-based training and outreach
Change Management: N/A

Summary

Program Results:

EVs saved 75% on fuel costs, were in operation 84% more time, and were 80% more cost effective in comparison to maintenance and repairs

In addition to lower operating costs and reduced GHGs, the City forecasts additional savings from staff time dedicated to maintenance, resources, and hazardous waste

Lessons Learned:

The City was able to realize operational cost savings immediately by prioritizing replacements of older models first

Municipal leasing allowed for Federal Tax Credits to be realized, offsetting total capital costs

The City is working to increase fleet utilization including fleet reviews to identify vehicles that travel <4,000/year that are designated for elimination without replacement

Electric fleet vehicles allow the City to take a leading role in environmental stewardship and advance EV adoption locally

Next Steps:

The City has established an EV-first policy for all eligible vehicle replacements

The City plans to purchase an additional 34 EVs including 13 Ford Fusion PHEVs for the Investigation Unit of the Chula Vista Police Department, 9 Chevy Bolt BEVs and 4 Chevy Bolt Cargo vehicles

The City also plans for five electric transit buses by end of 2020

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Municipal Fleet Electrification: A case Study of Chula Vista, CA June 2019. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Chula-Vista-Case-Study.pdf

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

Image Source
San Diego Gas & Electric. http://www.sdgenews.com/article/transitioning-electric-vehicles-helps-city-chula-vista-save-money

Overview

Company: King County Metro (KCM)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Case Study Publishing Date: February 2018
Fleet Size: 1,540 buses
Program Goals: Reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: Diesel trolley replicas at the end of their expected service life
Replacement Vehicle Class 40' public transit buses - diesel, hybrid and an electric trolley
Vehicle Use Case: Public transportation on an 18.6 mile loop
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: 5.3 miles per gallon for diesel, 6.3 miles per gallon equivalent for hybrid, and 14.7 miles per gallon equivalent for trolley

Case Study

Objective: In February 2016 King County Metro (KCM) began operating a fleet of four battery electric buses (BEBs) in its service area. Performance was tracked and analyzed from April 2016 through March 2017.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 3
Types of EVs: Proterra’s 40-foot Catalyst BEB
EV Deployment Timeline:

February 2016: electric bus fleet operations begins

April 2016 - March 2017: timeframe of fleet performance and analysis

Miles Driven: 83,128 as of March 2017

CHARGING OVERVIEW:
Charging Infrastructure: Fast Charger
Charging Infrastructure Cost: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $797,882 per vehicle
Operations & Maintenance Costs:

Fuel economy was 2.36 kWh/mile or 15.9 miles/diesel gas equivalent (dge)

Electric vehicle energy costs were $.57/mile over the course of the pilot

Total operating cost per mile ($/mi) for electric buses were $.26 per mile compared to $.32/mile and $.46/mile from hybrid and diesel comparable vehicles respectively

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Training was conducted for staff and operators; challenges existed due to unique use case for BEBs
Change Management: Deploying BEBs presents a new technology for for transit staff to take over all maintenance responsibilities; parts availability became a common issue for KCM maintenance staff during the pilot

Summary

Program Results:

The battery buses averaged between 2,309 miles per month, accumulating a total of 83,128 miles through March of 2017

The BEBs were charged between 400-500 times per month averaging 16.3 miles per charge, consuming a total of 10,000 kWh - 19,000 kWh monthly

KC Metro paid an average of $0.20/kWh for electricity for the battery buses and $1.60/gal for diesel fuel; the fuel economy per-mile for the hybrid fleet was $0.25/mi compared to the diesel fleet at $0.30/mi and $0.57/mi equivalent for BEB energy consumption

KC Metro experienced demand charges that accounted for 34% - 54% of their average monthly fuel bills and resulting in lower fuel economy for the BEBs

The battery fleet had higher per-mile fuel costs due to the large difference between diesel fuel and electricity prices

The overall average availability for each fleet was 80.6% for BEBs, 90.5% for hybrid buses, 86.4% for diesel buses, and 84.9% for trolley buses

The BEB fleet had the lowest maintenance costs averaging $0.26/mi in comparison to $0.32/mi and $0.46/mi respectively for hybrid and diesel buses

Maintenance costs for the battery buses was 17.8% less than that of the hybrid buses; 44.1% less than that of the diesel buses; and 43.2% less than that of the trolley buses

Lessons Learned:

Charging is critical to effective operations including on-route and in-depot

Change management plans are critical to cost-effective operations; ensuring proactive charging and reduced demand charges

Maintenance teams were unable to take-on end-to-end responsibilities to fully maintain BEBs due to parts issues

The agency worked closely with the manufacturers to address early issues with charging and bus maintenance

Next Steps:

KCM continues to operate the electric buses

In 2016, KCM was awarded a grant under the second round of the FTA Low-No program to add eight more 40-foot Proterra Catalyst buses in 2017

In 2017, the agency entered into a contract with Proterra to purchase up to 73 BEBs

KC Metro is committed to an environmentally-friendly fleet and plans to purchase 120 BEBs by 2020.

References

Case Study Source
Eudy, Leslie and Jeffers, Matthew. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Zero-Emission Bus Evaluation Results:
King County Metro Battery Electric Buses. https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/research-innovation/115086/zero-emission-bus-evaluation-results-king-county-metro-battery-electric-buses-fta-report-no-0118.pdf

About King County Metro (KCM)
King County Metro (KCM) provides public transit service to King County, Washington. Its service area covers more than 2,000 square miles, including the Seattle metro area, and contains more than 2 million residents. KCM’s bus fleet operates on 215 routes and serves approximately 395,000 passengers each weekday, on average. This fleet of 1500+ vehicles contains buses of several different propulsion types, including standard and hybrid diesel buses, battery electric buses, and electric trolley buses.

Project Stakeholders: U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), DOT’s Research, Development, and Technology Office (OST-R)

Image source:
King County Metro. kingcounty.gov

Overview

Company: Vermont Municipal Case Studies including the municipalities of Jericho, Milton, Winooski, and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission
Type: Municipal fleet
Location: Vermont
Case Study Publishing Date: June 2016
Fleet Size: N/A
Program Goals: Leverage special leasing program to begin implementing EVs into municipal fleets to achieve goals established in the State of Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP)
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: Various diesel, gas, and personal travel / mileage reimbursement

Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission: Mileage reimbursement from personal travel

Town of Milton: 2002 Chevrolet Malibu

City of Winooski: The city removed five older vehicles from their fleet including an unmarked police car, a diesel truck, a sedan and two pick-up trucks

Replacement Vehicle Class Light-duty passenger class
Vehicle Use Case: Various; primarily short-distance travel
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: In 2013, Vermont municipalities were presented with an opportunity to lease Mitsubishi i-MiEVs through a special leasing program offering the vehicles at $110 a month for three years with no down payment.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 7 total

Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission: 2

Town of Milton: 1

City of Winooski: 4

Types of EVs: Mitsubishi i-MiEVs
EV Deployment Timeline: October 2013 - October 2016
Miles Driven:

Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission: 7,000 miles/year

Town of Milton: ~5,000 miles/year

City of Winooski: ~1,200 miles/year

CHARGING OVERVIEW:
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 public charging
Charging Infrastructure Cost: Various

City of Winooski: $1,600 for the unit and installation
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: Municipal leasing program for $110 a month for three years with no down payment
Operations & Maintenance Costs: N/A

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: No special training was required for drivers
Change Management: Deployment and training were relatively simple with no challenges

Summary

Program Results:
Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission:

Employee reimbursement has proved more cost-effective than operating an electric vehicle; it costs CCRPC approximately $10,000 more a year to operate EVs due to fixed costs, variable usage, and non-optimized utilization
Town of Milton:

The town saved approximately $1,500 in fuel costs
City of Winooski:

The city saved 38% on equivalent fuel costs

Lessons Learned:
Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission:

The Planning Commission had both positive and negative experiences with EVs

EVs were successfully transitioned into fleets with no employee complains regarding vehicle performance
Town of Milton:

The city had both positive and negative experiences with EVs

The city realized economic savings but struggled to find practical applications the EVs in cold weather months

EVs were successfully transitioned into fleets with no employee complains regarding vehicle performance
City of Winooski:

The city has had a positive experience with EV, realizing cost savings and reducing noise pollution improving quality of life

EVs were successfully transitioned into fleets with no employee complains regarding vehicle performance

Next Steps:
Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission:

CCRPC continues to provide vehicles for employee use to work toward achieving state climate and energy goals
Town of Milton:

The town continues to operate EVs
City of Winooski:

The city continues to operate EVs

References

Case Study Source
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. Electric Vehicle Fleet Case Studies 2016. https://www.ccrpcvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/V2-FINAL-CCRPC_EV_Fleet_CaseStudies_CCRPC.pdf

Image source:
Photo credit: Gina Campoli. https://accd.vermont.gov/sites/accdnew/files/documents/CD/CPR/2019_EVSE_Program_Description_and_Application_Round_2_FINAL_190320.pdf

Overview

Company: City of Winter Park, Florida
Type: Municipal fleet
Location: Winter Park, Florida
Case Study Publishing Date: 2020
Program Goals: Begin integrating EVs into the City’s fleet as part of the Winter Park’s first sustainability action plan
Replacement Vehicle Class: Class 1 passenger vehicle; Toyota Highlander Hybrids at the end of their service life
Vehicle Use Case: Short-distance travel by city employees
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective:In 2017, the City of Winter Park purchased its first EV, a 2017 Ford Focus with a 115 mile range. Within the first year, employees from permitting department and traffic enforcement department began expressing interest in procuring additional EVs based on their positive experience with the City’s first EV.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 5
Types of EVs: 2017 Ford Focus
EV Deployment Timeline: In 2017 the City purchases its first EV

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: The City relies on public charging within Winter Park
Charging Infrastructure Costs: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $23,682.88 per vehicle, less federal incentives and credits

Vehicles were purchased through the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative resulting in a savings of $1,200 per vehicle

The City evolved traditional procurement from a competitive bid process to a lease agreement, allowing vehicles to be paid through a one-time, initial payment and ownership option after 24 months

Operations & Maintenance: N/A

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Training was conducted for drivers
Change Management: Initial impressions were mixed with speculation on economic benefits of EVs

Summary

Lessons Learned:

Employee Ride & Drive events helped familiarize employees with EVs and build confidence in fleet use cases; within the first year of use, initial skepticism dissipated

By evolving procurement to including leasing options that reduce upfront capital, EV business cases can become more cost justified by reducing initial upfront costs

Internal champions were critical to the project success; agility and adaptability is critical to building momentum and adoption

Next Steps:

The City learned that EVs provide more cost savings with increased usage and mileage

The City will be using telematics to inform future EVs to transition based on real-world usage

Using a data-driven approach, along with innovative procurement, the City will maximize ROI to speed fleet electrification

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Municipal Fleet Electrification: A Case Study of Winter Park, FL. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Winter-Park-Case-Study_FINAL.pdf

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

About Sourcewell
Sourcewell is a self-supporting government organization, partnering with education and government agencies throughout North America. They offer a cooperative purchasing program with over 300 awarded vendors on contract. On behalf of their 50,000 members, Sourcewell conducts competitive solicitations, awarding to the most responsive and responsible vendors. The result of this cooperative effort is a high-quality selection of nationally leveraged, competitively solicited contract solutions to help create efficiencies and meet the ever-challenging needs of current and future member agencies.

Image source:
Isaac Babcock. Winter Park / Maitland Observer. Electric cars charge for free in Winter Park.
https://www.orangeobserver.com/article/electric-cars-charge-free-winter-park

Overview

Company: Bolthouse Farms
Type: Terminal Truck Electrification
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Case Study Publishing Date: June 2020
Fleet Size: 1 terminal truck operating in two shifts
Program Goals: Emissions reduction (elimination), cost savings, and operational performance in support of corporate sustainability objectives
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: Diesel terminal truck / yard tractor
Replacement Vehicle Class: Class 8 Heavy-duty truck
Vehicle Use Case: N/A
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: Bolthouse Farms added three electric yard trucks and diesel equivalent vehicles to its aging fleet to determine cost-effectiveness and vehicle parity with comparative diesel models

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 3
Types of EVs: Orange EV Terminal Truck
EV Deployment Timeline: April 2018
Miles Driven: N/A

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 chargers
Charging Infrastructure Cost: Bolthouse Farms is currently working with PG&E's EV Fleet program to help identify additional capacity needs

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: California HVPI and CORE state purchase incentives reduced the purchase price significantly
Operations & Maintenance Costs:

The net fuel savings were 90% of what was previously spent on diesel fuel.

EVs outperformed their diesel counterparts in terms of downtime, resulting in 67 hrs/year for EVs vs 261 hrs/year for diesel

Maintenance savings were 80% in comparison to diesel vehicles, resulting in $.78/hr for EVs vs $3.93/hr for diesel
TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Training was conducted for drivers
Change Management: Initial concerns existed for EV performance and cost-effectiveness

Summary

Program Results:

The EV terminal truck had 75% less download and cost 80% less in repairs and maintenance compared to diesel equivalent

The EV terminal truck met performance objectives with only one primary operational incident that was quickly resolved

Deployment and training were relatively simple and without challenges

Fuel savings were 90% cheaper comparing diesel fuel costs of $15,750 annually versus $1,575 annually for EVs

Lessons Learned:

OEM collaboration can help overcome operational challenges for specific use cases and applications; in the case of Bolthouse Farms, EVs has to be retrofitted to push air out versus pull air in to avoid water intrusion

State incentives were critical to developing a cost-effective business case for EVs

By leveraging state incentives, vehicle costs were only slightly higher for EVs versus diesel

Driver and management satisfaction has been high

Stakeholder engagement is critical to operational success

Initial skepticism for vehicle performance was overcome by actual results

Next Steps:

Bolthouse Farms has continued to use the EV terminal truck in daily operations

EV terminal trucks have demonstrated proven technology and vehicle parity

Bolthouse Farms currently has five electric terminal tractors deployed with three more in budget 2021

Over a ten year period, Bolthouse Farms expects EVs in their fleet to remove 30 tons of NOx, 2.5 tons of HCs, 2 tons of Particulate Matter, and 45 tons of CO.

References

Case Study Source
Orange EV. Bolthouse Farms Presents Case Study of Orange EV Deployments https://orangeev.com/bolthouse-farms-presents-case-study-of-orange-ev-deployments/

ACT News. EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW: Bolthouse Farms Is Achieving Significant Emissions Reductions with Electric Terminal Tractors June 25, 2020. https://www.act-news.com/news/executive-interview-bolthouse-farms-is-adding-electric-terminal-tractor-technology/

Image source:
Orange EV. https://orangeev.com/bolthouse-farms-presents-case-study-of-orange-ev-deployments/

Overview

Company: City of Austin
Type: Municipal fleet
Location: Austin, Texas
Case Study Publishing Date: September 2020
Fleet Size: 6,000 vehicles including light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks, sedans, vans and equipment
Program Goals: Municipal fleet electrification aligned with the City's carbon neutral fleet goals
Replacement Vehicle Class: Light-duty vehicles
Vehicle Use Case: Short-distance travel by city employees
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective:In 2007, the City of Austin established a goal to achieve a carbon neutral fleet by 2020. The City has been actively working to transition their fleet and utilizes telematics to identify eligible vehicles. Electric vehicles have been allocated across departments to help normalize EVs across the city.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 300
Types of EVs: Kia Niro, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Chevrolet Bolt, Toyota Prius PRIME, Ford Fusion Energi, Ford F-150 XL PHEV
EV Deployment Timeline: Ongoing since 2007

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 charging, public charging
Charging Infrastructure Costs: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: The City has leveraged the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative for bulk purchasing outside of the traditional public bid process, saving an average of $1,300 per vehicle
Operations & Maintenance: N/A

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Employee trainings are held to provide practical information and Q&A
Change Management: N/A

Summary

Program Results:

10% of the City's eligible vehicles have been converted to EVs; this number represents 5.36% of the City's total fleet

Telematics data has indicated that the City could save $3.5M dollars over ten years through fleet electrification

Lessons Learned:

Model availability for EVs continues to be a barrier for fleet electrification

Bulk purchasing through stakeholders such as the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative help reduce capital costs and build market capacity by signaling market demand to manufacturers

The City has looked holistically at EV transitions and carbon neutrality, including utilizing mass transit and other forms of mobility as alternatives vehicle replacement

Next Steps:

The City plans to have 330 EVs in their municipal fleet by end of 2020

The City also plans for twelve electric transit buses by end of 2020, equivalent to reducing 600 personal vehicles

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Municipal Fleet Electrification: A case Study of Austin, TX September 2020. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Austin-Case-Study-Final-11.13.2020.pdf

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

Image Source
City of Austin. https://twitter.com/austintexasgov/status/1144350983591538690/photo/1

Overview

Company: City of Cincinnati, Ohio
Type: Municipal fleet
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Case Study Publishing Date: April 2020
Program Goals: Realize a city-wide goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 84% below 2006 levels by 2050, including operating 100% of the city buildings and fleet as carbon neutral by 2035 and tripling renewable energy generation for residents and businesses
Replacement Vehicle Class: Class 1 passenger vehicle
Vehicle Use Case: Parking enforcement vehicles
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: The Cincinnati City Council voted to procure EVs as part of the Green Cincinnati Program in December of 2018; in January 2020 the City purchased 3 EVs for a real-world pilot to inform future deployments

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 3
Types of EVs: Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt
EV Deployment Timeline: 2020

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: N/A
Charging Infrastructure Costs: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: Vehicles were procured via a municipal lease program through the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
Operations & Maintenance: Based on a sample of 11 vehicles, EVs are estimated to provide a 17% reduction in total cost of ownership

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: N/A
Change Management: Incorporating EVs into a fleet requires dedicated planning and infrastructure improvement

Summary

Program Results:

EVs are estimated to provide 17% reduction in total cost of ownership, providing up to $150,000 in operational savings, avoiding 65,000 gallons of fuel, and reducing GHGs by 1,450,000

Lessons Learned:

Fleet telematics assessments were critical to understanding replacement vehicle candidates

Structuring procurement via a municipal lease allowed the City to experience immediate cost-parity compared to light-duty municipal sedans, not including incremental savings from reduced fuel spend

By evolving procurement to including leasing options that reduce upfront capital, EV business cases can become more cost justified by reducing initial upfront costs

Private leasing allows the City to apply the federal electric vehicle tax credit to each vehicle

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will be considered as the market matures

Next Steps:

Twenty additional EVs were planned for procurement in 2020

The City remains focused on deploying EVs in the fleet

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Municipal Fleet Electrification: A case Study of Cincinnati, Ohio 2020. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Cincinnati-Case-Study_April2020.pdf

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

Image Source
City of Cincinnati. https://twitter.com/cityofcincy/status/1171097231635755009

Overview

Company: City of Binghamton
Type: Municipal fleet, charging infrastructure
Location: Binghamton, New York
Case Study Publishing Date: March 2020
Fleet Size: 300 vehicles
Program Goals: Municipal fleet electrification aligned with the City's sustainability goals
Replacement Vehicle Class: Light-duty vehicles
Vehicle Use Case: Short-distance travel by the City's planning department
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective:In 2017 the City became the first southern tier New York city to earn the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Clean Energy Community designation, which included a $250,000 grant for sustainability investments. Grant funds were used in support of the City's sustainability goals, including funding allocation for two zero-emission vehicles.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 2
Types of EVs: Nissan Leaf
EV Deployment Timeline: April 2019

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 charging
Charging Infrastructure Costs: $4,385
Charging equipment and installation was paid through a $2,500 New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant and $1,895 from the City's general fund

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $50,000
The City leveraged the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative for direct municipal purchasing outside of the traditional public bid process
Operations & Maintenance: N/A

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: N/A
Change Management: N/A

Summary

Lessons Learned:

The City was able to purchase its first EVs aligned with its public charging infrastructure

The EVs are displayed prominently and serve as a public awareness tool to drive market adoption

Next Steps:

The City has established an EV-first policy for all eligible vehicle replacements

The City also plans for twelve electric transit buses by end of 2020, equivalent to reducing 600 personal vehicles

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Municipal Fleet Electrification: A case Study of Binghampton, NY September 2020. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Binghamton-New-Case-Study-Final-8.31.2020.pdf

The City of Binghampton. Blog post. City Installs Electric Charging Stations Recreation Park http://www.binghamton-ny.gov/city-installs-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-recreation-park

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

Image Source
City of Binghampton. http://www.binghamton-ny.gov/city-installs-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-recreation-park

Overview

Company: Maven Gig
Type: Ride-sharing
Location: London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Washington, DC
Case Study Publishing Date: September 2018
Fleet Size: 190,000 members
Program Goals: Evaluate EV use case for ride-sharing services. Demonstrate a consistent demand for public charging to encourage more infrastructure deployments from charging service providers.
Replacement Vehicle Class: Passenger vehicles
Vehicle Use Case: Ride-sharing
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: Evaluate fleet electrification possibilities for Maven gig's ride-sharing use case starting with a pilot in three target markets of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 190 EVs druing initial launch, including ~50 in Los Angeles, ~40 in San Diego, and ~100 in San Francisco
Types of EVs: Chevrolet Bolt
EV Deployment Timeline:

April 2017: test fleets begin operations in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco

August 2018: EV fleet expands to four new markets: Austin, Baltimore, Boston, and Washington, DC

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Public charging was used as the primary means of charging vehicles
Charging Infrastructure Costs: Maven partnered with charging provider EVgo to offer EV drivers unlimited access to fast charging stations on EVgo’s network

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: Flat weekly rental rates including unlimited miles, maintenance, and insurance coverages. EV weekly rental rates included unlimited charging at any EVgo charging station and select regional charging networks. EVs were listed for a 15% premium over gasoline-powered vehicles.
Operations & Maintenance Costs: N/A

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: N/A
Change Management: N/A

Summary

Program Results:

The pilot consisted of ~1,000 Bolt EVs that drove a total of 21 million electric miles averaging 125 miler per day, per car

EVs on the Maven Gig platform were in high demand; Bolt EVs represented one of the platform’s most popular vehicles

223,000 DCFC charging events were completed resulting in 6.59 Million kWh energy consumption

Drivers primarily charged Bolt EVs at public EVgo stations, though a small percentage charged at home and smaller percentage charged at non-EVgo charging stations

Lessons Learned:

The Bolt EVs were rented for longer periods of time than gas powered alternatives, supporting the company’s business case for EV fleets

One DC fast charging station is likely to support 10-12 vehicles per day in high-mileage, shared-use deployments

Most cities at the time did not have enough fast charging to support rapid electrification of ride-share vehicles

Ride-sharing EV use cases will depend fast charging infrastructure

Partnerships with private companies, cities, and electric utilities to advance public charging is critically important to making the business case for electrified shared mobility

The Austin market was an all-electric fleet; Maven formed partnerships with both Austin Energy and the City of Austin to leverage learnings and existing charging networks

Ride-sharing provides a key channel for OEMs to advance consumer awareness and adoption

Maven Gig drivers were advocates for the Bolt EVs making it one of the most popular vehicles on the platform

EV deployments within shared mobility expand transportation electrification to a broader cross-section of society

Next Steps:

Maven planned to continue to invest in the electrification of its Maven Gig program

In April 2018, Maven and EVgo expanded their partnership with EVgo’s announcement of a plan to build a network of dedicated DC fast charging stations for Maven Gig EV drivers

As an early adopter in mobility services, Maven Gig planned to continue to build a sustainable business model that included EV fleets; however, as of April 2020, GM closed the ride-sharing program

References

Case Study Source
Electrification Coalition. EV Case Study: The Electric Bellwether? 2012. https://www.electrificationcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/FedEx_case_study.pdf

About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, serving customers in more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express has been a first-mover on hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), deploying its first hybrids in 2005.

Image source:
FedEx. https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/fedex-closes-in-on-vehicle-fleet-fuel-efficiency-goal-years-ahead-of-schedule/

Overview

Company: Silver Spur Court Condos
Type: Multi-family charging
Location: Rolling Hills Estates, California
Case Study Publishing Date: August 2019
Fleet Size: N/A
Program Goals: Bring on-site charging to Silver Spur Court
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: N/A
Replacement Vehicle Class N/A
Vehicle Use Case: N/A
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: Two-phase implementation of charging infrastructure

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: N/A
Types of EVs: Light-duty passenger class
EV Deployment Timeline: N/A
Miles Driven: N/A

CHARGING OVERVIEW:
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 charging; 27 charging ports deployed in two phases
Charging Infrastructure Cost:
The HOA utilized Southern California Edison’s Charge Ready program to help guide and administer the program. The Charge Ready program provides for the procurement and installation of make-ready EV charging infrastructure including transformers, panels and conduit. Once fully completed, owners paid a small fraction of the project cost.

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: N/A
Operations & Maintenance Costs:
HOA residents were able to lower their overall individual cost by strategically positioning the two-port charging stations to serve two parking spaces, cutting the number of charging stations they needed to install in half.


TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Basic training was provided to residents
Change Management: No special requirements were required for change management

Summary

Program Results:

Residents have been extremely happy about the project

Cooperation amongst residents allowed for ease of implementation

Charging equipment installation was fast and easy with minimal disruption to residents

Lessons Learned:

Without a utility-sanctioned Charge Ready program, the project would have been delayed and deemed cost-prohibitive

Stakeholders recommend other HOAs understand residents’ needs and meet regularly during the project

The project benefited from bringing the local utility into the process early for subject matter expertise

Next Steps:

With a reliable place to charge, five residents decided to go electric, and 11 of 18 total units now have electric cars

The HOA believes the condos have increased in value by adding on-site charging for residents

References

Case Study Source
Southern California Edison. Charge Ready Case Study: Silver Spur Court Condos 2019. https://www.sce.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/2019.08.26_Silver%20Spur%20Condo%20Case%20Study.pdf

Image source:
Southern California Edison. https://www.sce.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/2019.08.26_Silver%20Spur%20Condo%20Case%20Study.pdf

Overview

Company: City of Charlotte
Type: Municipal fleet, charging infrastructure
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Case Study Publishing Date: October 2020
Fleet Size: 5,500 vehicles including 2,700 light-duty vehicles and 700 heavy-duty vehicles
Program Goals: Municipal fleet electrification aligned with the City's sustainability goals
Replacement Vehicle Class: Light-duty vehicles
Vehicle Use Case: Short-distance travel by the City employees
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: Test and evaluate the real-world driving conditions and total cost of ownership for fleet electrification. In partnership with the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative and telematics company, Sawatch, the City deployed telematics on ten potential EV candidate vehicles during 2019.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 42
Types of EVs: Various; procurement via the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
EV Deployment Timeline: Beginning in 2019; test pilot was completed for 90 days

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Public charging installation began in 2012; networked EVSE was installed in 10 target locations
Charging Infrastructure Costs: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
The following data was captured and modeled from ten real-world ICE vehicles using telematics data to inform projected savings by replacing the top five candidate vehicles
Capital Costs: N/A
Operations & Maintenance:

2,870 gallons in fuel savings

$11,400 total operational savings

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: N/A
Change Management: The use of telematics data to model savings and applications has allowed for efficiencies in transitioning fleets at scale

Summary

Program Results:

Using telemematics data for a 90 day test, the City discovered that by replacing the top five vehicles in a cohort of ten would result in a 31% decrease in fleet GHG emissions, saving 2,870 gallons of fuel per year, reducing Cost Per Mile (CPM) by 67%, and achieving operational savings of $11,400 per year

Lessons Learned:

The City was able to begin effectively transitioning its fleet at a larger scale due to its policy-first approach

The City's Sustainable and Resilient Fleet Policy has been regarded as a "gold standard" for fleet electrification

Utilizing direct procurement from the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative is critical for implementation agility

The City's public charging infrastructure was critical to operationalizing their own fleet

The City's fleet team, environmental services, and building department developed a strategy to identify and maintain owned charging networks

The City has installed telematics data to inform future purchasing decisions using real-world vehicle data to support and inform business cases that model true total cost of ownership

The City has evolved procurement policies for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles

Next Steps:

The City has established an EV-first policy for all eligible vehicle replacements

The City plans to purchase an additional 27 EVs in FY2021, bringing the City’s total EVs to 42

The City also plans for five electric transit buses by end of 2020

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Municipal Fleet Electrification: A case Study of Charlotte, NC October 2020. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Charlotte-Case-Study-Final-11.9.2020.pdf

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

Image Source
City of Charlotte. https://charlottenc.gov/Pages/CitySpotlight/Drive_electric.aspx

Overview

Company: Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) with funding from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and support from Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. Participating School Districts include Amherst Regional Public School District (Amherst), Cambridge Public School District (Cambridge), and Concord Public School District (Concord)
Type: School Buses
Location: Massachusetts
Case Study Publishing Date: April 20, 2018
Fleet Size: Various

Amherst Regional Public School: privately operated 10-vehicle fleet supported one single technician

Cambridge Public School District: privately operated transporting 2,500 students

Concord Public School District: transporting over 3,400 students from Concord, Carlisle, and two local private schools

Program Goals: Compare real-world GHG reductions, fuel efficiency benefits, operational costs compared to diesel buses, and V2G capabilities for a school district bus electrification. Further, evaluate EV school bus viability and technology in cold weather environments.
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: Diesel school buses
Replacement Vehicle Class Class C school buses
Vehicle Use Case: Student busing between 35-45 miles per day
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: Amherst Regional Public School District (Amherst), Cambridge Public School District (Cambridge), and Concord Public School District (Concord) deployed one electric school within their school district as a first-of-its-kind cold weather pilot for 279 days.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 3; 1 per participating school district
Types of EVs: Lion eLion Class C battery electric school bus with 104 kWh battery and 75 mile range
EV Deployment Timeline:

Fall of 2015: project was initiated in the

June 2016-January 2017: procurement, site preparations and vehicle readiness

February 2017-February 2018: vehicle deployment, training, and ongoing evaluation

Miles Driven: 13,902 miles

CHARGING OVERVIEW:
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2
Original pilot called for bidirectional charging (V2G or V2x); however technology was deemed cost prohibitive. Cost estimates ranged from $162,500 – $227,500 for on board system requirements, and $140,400 - $270,400 for off board system requirements.
Charging Infrastructure Cost: $3,000-$10,000

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $327,500 per vehicle
The project included $400,000 in grants
Operations & Maintenance Costs:

Fuel economy was 2.38 average kWh/m

Electric vehicle energy costs were $7,240 over the course of the pilot

Estimated diesel equivalent buses would have cost $4,413

Demand charges made up a significant portion of total costs: $2,608 and can be reduced with managed charging.

Maintenance costs were not collected for the three electric school buses nor comparable diesel buses from the participating school districts.

All electric buses had reliability or mechanical issues, ranging from noisy cooling fans, to charger failures, to bus breakdowns while in service

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: School districts experienced challenges with inadequate training
Change Management: Charging costs were estimated to be 63% higher than necessary inadequate change management

Summary

Program Results:

Electric buses emitted 10.2 tons GHG in the pilot vs. 23.7 tons GHG that would have been emitted by a diesel

Bus efficiency ranged from 1.3 to 1.4 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per mile, providing a range of 70 to 80 miles.

Total average consumption is 2.38 average efficiency (kWh/m)

Participating school districts encountered a number of mechanical and logistical challenges

OEM addressed issues during and after pilot and re-deployed vehicles with zero reported operational issues

All three of the deployed buses were out of service for a relatively high number of days and logged fewer than half as many miles than the average diesel bus

Unmanaged charging and high vampire loads contributed to electric bus energy costs being 63% higher than necessary

Energy savings from electric school buses were much smaller than anticipated, due primarily to uncontrolled charging

High vampire loads were associated with auxiliary fans and heaters used to heat or cool batteries during charging

Fueling costs were not lower for the electric school buses versus traditional diesel buses

Lessons Learned:

Electric school buses present a viable vehicle technology that can reliably be deployed in school bus operations

Electric school buses are energy efficient and produce fewer greenhouse gases as compared with diesel school buses

Procurement processes should be run in tandem for vehicle acquisition and charging infrastructure

Bus operating efficiency decreased in lower temperatures

Electric school bus range increased with temperature

Managed charging of buses will dramatically affect energy savings and total cost of ownership

Charging should occur at off peak times e.g. charged at night, rather than during the day when electricity use is already high

Coordination with local utility's early-on is critical to understanding rate structures and demand charges

V2G or V2B electric school bus systems are not cost-effective at present. Any V2X system would present relatively high risk to participating school districts and require close management by school or district staff to realize financial savings.

Developing a proactive charging plan is critical to managing cost-effective operations

The buses were early models and different from the Lion buses in production at the pilot’s conclusion.

Lion learned from the issues the school districts experienced and worked to improve their technology

Next Steps:

Though the pilot has ended, the school districts still operate the electric buses and DOER continues to evaluate their impact. Amherst, Cambridge, and Concord report data weekly to the Department of Energy Resources

Through a vehicle lifecycle cost comparison, Concord is developing a plan to transition 80% of its bus fleet to electric.

References

Case Study Source
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. Electric School Bus Pilot Project Evaluation. https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/04/30/Mass%20DOER%20EV%20school%20bus%20pilot%20final%20report_.pdf

Alternative Fuels Data Center. Case Study: Massachusetts School Fleets Get Answers through Electric Bus Testing. https://afdc.energy.gov/case/3092

About Massachusetts Clean Cities
The Massachusetts Clean Cities works with vehicle fleets, fuel providers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to save energy and promote the use of domestic fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in transportation.

Image source:
Alternative Fuels Data Center. https://afdc.energy.gov/case/3092

Overview

Company: Foothill Transit
Type: Public Transit
Location: San Gabriel and Pomona Valley region of Los Angeles County, California
Case Study Publishing Date: June 2017
Fleet Size: 376 buses
Program Goals: Test performance and viability of battery electric buses (BEBs) on a dedicated route
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: CNG buses
Replacement Vehicle Class: Public transit bus
Vehicle Use Case: The BEB fleet operates on Line 291, a 16.1-mile route that travels between La Verne and Pomona; the line serves a transit dependent community and has high ridership
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: 2.1 miles per diesel gallon equivalent

Case Study

Objective: After an initial demonstration in 2014, Foothill Transit purchased twelve next-generation BEBs from Proterra through a $10.2 million grant under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program. Foothill Transit began operating the fleet of 12 battery electric buses (BEBs) on its Line 291, a 16.1-mile route that travels between La Verne and Pomona and routes through Pomona Transit Center where one fast charger is located for on route charging.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 12
Types of EVs: Proterra 35’ composite body buses with on-route charging capabilities
EV Deployment Timeline:

March 2014: Foothill Transit began operating the new fleet of electric buses on line 291

April 2014 through July 2015: initial testing period

August 2015 through December 2016: second testing period

Miles Driven: BEBs operated 501,037 miles over 58,497 hours of operation

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Two Eaton 500 kW DCFC chargers, with two charge heads, capable of charging in less than 10 minutes per bus
Charging Infrastructure Cost: $665,000 (install and charger); Foothill Transit has a contract with Proterra to maintain the chargers and associated equipment at a cost of $1,500 per month

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $904,490
Foothill Transit purchased the buses in 2013 with delivery in 2014. However, the purchase price for BEBs continues to decrease over time, Foothill Transit costs have dropped from $1.2 million to just under $800,000 per BEV

2009 - 35-ft BE35 fast charge buses - $1,200,000

2013 - 35-ft BE35 fast charge buses - $904,490

2014 - 40-ft Catalyst fast charge buses - $825,000

2015 - 40-ft Catalyst extended range buses - $789,000

Operations & Maintenance Costs:

BEB availability was slightly lower at 90% compared to 93% for the CNG baseline buses

During the data period, Foothill Transit paid an average of $0.17/kWh for electricity for the BEBs and $0.96/gge for CNG

Energy cost for the BEB fleet equates to $0.37 per mile in comparison to CNG buses on the same route at $.50 per mile

To avoid demand chargers, Foothill Transit worked with Proterra to provide fleet management software that manages rate schedules and charge management resulting in a lower electricity cost over time

Average per-mile maintenance costs were $0.21/mi for BEBs and $0.22/mi for CNG buses

The total maintenance cost is $0.14/mi for BEBs and $0.20/mi for CNG buses

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Training was conducted for drivers, operations, and maintenance staff
Change Management: Deployment and training were relatively simple with no challenges

Summary

Lessons Learned:

The current fleet of twelve 35-ft BEBs continues to operate well, accumulating more than 902,000 miles (as of December 2016)

Route reviews are essential to right-fit BEBs based on driving range, duty cycle, and charging opportunities

Agencies could benefit from conducting route analysis and simulations to meet the range requirements

Short-range, on-route-charged buses are inflexible and cannot be deployed at other service routes that do not connect to an on-route charging location

Route schedules need to be adjusted to accommodate BEB charging time

Higher use of air conditioning lowers the effective range in hotter months; summer schedules are adjusted to account for more charging time

On-route fast chargers operated reliably with minimal issues, none of which resulted in downtime for the buses

Foothill Transit’s combined BEB fleet (17 buses) has been charged more than 119,000 times since the fast chargers were installed.

Availability of the two charging heads was 98% and 99%.

Proterra reports that the high voltage batteries are showing little to no signs of capacity degradation to date, and current estimates show they may last for up to 12 years

Foothill Transit earned approximately $126,000 of Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits

Foothill Transit reports that there is still a lot of learning as the agency ramps up to a larger BEB fleet

Next Steps:

Foothill Transit’s combined fleet includes 17 Proterra BEBs including three first-generation BEBs and two new 40-ft BEBs

The BEB fleet has driven more than 1,134,000 miles

References

Case Study Source
Leslie Eudy, L., and & Jeffers, M (2017). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Foothill Transit Battery Electric Bus Demonstration Results: Second Report. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy17osti/67698.pdf

About NREL
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. The full case study is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Image source:
CalTransit. https://caltransit.org/about/50-years/member-profiles/foothill-transit/

Overview

Company: Avista Corp
Type: Charging infrastructure
Location: Eastern Washington, northern Idaho and part of southern and eastern Oregon
Case Study Publishing Date: October 18, 2019
Fleet Size: N/A
Program Goals: Test infrastructure requirements to further regional EV goals and advancement
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: N/A
Replacement Vehicle Class: N/A
Vehicle Use Case: N/A
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: Avista conducted a three-year Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) pilot in beginning in 2016, with the main objectives of understanding (1) light-duty EV load profiles, grid impacts, costs, and benefits, (2) how the utility may better serve all customers in the electrification of transportation, and (3) begin to support early EV adoption in its service territories. Networked and non-networked charging equipment was procured from six different manufacturers and installed in residential and commercial properties across Avista's service territory. A total of 439 EVSE charging ports were installed in a variety of locations, including 226 residential, 123 workplace, 24 fleet, 20 multiple-unit dwelling, and 7 DC fast charging sites.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: N/A
Types of EVs: N/A
EV Deployment Timeline: N/A
Miles Driven: N/A

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Networked and non-networked Level 2 chargers, Level 3 direct-current fast charger (DCFC)
A total of 439 EVSE charging ports, including 226 residential, 123 workplace, 24 fleet, 20 multiple-unit dwelling, and 7 DC fast charging sites. Charging equipment included:

Residential AC Level 2 - networked

Commercial AC Level 2 - networked

DC fast charging site

Residential AC Level 2 – non-networked

Commercial AC Level 2 – non-networked
Charging Infrastructure Cost:

Residential AC Level 2 - networked; $2,445

Commercial AC Level 2 - networked; $6,035

DC fast charging site; $128,084

Residential AC Level 2 – non-networked; $1,766

Commercial AC Level 2 – non-networked; $4,472

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $3.1 million in capital investments
Operations & Maintenance Costs:

Residential AC Level 2 - networked; $370/yr O&M, 98% uptime, 66% online

Commercial AC Level 2 - networked; $600/yr O&M, 86-93% uptime, 76-86% online

DC fast charging site; $1,550/yr O&M, 87% uptime, 87% online

Residential AC Level 2 – non-networked; $5/yr O&M, 100% uptime, NA online

Commercial AC Level 2 – non-networked; $185/yr O&M, 99% uptime, NA online

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: N/A
Change Management: N/A

Summary

Program Results:

EV adoption increased from 23% in 2016 to 41% in 2019

Over 53,000 charging sessions were completed and analyzed

Average charging utilizing was 17 sessions per month, consuming 7kWh per session in 1.6 hours, charging at 3.3 or 6.6. kW

Customer feedback surveys reported 98% customer satisfaction with EVs and EVSE performance, 85% satisfaction for non-networked EVSE

Networked EVSEs proved to be significantly more expensive to maintain with higher failure rates and repairs

DCFC installations were capital intensive and require alternative rate designs for effectiveness

EVs removed 4 tons of CO2 emissions annually; an 80% reduction from gasoline vehicles

EV market introduction and advancement tactics included education and outreach efforts, low income programs, dealer engagement including a referral program, residential EVSE offerings, and installation of chargers at workplace, fleet, multiple-unit dwelling and public sites

Lessons Learned:

Pilot participants were highly satisfied with their experience

Non-networked EVSE are preferred from a customer experience and cost perspective

Networked EVSEs are significantly more expensive to install and maintain, and resulted in higher failure rates

EVSE-to-network interoperability and standards are critical to market advancement

The majority of charging was from residential applications with peak energy consumption occurring between 5-7pm

Energy load was similar across EV and driver types, with higher consumption from commuters on weekdays

Residential and workplace customers accepted 75% peak load reductions by remote utility controls without negative effects on driving habits or overall satisfaction

Grid impacts and peak load costs may become significant over longer-term timeline

Light-duty EV loads will be manageable; analysis includes they will have little effect on grid distribution over the next ten years

Utility programs are effective at catalyzing market adoption

Workplace charging was proven to spur market adoption

Low dealer engagement, a lack of EV inventories, and EV perception issues continue to be a major barrier to mainstream EV adoption

Next Steps:
The pilot allowed Avista to be well positioned to propose a comprehensive Transportation Electrification Plan in both Washington and Idaho service territories, that includes major areas of education & outreach, dealer engagement, community & low-income, EVSE infrastructure, load management, commercial fleets, rate design, internal programs, planning, and grid integration

References

Case Study & Image Source
Czerniak, Jon, Farley, Rendell, Vervair, Mike. Avista Corp. Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Pilot
Final Report October 2019. https://www.myavista.com/-/media/myavista/content-documents/energy-savings/electricvehiclesupplyequipmentpilotfinalreport.pdf?la=en

About Avista
Avista Corporation is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Its largest subsidiary, Avista Utilities, serves more than 600,000 electric and natural gas customers across 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon.

Overview

Company: Amazon.com
Type: Urban logistics / delivery trucks
Location: France, Italy, and Spain
Case Study Publishing Date: N/A
Fleet Size: 30,000 delivery vehicles and 20,000 branded trailers
Program Goals: Test operational impacts for electric delivery vans within three target markets to enable the transition of EVs and work toward achieving Amazon's long-term goal of powering its global infrastructure using 100% renewable energy
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: Mixed; diesel and gas Class 1 and Class 2 urban delivery vans
Replacement Vehicle Class Class 1 urban delivery vans
Vehicle Use Case: Local, short-distance delivery with low speeds and high stopping frequency
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: XXX

Case Study

Objective: Test real-world implications of EV fleet electrification by deploying Class 1 delivery vans equipped with telematics in three target city's worldwide including Paris, Milan and Madrid representing a wide range of operating temperatures

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: N/A
Types of EVs: Multiple EV models were operated and monitored
EV Deployment Timeline: June and December 2018
Miles Driven: >20,000 miles

CHARGING OVERVIEW:
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 charging
Charging Infrastructure Cost: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: EV procurement costs were 20-50% higher
Operations & Maintenance Costs: Maintenance was not a primary objective of this testing and not actively tracked

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Basic training was provided, no special training requirements
Change Management: Driver feedback has been mixed; concerns existed for range anxiety and performance

Summary

Program Results:

Real-world range was 19% lower than standardized test cycle results

Fuel savings were more than 50% in Europe

Fuel economy ranged from 44 - 145 miles per diesel gallon equivalent (MPDGE)

Significant range loss was experienced in cold temperature

Vehicle procurement is currently estimated at 20 to 50 percent premium

Lessons Learned:

Expanded charging infrastructure will be required for widespread fleet deployments

No special training was required of drivers

Global EV fleets will deliver additional cost-savings and business value combating congestion pricing and operating in low emission zones

While it was found that no special driver training is required, there is a need to route EVs differently focused on short-haul trips to reduce range anxiety

Charge management software and time of use programs are critical to managing demand charges

Last miles delivery was identified as a suitable application for fleet electrification

Next Steps:

Amazon continues to integrate EVs into their fleet globally

References

Case Study Source
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). Amazon.com: EV Case Study. https://www.bsr.org/en/collaboration/groups/future-of-fuels/case-studies/anderson-dubose-ev-case-study

Image source:
Amazon.com. https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/environment/sustainable-operations/transportation

Overview

Company: The City of Des Moines, Iowa
Type: Municipal fleet
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Case Study Publishing Date: November 2020
Program Goals: Explore fleet leasing as a viable alternative to vehicle purchasing
Replacement Vehicle Class: Class 1 passenger vehicle
Vehicle Use Case: Short-distance travel by city employees in the Community Development Department
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective:The City of Des Moines, Iowa engaged with the The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing
Collaborative to identify suitable vehicles for EV replacement and explore cost-effective procurement strategies via a municipal leasing program

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 4
Types of EVs: Nissan Leaf
EV Deployment Timeline: 2020

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: N/A
Charging Infrastructure Costs: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $23,899 per vehicle, less federal incentives and credits

Vehicles were purchased through the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative resulting in a savings of $7,700 per vehicle compared to MSRP

The City evolved traditional procurement from a competitive bid process to a lease agreement, allowing vehicles to be paid through two annual payments and a 36 month closed-end lease term with a $5,578 residual buyout

Operations & Maintenance: N/A

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: N/A
Change Management: N/A

Summary

Lessons Learned:

Structuring procurement via a municipal lease allowed the City to experience immediate cost-parity compared to light-duty municipal sedans, not including incremental savings from reduced fuel spend

By evolving procurement to including leasing options that reduce upfront capital, EV business cases can become more cost justified by reducing initial upfront costs

Private leasing allows the City to apply the federal electric vehicle tax credit to each vehicle

Utilizing a closed-ended lease program allows the cCity to test the vehicles and decide wether to keep or replace with new models

Next Steps:

The City plans to utilize EVs as they work toward developing a comprehensive climate action plan

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Saving Money with Electric Vehicle Leasing November 2020. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Leasing-Case-Study-Final-11.24.2020.pdf

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

Overview

Company: The City of City of Ann Arbor
Type: Municipal fleet
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Case Study Publishing Date: June 2020
Fleet Size: 215 vehicles
Program Goals: Municipal fleet EV purchase aligned with Ann Arbor's carbon neutral policy
Replacement Vehicle Class: Class 1 light-duty vehicles
Vehicle Use Case: Short-distance travel by city employees in the motor pool, the water treatment plan, and code enforcement divisions
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective:After an update to the City's Green Fleets Policy in 2018, the City of Ann Arbor's City Council directed City staff to begin incorporating EVs into their municipal fleet wherever possible. The City established a working partnership with the The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative to develop strategies and policies for light-duty fleet electrification. In 2019, the City conducted a pilot to evaluate viability of EV fleet electrification.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 3
Types of EVs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt
EV Deployment Timeline: 2019
Ann Arbor’s City Council passed their Climate Action Plan at the end of 2012 with a goal to reduce community-wide emissions by 25% by 2025 and 90% by 2050. At the time, no goals were set for city fleets.

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 charging
Charging Infrastructure Costs: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: N/A
Operations & Maintenance: N/A

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: N/A
Change Management: N/A

Summary

Lessons Learned:

The pilot deployment was well received by City staff

The City learned that aligning fleet replacements with end of life cycles allows for stronger EV business cases

Creative procurement alternatives such as municipal leasing reduce and/or eliminate capital requirements to catalyze EV programs

Alternative funding sources from state and federal funding programs such as the Michigan Volkswagen Settlement funding, FTA Low or No Emission Program, and various other incentives are a critical component to mobilizing on policy goals

Next Steps:

The City's Fleet Plan now reflects considerations for life cycle costs, fuel type and fuel efficiency standards

The City has expanded their fleet electrification goals committing to a total of 20 EV and PHEVs in 2019-2020

References

Case Study Source
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative). Municipal Fleet Electrification: A case Study of Ann Arbor, MI June 2020. https://driveevfleets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Ann-Arbor-New-Case-Study-Final-9.10.2020.pdf

About the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a joint effort by Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell working toward accelerating the transition of city fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). By creating a new and innovative cooperative purchasing mechanism, the Collaborative is reducing major barriers to fleet electrification for cities and other public agencies. In addition to an innovative cooperative purchasing option, the Collaborative offers a host of technical resources, analyses, and staff support, which reduces major obstacles to fleet electrification.

About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 466 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston).

About the Electrification Coalition
The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies.

Image Source
City of Ann Arbor Michigan. https://www.a2gov.org/a2energy/homeowner/pages/plug-in-electric-vehicles.aspx

Overview

Company: Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection)
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California
Case Study Publishing Date: December 2018
Fleet Size: 121 fully accessible transit buses and 63 paratransit vehicles
Program Goals: Evaluate cost effectiveness and fleet electrification viability for battery electric vehicles within public transit
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: Diesel trolley replicas at the end of their expected service life
Replacement Vehicle Class Public transit trolley bus
Vehicle Use Case: Public transportation on a free circulator route through San Francisco
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: 3.1 miles per gallon

Case Study

Objective: In January 2017 County Connection began operating a fleet of four battery electric buses (BEBs) in its service area. Performance was tracked and analyzed from June 2017 through May 2018.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 4
Types of EVs: Gillig/BAE Systems 29-ft Trolley-replica buses built by Gillig with BAE electric propulsion system
EV Deployment Timeline:

January 2017: electric bus fleet operations begins

June 2017 - May 2018: timeframe of fleet performance and analysis

Miles Driven: 65,000

CHARGING OVERVIEW:
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2, WAVE induction charging
Two plug-in chargers at the facility for overnight charging averaging 126 minutes for total charge time per vehicle
One 50-kW WAVE inductive charging pad for wireless charging during scheduled layovers; average charge time of 6.9 minutes
Charging Infrastructure Cost: ~$105,000

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: $1,053,689 per vehicle
The project was funded from a $4.32million FTA Clean Fuels grants
Operations & Maintenance Costs:

Fuel economy was 13.3 mpdge

Electric vehicle energy costs were $.73/mile over the course of the pilot

Total operating cost per mile ($/mi) for electric buses were $1.11 per mile compared to $.84 from diesel comparable vehicles

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Training was conducted for staff and operators
Change Management: Deploying BEBs presents a new technology for for transit staff to take over all maintenance responsibilities after the warranty period ends; staff did not have the skill set needed to fully maintain BEBs

Summary

Program Results:

The battery buses averaged between 950 and 1,300 miles per month, with an overall fleet average of 1,074 monthly miles per bus

The battery fleet’s fuel economy was 3.8 times higher than that of the diesel trolley buses operated on the same service route and 2.6 times higher than that of the diesel buses operated on all the County Connection routes

Maintenance costs for the battery buses were 13% less than that of the diesel buses

The monthly energy consumption for inductive charging averaged 8,725 kWh

Plug-in charging averaged 105 charges per month and 2,658 kWh energy consumption per month

Fuel economy fluctuated with temperature, decreasing during months over 80°F, averaging 13.3 mpdge

The average fuel cost per mile for the battery fleet during the evaluation period was $0.73/mi

Diesel buses were less sensitive to seasonal variations

The charging efficiency for depot charging was 92.8% and the efficiency of the inductive charging was 85.2%

The battery fleet’s total propulsion-related maintenance cost were 28% lower than that of the diesel buses.

Total operating cost per mile for electric buses was $1.11 per mile, compared to $.84 from diesel comparable vehicles


Lessons Learned:

On-route charging is critical to effective operations

Induction charging was not as effective as possible due to prioritization of requirements for reliability and system uptime

Change management plans are critical to cost-effective operations; ensuring proactive charging and reduced demand charges

Maintenance teams were unable to take-on end-to-end responsibilities to fully maintain BEBs

The agency worked closely with the manufacturers to address early issues with charging and bus maintenance; availability was much higher during the last 8 months of the pilot with an average availability of 84.7%

Next Steps:

County Connection continues to operate the electric buses

In early 2020 the agency was awarded a second FTA grand to purchase additional electric buses; the agency is evaluating all its routes to determine candidate routes and vehicles

References

Case Study Source
Eudy, Leslie and Jeffers, Matthew. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Zero-Emission Bus Evaluation Results:
County Connection Battery Electric
Buses. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/72864.pdf

About Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection)
County Connection provides fixed-route and paratransit bus service for communities in Central Contra Costa County.

Project Stakeholders: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT), DOT’s Research, Development, and Technology Office (OST-R), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Image source:
County Connection. http://countyconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/DSCN1339-R--1024x768.jpg

Overview

Company: Anderson-DuBose
Type: Terminal Truck Electrification
Location: Rochester, NY
Case Study Publishing Date: January 2019
Fleet Size: 1 terminal truck operating in two shifts
Program Goals: Emissions reduction (elimination), cost savings, and operational performance in support of corporate sustainability objectives
Fleet Conversion Vehicles: Diesel terminal truck / yard tractor
Replacement Vehicle Class: Class 8 Heavy-duty truck
Vehicle Use Case: Repositioning cargo trailers in two shift operation at distribution center
Replacement Vehicle Fuel Consumption: N/A

Case Study

Objective: Immediate deployment of a pure electric terminal truck to replace its diesel terminal truck in daily operations.

VEHICLE OVERVIEW
Number of Vehicles: 1
Types of EVs: Orange EV Terminal Truck
EV Deployment Timeline: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018
Miles Driven: 796 miles

CHARGING OVERVIEW
Charging Infrastructure: Level 2 in-depot chargers
Charging Infrastructure Cost: N/A

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Capital Costs: New York state purchase incentives reduced the purchase price, resulting in a 12% higher vehicle price after incentives were applied
Operations & Maintenance Costs:

The net fuel savings were ~88% of what was previously spent on diesel fuel.

Charging the truck cost about $1.83 per day, compared to about $15.80 in diesel fuel.

Maintenance savings is ~$7.61 per day

TRAINING & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Training: Training was conducted for drivers
Change Management: Deployment and training were relatively simple with no challenges

Summary

Lessons Learned:

Replacing a heavy-emitting diesel yard truck with an EV proved an important step in contributing to sustainability efforts of both Anderson-DuBose and its customer McDonald’s

The EV terminal truck fully met performance objectives

Deployment and training were relatively simple and without challenges

The EV terminal truck provided better working conditions for Anderson-DuBose employees resulting in smoother, cooler, quieter, and cleaner operations

Management is pleased that they can provide a safer and healthier working environment for employees while also contributing positively to neighbors and the broader community

Next Steps:

Anderson-DuBose has continued to use the EV terminal truck in daily operations

EV terminal trucks have demonstrated proven technology and vehicle parity

Based on meeting objectives in sustainability, performance, and ROI, Anderson-DuBose recommends fleets pursue electrification of terminal trucks

References

Case Study Source
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). Anderson-DuBose: EV Case Study. https://www.bsr.org/en/collaboration/groups/future-of-fuels/case-studies/anderson-dubose-ev-case-study

Image source:
Orange EV. https://orangeev.com/anderson-dubose-company-deploys-first-orange-ev-electric-yard-truck-mcdonalds-distribution-network/