The City of Arvada displayed a Ford Hybrid Police Interceptor.
Davey Coach showcased two Ford eTransit vans.
Moser Energy Systems displayed a mobile charging station – powered by propane.
Welcome to the future of fleet vehicles.
Or at least that’s the undercurrent of the Drive Clean Summit and Expo put on by the Colorado Department of Transportation on Wednesday.
The transportation industry’s primary challenge is transitioning fleets into “green energy,” part of an overarching concept that, proponents say, takes advantage of technological advances to cut down on the use of fossil-fired energy, reduce pollution and save the environment.
More than two dozen commercial and government electric cars and trucks representing area vehicle fleets were on display at the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden, drawing more than 200 electric vehicle (EV) industry professionals, vendors and government representative to the event.
Attendees took the opportunity to get hands-on experience with new electric vehicles and technologies, interact with other fleet owners and users about their experiences, and meet manufacturers and dealers.
Some attendees signed up to take a ride and drive EVs on display, which ranged from sedans to delivery trucks to an electric street sweeper, as well as examine samples of EV charging infrastructure, which will likely become more and more ubiquitous in the coming years.
Indeed, the displays herald what’s coming. Car companies have been experimenting and pushing against the boundaries of the impossible.
Consider this: Electric Vehicle Energy Storage Company (EVESCO) displayed a model of a 20-foot containerized and transportable energy storage and vehicle charging system that can serve multiple vehicles and can recharge its megawatt battery pack at night, when electricity prices are low.
Meanwhile, fleet electrification analytics firm Sawatch Labs can provide real-time data on existing fleet operations and provide “suitability assessments” for fleet owners on how to electrify their vehicles and meet their sustainability goals.
Funding the transition
Yet new models and growing infrastructure were not the only attractions to the event, as conversations surrounding how to successfully transition service and delivery fleets from fossil fuels to green energy took center stage.
Panelists from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, the state Clean Fleet Enterprise (CFE), the City and County of Denver, Colorado Clean Diesel Program (CCDP) and CDOT delved into funding for electric mobility and goods transport.
The CFE is primarily dedicated to funding and incentivizing the purchase of electric trucks by collecting fees that would amount to “just south of about $300 million” over 10 years, according to Matt Goble, a policy and operations specialist at the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE).
The enterprise is funded through a $0.053 retail delivery fee paid on anything delivered by a motor vehicle to a location in Colorado, a $0.0375 per-ride fee in a zero-emission vehicle and $0.075 per-ride fee in a non-ZEV vehicle on transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft.
One attendee said fleet electrification may be out of reach for small operators because some of the funding comes as reimbursements rather than up-front grants, calling it a barrier to most small independent operators.
Goble, who is new to Colorado, was sympathetic but pragmatic, saying he is still sorting out the state’s complex procurement procedures and rules and he emphasized that funding is one of the biggest issues.
“I want you to understand we hear this and we will do everything within our power to do it, but to be clear, these two programs are expected to initially roll out as reimbursement-based programs,” Goble said.
Chicken and egg
The panel also explored efforts to reduce carbon emissions and environmental hazards through replacing older diesel engines, notably, electrifying delivery vehicles or moving to clean diesel.
Robert Spotts, mobility analytics program manager at Denver Regional Council of Governments and board president of Drive Clean Colorado (DCC), said the state has aggressive climate goals to reduce carbon.
He suggested that air quality is not the only consideration in Gov. Jared Polis' Greenhouse Gas Roadmap goals.
“There are really serious challenges, and we want to be here to assist you making these transitions. We don't want it to just help out the air quality environment,” Spotts said. ”We want these decisions to be a better opportunity for you – more reliable vehicles, hopefully affordable vehicles — and just great solutions for your organizations or for yourselves.”
Still, barriers remain when it comes to electrifying delivery fleets, he said.
Some distribution warehouse owners are hesitant to invest in electrifying their loading docks until the demand for charging exists.
“I've heard from some potential applicants that there's a bit of a chicken-and-the-egg situation with on-road delivery trucks and stuff,” said Jessie Lund, truck and off-road lead project manager at CALSTART and DCC board member. “They need the docks to be electrified before they'll electrify their fleets, but then the depots don’t want to electrify their docks until there's a fleet of electric trucks coming.”
Zuleika Pevec, a regional program manager at Clean Energy Economy, outlined the state’s federally funded Clean Diesel Program, which encourages non-road heavy equipment operators to eliminate diesel-powered equipment and switch to zero-emissions.
“Other states that have this funding generally use it to replace old diesel engines with newer, cleaner diesel engines,” Pevec said. “We've decided to focus our efforts on electrification and other zero emissions options in Colorado.”
Lund, the panel moderator, said it’s challenging to give away CCDP funding.
“So, we have a pool of about $3 million to $3.2 million right now,” Pevec said. “There's not really an average grant size. There's no cap right now for the amount of money that will be granted to any particular organization, but we can fund up to 45% of your project if it's a zero emissions project.”
