Reducing global transportation sector emissions is a top priority.
Fleet Greening
Net zero by 2050 hinges on an unprecedented clean technology push to 2030.
Our transportation ecosystem has relied on coal, diesel, gasoline and natural gas since the latter part of the Industrial Revolution. It’s only been within the last 20 years that electric vehicles have started to come to the forefront. Progress toward greening this sector has been slow and incremental — until recently.
The pace of change has accelerated, with aggressive decarbonization deadlines being set in both the public and private sectors. Whether it’s New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority committing to electrifying the largest bus fleet in North America by 2040 or General Motors announcing its plan to stop selling gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2035, change is in the air. So where to start?
Planning is key
In moving toward the decarbonization of transportation operations, planning is a fleet owner’s most powerful tool, starting with answering these critical questions:
- What does future service look like with zero-emissions vehicles?
- What major projects need to be executed and when?
- How much will it cost?
- How long will it take?
- Who will be responsible for executing the projects?
- How do you engage the riding public and other external stakeholders?
- Where will the funding come from?
That last question is perhaps the most important of all. Fleet owners wrestling with decarbonization will rarely be in a situation where they have full control over their own destiny, but with the climate action stimulus funding being rolled out by governments around the world, the environment has never been better for advancing fleet decarbonized efforts.
Green is in the details
Greening transportation, particularly heavy fleets, is a complex undertaking, and there’s a lot to consider.
Overall, electric vehicles do not have the same range as fossil fuel vehicles, which can be especially problematic for larger vehicles, such as transit and school buses and garbage trucks. Service schedules may need to be redesigned to accommodate these newer fleets.
Each heavy vehicle represents the equivalent of 10 to15 passenger autos, and they’re stored by the dozens (or hundreds) at a single depot, meaning electric power infrastructure for these facilities will require significant upgrades. Maintenance and storage facilities will also need to be reconfigured or rebuilt to support new vehicle types and accommodate charging infrastructure.
Additionally, staff will need to be retrained, and new staff will need to be hired to drive and maintain these new vehicles. While this may trigger operational challenges, it also creates job opportunities in the green economy.
Reducing global transportation sector emissions is a top priority, and the greening of public and private vehicle fleets is one way for entire populations to take steps toward reducing their carbon footprint and environmental impacts.
Other considerations
It’s obviously critical to engage with internal stakeholders to define operational priorities and needs. But engaging with external stakeholders such as utility providers, municipalities and regulators, each of whom may be on the critical path, can be just as important.
After all, a fleet owner can deploy 100 electric garbage trucks, but if the utility can’t provide the power or the regulatory authority won’t approve a rate case that makes economic sense, the outcome may not be desirable.
Transit agencies across North America have been dealing with many of these challenges for years and have learned some valuable lessons. Chances are, if you were to ask any of them what they wish they had done differently, they would tell you they should have started sooner.
Net zero by 2050 hinges on an unprecedented clean technology push to 2030. Fleet owners in other sectors should benefit from these lessons and begin their planning processes now. Because in the world of transportation decarbonization, it’s already 2025. ■
More Resources
Marc DeSchamp shares his five-part series on green fleets.
Want to Green Your Fleet? Check out Five Common Misconceptions
Misconception 1: Transportation Electrification Projects are Mostly Vehicle Projects
Misconception 2: Any day now, there will be a battery that lets us avoid changing our operations
Misconception 3: Developing the technology was the hard part. Now we ‘just’ need to scale up
Misconception 4: Fleet operators just need to worry about their own operations
Misconception 5: Decarbonization is all about climate change