City-county fleet managers: Do your homework to determine if your jurisdiction should add EVs and hybrids

Written by Michael Keating

Does it make sense for local government managers to add electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrids to their fleets? “Each governmental body needs to evaluate that for themselves,” says Satish Jayaram, vice president of eMobility at ABM. His firm provides people and services, including EV charging solutions, to about 20 sectors in the U.S., such as all levels of government, including local government. In his role, Jayaram is responsible for leading ABM’s turnkey infrastructure solutions for vehicle and fleet electrification activities.

Jayaram says there are several factors to consider: “These would include evaluating the long-term benefits and considering the larger trends toward electrification as well as the funding that is available today to help move in that direction.” Jayaram explains that there are also state and local government incentives and funding sources for government fleets that can help fleet managers get up to speed on EV acquisitions. (Author’s note: This U.S. Department of Transportation site has links to several federal funding sources for EV infrastructure and related systems.)

The ABM executive says there are two actions to avoid: “One is to jump in uninformed. The other is to wait too long and play catch-up. There is time, money and expertise right now to take a clear-eyed look into developing a plan that can scale.”

Jayaram says now is the time to put pencil to paper and evaluate what works for your fleet as well as the environment. “Despite recent headlines, electrification represents the only viable path to decarbonize the transportation sector in the long run. The good news is that municipalities have the time to consider their needs over the long term and create a strategic plan that can scale over time.”

Jayaram spotlights the first step local governments should take if they are planning to add EVs or hybrid vehicles to their fleets: “Cities and counties should discuss the adoption of EVs and EV infrastructure needs with their local electric utility. Often these utilities are unable to supply enough capacity for the increased needs driven by EV chargers and must make upgrades to their system.”

So, what is a local government to do if the utility is unable to make upgrades or do them in a timely manner? In that case, Jayaram urges cities and counties to do the following: “The local entity should work with a company like ABMand our RavenVolt business, which supplies microgrid and EV infrastructure to help the utility support the increased demand.” ABM’s RavenVolt has worked with local governmental and/or utility agencies to support their microgrid needs and requirements.

One key question fleet administrators should ask, according to Jayaram: Is your facility and fleet infrastructure adequate for the job? More specifically, he says fleet managers should evaluate the available electric capacity from their existing infrastructure to ensure it can handle the added demand from the EV chargers. He offers this suggestion for administrators of fleets as they start the evaluation: “Fleet leaders should consult with a company like ABM to harden their infrastructure to support the need.”

Jayaram lists some of the ways his firm can assist the public sector on fleet electrification projects: “ABM serves over 20,000 clients across virtually every industry, from office buildings and stadiums, to manufacturing plants and ecommerce hubs, airports and universities. Our company can provide a host of solutions from engineering and design to full turnkey deployment.” In addition, the ABM organization can provide capital planning, grant, and incentive support as well as other financing solutions.

ABM is centralizing its eMobility, resiliency, and electrical infrastructure operations, services and training through an expanded multiuse facility. Officially named the ABM Electrification Center, the new facility will be co-located in Cumming, Ga., with the existing operations center of ABM’s RavenVolt, which provides turn-key microgrid systems and technologies.

Jayaram outlines some of the efficiencies of the facility that is now under construction: “Through this center, we can design and demonstrate use cases that fit specific needs and provide the training and services to protect EV infrastructure investments.” His company has also developed EV network software (ABM EV OS) that helps optimize fleet, charging as well as power management.

OMNIA Partners, who sponsors this page, offers a robust portfolio of cooperative contracts in the public procurement space. The firm lists a number of cooperative contracts that cover ABM contracts and related agreements. The contracts cover utility management solutions, smart technology and various services.

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].