Renewable Properties has launched a new electric vehicle (EV) fleet charging service. The service will leverage the company’s extensive community solar development, land acquisition and electrical infrastructure expertise to provide a turnkey charging solution for companies transitioning their truck fleets from fossil fuels to electric power.
“The already-growing need for EV fleet charging is now more urgent with California’s new requirements for fleet electrification,” said Aaron Halimi, founder and CEO of Renewable Properties, a developer and investor in small-scale utility and community solar projects. “With our simple, straightforward charging-as-a-service solution, our work with Black & Veatch, plus our deep experience in distributed electrical infrastructure development and land acquisition, Renewable Properties is uniquely positioned to relieve fleet owners of the burden of navigating the complex implementation of EV charging infrastructure.”
Renewable Properties has selected global engineering and construction company Black & Veatch to design the first EV charging station on land that Renewable Properties recently acquired in Vacaville, California, a Bay Area transportation and distribution hub for major retail brands. This first station will act as a model for deploying more private charging depots for medium and heavy-duty electric truck and bus fleets on the West Coast.
“Black & Veatch continues accelerating the world’s transition to electric vehicles, and we’re pleased to be a part of Renewable Properties’ new service,” said Randal Kaufman, sales director for Black & Veatch. “As a leader in zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, we bring together key aspects of EV charging, distributed generation and high-power delivery infrastructure that are essential to keeping EV projects in motion.”
Charging at Renewable Properties’ depots will be offered via a charging-as-a-service agreement similar to a power purchase agreement (PPA), with no upfront costs to fleet owners and operators. Renewable Properties will site, build, own, operate and maintain the gated depots, with customers paying only for the kilowatt-hours used to charge their EVs. The charging depots will feature reserved electrical capacity, secure yards, vehicle storage, and EV chargers that will be compatible with most EV truck brands.
California businesses must comply with the state’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation, which went into effect on Jan. 1. ACF prescribes a phased-in transition to EV fleets, requiring any fleet operator with revenue greater than $50 million, or that controls more than 50 trucks, to begin electrifying their fleets. Affected fleet owners include retail brands with warehouse and distribution centers; public entities, including municipalities, tribal governments, state governments, county governments, public schools, colleges and universities; as well as owners of drayage truck fleets that transport cargo to and from California’s seaports and rail yards.
With these entities now facing benchmarks for electrifying their fleet vehicles, demand for EV fleet charging is set to skyrocket. But few options are currently available. Renewable Properties’ new service will be instrumental in filling the EV fleet charging gap in California and other states that are moving to set fleet electrification targets.
— Solar Builder magazine
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