What do you do if your company is interested in adding an electric truck to the fleet but doesn’t want to endure a long waiting period or invest heavily in charging infrastructure, maintenance equipment, maintenance training or even the electric truck itself?
For longtime global transport firm Kuehne+Nagel the answer was found in Zeems Solutions’ fleet-as-a-service. California-based Zeems Solutions is part of a growing lineup of companies offering fleets an easier option for going all-electric without a lot of the headaches associated with buying EVs outright.
OEMs are catching on too, including Mack Trucks with its vehicle-as-a-service (VAAS) program that enables dealers to offer customers a quicker path to getting behind the wheel of their electric LR refuse truck without worrying about diving into costly and time-consuming entanglements that the transition to all-electric can bring. Growing government subsidies extending beyond California are expected to expand the fledgling commercial EV sector where service providers eager to get EVs into the hands of fleets can quickly tackle tough questions and help get piles of paperwork across the finish line.
“There are a number of both federal and state incentives available now, and many more coming, for our customers regardless of the purchase method,” said Ryan Saba, Mack Trucks energy solutions manager. “We have a dedicated resource on the Mack team who supports dealer partners and customers with this process.”
[Related: Knight-Swift receives first electric Kenworth]
Fleets can start with one truck and opt for a 60- or 72-month lease option backed by Mack’s Ultra Service Agreement, which Saba said ensures that “all maintenance and service will be performed by an EV-Certified dealer within the vehicles area of operation.”
Mack also supports charger installation.
