Location: Roanoke, VA
Fleet Type: Large Class 8 Logistics Company
Narrative
During the third year of the Drive Electric Virginia project, Virginia Clean Cities provided technical assistance to Jason Soucy, Director of Finance and Administration with Watsontown Trucking, on the planning and acquisition of five class-8 Volvo NRV electric trucks. These electric trucks were some of the first to be deployed in Virginia. During this process, VCC met regularly with Jason to evaluate the cost and benefits of electrification and determine the most suitable location to station these trucks the charging equipment.
Through their connection with VCC, Watsontown Trucking was able to identify additional financial incentives in Pennsylvania and leverage those funds to replace additional diesel trucks with electric NRVs at the Pennsylvania distribution centers. They are now successfully operating these trucks in a regional haul model, delivering goods between their distribution centers.
Outputs & Outcomes
Two major outputs resulted from this event – a) Watsontown Trucking is now planning to purchase and deploy additional Volvo NRV trucks at their distribution center b) The company has identified significant grant and tax incentives for acquiring class-8 EVs.
Best Practices & Lessons Learned
- Trucking companies are seeking ways to reduce fuel costs and electrification is cost-competitive with diesel now.
- Financial incentives and grant funding significantly ease the process of acquisition.
- A strong leadership team committed to electrification is mandatory to see a fleet electrification process to a successful completion.
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