Flexibility, Scalability Information OK Produce’s Path to Fleet Electrification – Fleet Administration
Along with 10 Freightliner eCascadia vehicles, OK Produce can also be working three Orange EV yard tractors at its Fresno, California, distribution middle.
Photograph: NACFE
Fresno, California’s OK Produce is a third-generation produce wholesaler that was based in 1950 by present CEO Brady Matoian’s grandfather. The corporate locations a precedence on offering its grocery retailer prospects throughout California and southern Oregon with contemporary fruit and veggies which might be grown, dealt with and distributed in a sustainable, environmentally accountable method.
That dedication to sustainabiity additionally carries over into its fleet operations. It is wrapping up the primary part of a a three-step, true zero-emissions plan that can quickly energy its total fleet of electrical vehicles with 100% solar energy and it is sharing its experiences with different fleets by means of the North American Council for Freight Effectivity‘s Run on Much less Electrical-Depot program.
ROL-E Depot is a year-long examine by NACFE analysts finding out real-world battery-electric truck use and infrastructure points. The aim is to assist North American fleets start to transition to battery-electric vehicles by conveying classes discovered by fleets within the examine. NACFE not too long ago launched a profile of OK’s Produce’s electrification progress.
Dynamically Allotted Energy
“The 100 miles surrounding Fresno is probably the most vibrant rising area on this planet,” Matoian defined in a NACFE video showcasing the corporate’s efforts. “It additionally occurs to be the worst air air pollution basin within the nation. So, what can we do to attenuate our impact on Mom Nature? As a result of our enterprise depends on it.”
The reply to that query for OK Produce is a three-phase fleet electrification plan that can use zero-emission photo voltaic vitality to energy its fleet of electrical vehicles. This contains huge investments in photo voltaic panels blanketing the roof of its facility buildings, in addition to the corporate car parking zone. These photo voltaic panels generate electrical energy that’s used to energy 10 Freightliner eCascadia vehicles, three Orange EV yard tractors, in addition to seven Volvo VNR Electrical vehicles anticipated to be delivered quickly.
All informed, OK Produce at the moment has 12,000 photo voltaic panels put in at its Fresno facility. These situated on the primary constructing generate about 4.5 megawatts of electrical energy. And people protecting the car parking zone produce round 2 MW. Mixed, the system generates wherever from 6.5 million to 7 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy.
That energy is distributed by way of 9 Heliox chargers. The fleet managers can monitor the corporate’s total, proprietary energy grid in addition to the state of all electrical automobiles with BP Pulse Omega cost administration software program.
By this method, 600 kW of energy is offered to 3 180-kW energy cupboards. Every cupboard has three dispensers every, for a complete of 9.
“The Heliox charging system has the power to dynamically route energy in steps of 60 kW,” mentioned Job Van Campen, product supervisor, Heliox.
“What this implies is that if a car arrives by itself and hooks as much as the dispenser, it will get full 180 kW energy. If a second car arrives, it will get 120 kW. After which if a 3rd truck hooks up, all three get 60 kW. In order that’s most use of the out there energy, and one of the best ways to distribute that energy.”
Part 2 Fleet Electrification
Part II of OK Produce’s electrification plan will probably be even greater, Matoian mentioned, constructing out 27 charging ports distributing 2 MW of photo voltaic vitality to the vehicles.
“And that’s actually vital. As a result of emissions-free is one factor. However really clear is solar-powered electrical.”
Key to OK’s success was working the Pacific Fuel and Electrical Firm EV Fleet Staff, which offered OK Produce with beneficial steerage earlier than, throughout and after Part I.
“Plenty of packages that we’re working within the state of California are funded by the California Public Utilities Fee,” mentioned Tim O’Neill, EV fleet specialist, PG&E EV Fleet Staff, within the NACFE video. “EV Fleet is the second program. It’s designed to help with putting in their charging infrastructure after they’re placing into service medium- and heavy-duty electrical automobiles.
“We help the purchasers financially and design-wise. Making an attempt to plan out and get their infrastructure in in order that when their automobiles present up they really have charging stations and may function their automobiles.”
Along with 10 Freightliner eCascadia vehicles, OK Produce can also be working three Orange EV yard tractors at its Fresno, California, distribution middle.
Photograph: NACFE
Discovering associate to assist throughout that prolonged course of is vital, O’Neill confused.
“When you’ve gotten a buyer that desires to have a big charging station for these sort of vehicles, it does take rather more planning and we often should do rather more of an improve to our system,” he cautioned.
Rigorously Pushing the Limits
All that electrical energy has one function, after all: Energy OK’s rising fleet of electrical vehicles.
“Three years in the past, Freightliner offered us with three electrical vehicles, I used to be hooked on them earlier than they began the PowerPoint,” Matoian mentioned. “After, I used to be actually excited and, on the spot, mentioned, ‘I need to purchase your first 10.’”
Driver response has been enthusiastic, added Faron Pittman, transportation coach, OK Produce. Out of the roughly 100 drivers on the fleet, 55 have already certified to drive the electrical fashions.
Bob Thomason, director of transportation for OK Produce, added that though enthusiasm for the brand new vehicles was excessive, the method of feeling out the brand new vehicles was very measured.
“The aim was to begin conservatively with a few of our smaller routes and simply check the waters,” Thomason mentioned. “We went from a 40-mile to, possibly, a 60-mile route proper right here in Fresno and got here again with 73% life on our battery, to pushing the boundaries and touring as much as Oshers, California.”
Thomason mentioned the run to Oshers is all uphill — all the best way. However with regenerative braking on the best way again, the vehicles arrived again at OK Produce with 47% battery life left.
“And, we thought — Wow! Hey, that is actual,” he mentioned. “That’s like an 80- to 120-mile route relying on the stops. So, we’ve seen it. We’ve examined it. And we’re persevering with to sort of check and transfer exterior of our consolation zone a bit bit.”
Electrical Yard Tractors
OK can also be on a studying curve with the Orange EV electrical yard tractors. Through the infrastructure set up, OK opted to maneuver the store operations elsewhere. That transfer, mixed with the conclusion that the brand new photo voltaic grid was already delivering a variety of extra energy, prompted the adoption of the electrical yard tractors.
“Yard vehicles actually are the optimum truck for electrification for therefore many causes,” mentioned Zack Ruderman, VP, gross sales and advertising, Orange EV. “Whether or not it’s the beginning/cease that helps with regen braking, the inefficiency with the diesel model and the challenges with uptime for diesel variations of the yard vehicles. The truth that the charger may be proper there on website in order that there’s no points with vary anxiousness.
“And when it’s designed proper, you simply don’t want that a lot energy. You don’t want enormous battery packs to achieve success. We’ve designed this truck in order that [it can handle] two-shift operations, three-shift operations. We’ve loads of operations which might be 24/7.”
Johnny Saenz, transportation supervisor and driver for OK Produce, added that charging the Orange EV tractors is “extraordinarily” straightforward, and famous that the vehicles by no means have a battery cost beneath 40% throughout the workday.
“Electrifying our fleet actually appears like the precise factor to do,” Thomason mentioned. “We’ve had a variety of drivers reply positively, saying ‘We perceive. We see on the information that is our future. And we’re excited to be part of it’.”
