200 Fleets Test Drive Electric and Hydrogen Trucks in Fresno, CA

Fresno, California (ZeroRig) – Nearly 200 fleets attended the Zero Emission Truck and Off-Road Showcase and Ride & Drive in Fresno, CA on June 21st. Valerie Thorsen, Deputy Director of the San Joaquin Regional Office at CALSTART, kicked off the event and began her speech with the claim, “Zero emission everywhere starts here”. 

And that’s exactly what it felt like to roam the grounds at Fresno State’s Save Mart Center. There were close to a thousand people and dozens of exhibits, information booths, and vehicles to “Ride & Drive”. The event was abuzz with excitement for zero emission vehicles and a zero emission future.

Highlights from the Introductory Address

The event featured an incredible lineup of over 30 OEMs, over 15  vehicles for test drives which included Class 4-8 tractors, delivery vans, yard trucks, refrigerated trailers, all-electric agriculture and construction equipment.

Valerie Thorsen had the following to say regarding the industry: “The transformative power of clean transportation technology isn’t just something for the distant future. It is a reality today. As you’re all here to witness and experience, zero emission vehicles are not only possible, they are efficient, practical and crucial for the health of our environment and our communities.”

Next, John Boesel, President and CEO of CALSTART, took to the stage. He emphasized that CALSTART and the zero-emission industry as a whole work to create jobs, cut pollution, and fight climate change.

“This is a historic day”, said John Boesel. “This is the first time there’s ever been this many zero emission commercial vehicles available  … We are now at the point where we’ve got these kind of vehicles that can compete head-on with diesel and in many ways perform much better.”

John Boesel also mentioned that of the 822 registered participants, 200 were fleets. This shows that the Ride and Drive event was doing well at getting real truck drivers into the driver’s seat of many vehicles – the overall goal of the show.

Cal Fleet Advisor

CalFleetAdvisor Launch

One of the biggest new items from the event was the launch of CalFleetAdvisor, a free advisory program for traditional fleets looking for guidance in their transition to zero emissions. The program is partnered with California HVIP, California Air Resources Board, California Climate Investments, and CALSTART. 

According to their website, CalFleetAdvisor helps fleets with the following areas:

  • Total Cost of Ownership
  • Potential Fuel Savings
  • ZEV models that match your fleet’s needs
  • Funding and Rebate Opportunities
  • Regulatory, Compliance, and Safety Information
  • Utility Resources
  • Charging options
  • Industry Referrals

CalFleetAdvisor’s intake through the event was nearly 100 fleets. That means that a very high proportion of the 200 fleets that attended the show sought this new free tool. 

Clare Bachman from CalFleetAdvisors sat down with ZeroRig for an interview.

Wes Barton: I’m here with Clare from CalFleetAdvisor. Clare, what do you offer fleets?

Clare Bachman: We offer fleets a variety of things. Mainly we help them with the accessibility issues they have surrounding the transition to zero emission technology. We will give them an overview of which incentive programs they’re qualified for, connect them directly with dealers, OEMs, and we’re trying to give them a variety of options that match their needs so we’re being impartial.

Additionally we’ll run Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analyses. We will help troubleshoot any issues they have going through the HVIP process, because we also have access to all that information [regarding] their current vouchers and things like that. 

Our intake process basically shows and gives us the exact amount of information that we need to then give the fleet the information that would help and nothing that would be a waste of time. 

Wes Barton: What challenges do you find you can help fleets with the most easily? What are the common successes?

Clare Bachman: We can help fleets most easily when they don’t know where to start. 

Wes Barton: Oh ok! So from ‘ground zero’. They have an interest in zero emissions but they don’t know how to get started.

Clare Bachman: Yes!  It’s easier for us to help people who are at ‘ground zero’, which is pretty common. So someone who doesn’t know which vehicles are on the market, some one who hasn’t been able to get a call back from a dealer or OEM, we can ensure that they’ll be able to speak with someone, especially if they’re an HVIP dealer.

Additionally, if someone is at risk of having to cancel an order because of infrastructure issues we can help them as well. 

Wes Barton:   How is CalFleet Advisor funded?

Clare Bachman: We’re a government funded program. We’re funded by HVIP administrative funds…We thought of putting the funding towards non-financial support for fleets. 

Wes Barton: Would it be correct to call it (CalFleetAdvisor) a consultancy? Or do you think that’s incorrect?

Clare Bachman: More like a free consultancy. And that free consultancy is more towards advisory services. The term we use is technical assistance. 

Wes Barton: Aside from the problems of just getting started, what common hiccups do you find fleets run into when they’re trying to transition [to zero emissions]?

Clare Bachman: So fleets run into hiccups like not getting all of the money on incentives that they’re actually eligible for. They also will purchase a vehicle that doesn’t necessarily match their operations when it comes to routes and GVWR and different specifications like that. 

Another huge [problem] is that fleets don’t talk to their utility early on enough in the process [of transitioning]. So then they’ll order a vehicle and they wait until the last minute to do infrastructure and that ends up being an issue. Those are the big ones.

Wes Barton: Do you recommend off-grid power solutions? There’s a few here [at the show]. Have you run into issues where somebody needs a stop-gap solution?

Clare Bachman: Yes, I have. And in those situations we’ll recommend mobile charging solutions. 

Wes Barton: Typically when people run into hiccups with the utility do you see [the problems] resolved within a year? Or are these longer-term issues?

Clare Bachman: Most of the time we see them resolved within a year.

Wes Barton: Thank you for your time and the interview.

Clare Bachman: Thank you so much!

Ride and Drive and Showcase OEM Participants

The ‘main event’ of the show was the ‘Ride and Drive’, the opportunity for truck drivers and fleets to get behind the wheel on a variety of zero-emission vehicles to really test the driving experience of an electric or hydrogen vehicle.

The test track was busy all day, with hundreds of participants test-driving dozens of vehicles.

Participating OEMs:

Resource Fair

Inside the Save Mart Center was the Resource Fair. It hosted thirteen resource booths for fleets to gain an understanding of financing, incentives, regulations, and answer any questions they may have regarding zero-emission vehicles and their transition. 

Participating Resource Fair Members Included:

VIP Walkaround Tours

Shortly after the introductory speeches, a VIP Walkaround Tour of the show’s outdoor exhibits took place. The tour was lead by a member of the California CORE (Clean Off-Road Equipment) team. 

Major exhibits included in the tour included:

CARB’s ZEV Truckstop Workshop

Later in the morning California Air Resources Board released their new information portal for zero-emission trucks called ‘ZEV Truckstop’. You can view the website yourself here. 

The session walked attendees through the website’s various information assets. The session was attended by fleets to guide them through the different tools available.

Major sections of the website include:

ZEV 101 – Serves as an introduction to zero-emission vehicles

Incentives and Funding – Resources and information on financials for ZEVs

Regulations – Information and guidelines on regulations regarding ZEVs

Training and Events – Upcoming industry events and opportunities for training

Infrastructure – Data and help on charging infrastructure for fleet operation

Stay tuned for more events from CALSTART.