Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has added Ford E-Transit electric vans into its fleet, as part of its ASPIRE 2045 sustainability strategy, working toward its goals to replace 50% of its over-the-road fleet with alternative fuel vehicles by 2025 and operate a 100% zero-emissions fleet by 2035.
The introduction of 21 new Ford E-Transit vans represents a milestone for SoCalGas as the first battery electric vehicles to be integrated into the company’s fleet.
“The addition of Ford’s E-Transit electric vans to our fleet represents a significant achievement in SoCalGas’ advancement toward a zero-emissions future,” says Sandra Hrna, vice president, supply chain and operations support at SoCalGas. “By investing in technologies powered by electricity, hydrogen or renewable natural gas, we are advancing our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and accelerate decarbonization in a sector that has historically been a major contributor to GHG emissions.”
At the close of 2023, 38% of SoCalGas’ over-the-road fleet was powered by low- and zero-emission energy sources. SoCalGas’ current over-the-road fleet vehicles include 700 renewable natural gas (RNG) Ford F-250 service pickup trucks and 50 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCEVs).
SoCalGas and Ford are developing a hydrogen fuel cell F-550 prototype with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In 2025, they plan to demonstrate its performance in real-world conditions to help reduce GHG and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Ford’s light-duty electric vans have a range of up to 126 miles and are being used by employees to service SoCalGas’ industrial and commercial customers.
“E-Transit is a great solution for companies to reduce carbon emissions while lowering fleet costs associated with fuel and maintenance,” says Ted Haladyna, Ford Pro director of product marketing. “When low- and zero-emission vehicles are supported with the right infrastructure, it can be a win-win for business and the planet. Testing new technology with customers early in the development process, like we are doing with SoCalGas on the F-550 Super Duty hydrogen fuel cell electric truck, is another example of how our work together will bring the alternative fuel industry forward.”
To support a zero-emission fleet, SoCalGas is installing EV chargers throughout its territory powered almost exclusively by renewable electricity under Southern California Edison’s Green Rate program. SoCalGas recently added EV charging stations at its Compton, Brea and Newberry Spring locations, with plans to extend the network to 1,500 chargers across 65 facility sites over the next two years.
Learn more about SoCalGas’s sustainability efforts at socalgas.com/sustainability.