Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization working with investors and companies to drive economic solutions, has launched a new alliance to help companies accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance will help member companies make and achieve commitments to fleet electrification. The alliance is expected to boost the EV market by signaling the breadth and scale of corporate demand for EVs – expanding the business case for the production of a more diverse array of EV models. It will also provide a platform to coordinate support for policies that enable fleet electrification.
“The climate crisis demands we decarbonize transportation – the highest-emitting sector in the U.S. – and EVs are an essential component of this transition,” says Sue Reid, vice president of climate and energy at Ceres. “With companies controlling more than half the vehicles on the road in the U.S. today, they have a tremendous role to play in leading the transition to EVs – both in terms of electrifying their own fleets and in leveraging their buying power to send a strong market signal to automakers and policymakers alike.”
Companies also have an economic incentive to electrify their fleets. EVs present significant benefits to companies, including cost savings on fuel and maintenance, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, freedom from reliance on volatile oil and gas prices, improved driver safety, enhanced company reputation and bolstered workforce recruitment and retention.
Ceres launched the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance to address the fact that the EV market is advancing, but not fast enough to meet the needs of every company. Automakers are not producing the necessary range of light-, medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle models at the economies of scale many fleet operators need. There are also opportunities for an improved state and federal policy landscape to accelerate the development and deployment of electric vehicles and infrastructure at scale.
The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance’s flagship members are Amazon, AT&T, Clif Bar, Consumers Energy, DHL, Direct Energy, Genentech, IKEA North America, LeasePlan, Lime and Siemens. These members operate some of the largest fleets in the U.S.
Photo: A Logo from Ceres website
