Major Companies Join New Alliance to Accelerate Transition to Electric Vehicles

January 22, 2020 /3BL Media/ - Ceres announces the launch of a new alliance to help companies accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, a key component of tackling the climate crisis.

The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance will help member companies make and achieve bold commitments to fleet electrification, and is expected to boost the electric vehicle market by signaling the breadth and scale of corporate demand for electric vehicles -- expanding the business case for the production of a more diverse array of electric vehicle 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 electric vehicles are an essential component of this transition,” said Ceres’ VP of Climate and Energy Sue Reid. “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 electric vehicles -- 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. The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance is where the rubber hits the road.”

Companies also have a clear economic incentive to electrify their fleets. Electric vehicles 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 electric vehicle 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 development and deployment of electric vehicles and infrastructure at scale.

The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance helps address these challenges by providing a platform for members to collaborate to identify challenges and potential solutions, and to leverage aggregate corporate demand to:

• Expand production of new and increased volumes of electric vehicle models,
• Grow the electric vehicle market and improve economies of scale, 
• Encourage the adoption of supportive policies and the removal of policy barriers, and
• Foster peer-to-peer learning by sharing industry best practices.

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. Some have already made significant commitments to electric vehicles, and will look to the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance to help them meet their goals. 

“As part of The Climate Pledge, which includes the purchase of 100,000 Rivian electric delivery vans and a commitment to deliver 50% of shipments with net zero carbon by 2030, we are pursuing the highest standards in transportation sustainability. But we can’t get there alone, said Kara Hurst, Head of Worldwide Sustainability at Amazon. We’re looking forward to working with fellow Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance members to share best practices to remove carbon emissions from our transportation business.” 

“AT&T is committed to reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions and supporting broader climate action,” said Charles Herget, Assistant Vice President, Global Environmental Sustainability for AT&T. “To help advance climate solutions, like vehicle electrification, it is critical to take part in collaborative efforts like The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance.  We look forward to working with other companies and EV leaders to make progress on this topic.”

“We’re working to reduce our ecological footprint in everything we do, from field to final product – and that includes transportation, the largest source of carbon emissions in the U.S.,” said Elysa Hammond, Vice President of Environmental Stewardship, Clif Bar & Company. “We’ve committed to electrifying our fleet, supporting our employees transition their own cars, and working with other companies to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles. Carbon emissions need to be cut, and there’s no time for the slow lane."
 
“Electric vehicles stand to provide a huge benefit to the planet and to the economy," said Brian Rich, Consumers Energy’s Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. "Consumers Energy is excited to join the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance, which will provide an important way for fleet owners to share best practices and send a signal that corporations are ready to support this once-in-a-generation change,” 

“DHL is very excited to be joining the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance as a founding member,” said Mike Parra, CEO, DHL Express Americas. “As part of our commitment to achieve net zero emissions from transport activities by 2050 globally, we have set the ambitious interim target of performing 70% of first- and last-mile operations with green vehicles by 2025. Electric vehicles will play an important role in reaching that target, so we very much welcome the Alliance’s efforts to realize the potential of EVs and accelerate their production and integration into transport networks around the world.”

“As a company with a significant vehicle fleet here in North America, we're focused on tapping into the myriad benefits of electric vehicles,” said Jennifer Stoff, Fleet Manager, Direct Energy. We are looking forward to collaborating with like-minded companies to work toward moving the market and accelerating the transition to EVs.” 

”We've been providing our employees alternative transportation options for more than two decades, and are the first company in the world to incorporate electric double-decker motor coaches in our fleet," said Andy Jefferson, Director of Transportation for Genentech. "We are excited to have begun electrifying our sales vehicle fleet and look forward to partnering with members of the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance to help promote the benefits of fleet electrification." 

”We have a commitment to use electric vehicles for all of our in-home furniture deliveries by 2025, and we know that we’ll need to collaborate with our partners to make it happen,” said Steven Moelk, Project Implementation Manager, Zero Emission Delivery, at IKEA Retail U.S. We’re excited to team up with like-minded companies and work together toward an improved electric vehicle market and supportive policies through the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance.”  

“We know that companies have a responsibility to limit their emissions, and that electric vehicles are an effective way to fulfill that responsibility. That’s why we joined EV100 and it’s why we have set ourselves the ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions from our total fleet by 2030. We also know that electric vehicles can be good for the bottom line. Our customers want them. We want them. And it’s why we’re pushing the EV market forward through the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance,” said Felipe Smolka, Executive Vice President, Transformation, LeasePlan.

“The future of transportation is electric. From shared electric scooters to managing our programs with clean electric operations vehicles, we know that advancing electric transport is the path to a zero carbon future,” said Andrew Savage, Vice President Sustainability, Lime.  “We’re excited to join Ceres and other industry leaders in forging the rapid transition we need toward cleaner transportation necessary to effectively combat the climate crisis.”

“Given our corporate commitment to being carbon neutral by 2030, electrifying our fleet is an essential step,” said John DeBoer, Head of Siemens eMobility and Future Grid Business Unit, North America. “We’re looking forward to joining with other companies to accelerate the adoption of EVs for fleets, consumers, transit agencies, and others through the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance.” 

“Many companies understand the myriad benefits of fleet electrification, but they’re lacking a supportive alliance of like-minded peers committed to sharing best practices and collaborating to move the market,” said Sara Forni, Senior Manager of Clean Vehicles at Ceres. “The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance is filling that gap, and powering companies forward into the low-carbon future.”

“The Climate Group is excited to join Ceres as an engagement partner on their new initiative, the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance,” said Amy Davidsen, Executive Director, North America, The Climate Group. The transportation sector is the fastest-growing contributor to climate change and businesses have an important role to play in accelerating the transition to electric transport. By working in partnership with Ceres we aim to scale-up corporate leadership on electric vehicles in the US. The Alliance will provide additional practical guidance to companies looking to implement their commitments to initiatives like EV100 – our leading corporate leadership campaign on EVs - making it easier for more US businesses to go electric by 2030.”

The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance is currently accepting new members. To learn more, visit https://www.ceres.org/corporate-electric-vehicle-alliance.