I’m headed to California next week for the Fleet Forward Conference, which is kind of fitting considering our guest for this show is located in Silicon Valley. If you’ve ever wondered what exactly this sustainability movement for vehicles – both fleets and consumers – means going forward, you’re not alone. There’s a lot of conflicting messaging out there that can make electric vehicles sound fantastic one minute, a little scary the next. Same thing goes for alternative fuels – you know the drill.

Our guest today is from Motiv Power Systems – and their goal is to free fleets from fossil fuels. Can it be done? Let’s find out.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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For as long as I’ve been in the fleet industry, I’ve been twiddling around with this question. Can fleets really be sustainable without EVs?

With a major lack of electric vehicle options to replace medium- and heavy-duty ICE trucks, EVs are unfortunately not a viable option for many utility fleets around the world…yet. 

As manufacturers continue to prioritize the electrification of non-commercial cars, SUVs and pickup trucks, fleets in need of heavier duty electric equipment are left without options. Which isn’t great – but in all fairness, it is easier to start with a vehicle line-up with smaller battery needs.

This doesn’t make internal combustion engine fleets a lost cause for sustainable practice though.

With sustainability being such a hot topic of the past decade, experts and advocates have evaluated how nearly all human activity could be improved to be greener. This is good news for fleet managers who do, in fact, have options for moving forward with sustainability goals, despite the lack of EVs.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

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To mark the spookiest, scariest day of the year, we’re bringing you the first ever Fleet FYIs Spooktacular special – Fleet HORROR STORIES.

A huge thank you to everyone that submitted ideas for this show - hopefully you enjoy our fun, light-hearted take on the spooky side of the fleet industry.

Happy Halloween!

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

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Today's spooky stories can be found here:

5 Spookiest Roads in the US: Sarah Barbod

The Second Fleet: News AU

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Have you ever wondered what the big ruckus is surrounding greenhouse gases and carbon emissions? Or perhaps, why fleets should be wary of how much they put out in their day to day operations?

Greenhouse gases - such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and certain synthetic chemicals - trap some of the Earth's outgoing energy, which in turn retains heat in the Earth's atmosphere.

The transportation industry along accounts for roughly 29% of the United States' greenhouse gas emissions. If we look at this with a world view - ten years ago, it was at 14%. Since then, the numbers have significantly grown.

But what exactly does this mean for fleets? And how are these two substances harmful? Well - you've landed yourself on the right episode to answer that question.

Let's dig in.


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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

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In today’s episode of Fleet FYIs shorts – we’re tackling a pretty common “tool”, I guess you could call it, for fleets. We’re talking about fuel cards. More specifically, the history behind fuel cards, why they’re used for fleets and how they first began to become a popular tool.

A fuel card or fleet card is used as a payment card typically for all types of fuels at gas stations or filling stations. Whilst most fleets use these for fuel (hence the name, fuel cards) fleet cards can also be used to pay for vehicle maintenance and expenses at the discretion of the fleet owner or manager. 

But wouldn’t you think that a standard credit or debit card could also suffice?

The answer is no – not really.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

Utilimarc on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

#UtilimarcFleetFYIs

#AskUtilimarc

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Share your thoughts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook with #UtilimarcFleetFYIs.
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I just got back from London, a city that – if you’re a frequent listener of our show – you’ll know is a city that is quickly electrifying. Trains, busses, subways and vehicles alike. And it got me thinking – in order to power all of these electric assets, you of course need batteries. A term that’s been floating around a lot lately in the industry is “lithium-ion batteries”. 

If you’ve heard of electric vehicles, which hopefully all of you have at this point, you’ll have heard of lithium-ion batteries. But with all the buzz surrounding this newer type of battery technology – we wanted to dig into how they were made.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

Utilimarc on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

#UtilimarcFleetFYIs

#AskUtilimarc

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There’s a ton of questions circulating in the industry that many people just like you want answers to.

I mean, that’s true anywhere – it’s not just fleet. 

The thing with the fleet industry though, is that we’re in the middle of a massive evolutionary movement for the technology that many of us use to complete our jobs on a daily/weekly basis. Yes, we’re electrifying – no surprise here.

But along with electrification, as more data becomes readily available to address questions, comments and concerns about where the industry is headed – the water may be murky as we go on ahead.

That's where we're aiming to clear things up a bit.

Each week, I’ll tackle a different trending question or comment that’s been revving engines across the industry – or bring in someone who can, all with the purpose of trying to make the fleet industry today (as well as where it’s headed) a bit easier to navigate. Each mini-show will be about ten minutes long - the perfect amount of time for a commute or your morning coffee.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

Utilimarc on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

#UtilimarcFleetFYIs

#AskUtilimarc

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Share your thoughts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook with #UtilimarcFleetFYIs.
www.utilimarc.com

I wanted to dedicate an entire episode to EVs – in part, because we’ve been speaking about them pretty frequently here on this show, but also because there’s a lot surrounding this technology that sometimes is breezed over when it comes to new launches and sometimes controversial implementation policies and adoption mandates.

It’s complicated – I know.

Especially because not every vehicle class or industry can electrify. And when the pressure is on from upper management and consumers to become more sustainable, it can be frustrating to say the least.

Whether it’s hesitation or logistics – I know there’s a lot of questions surrounding the electrification movement. With any new technology, there are always going to be differences of opinions and potential concerns. And electric vehicles are no different.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

Utilimarc on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

#UtilimarcFleetFYIs

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Share your thoughts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook with #UtilimarcFleetFYIs.
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Day Three - The Final Day of The Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky is in the books!

Join Gretchen and Michael at the conference by following along with their 'daily recaps' of each day during the three-day expo.

Day three saw a mass of new vehicles, plenty of new and familiar faces, equipment demos and plenty of education on some of the most popular and innovative equipment in the industry - followed by the famous Bourbon, Beer and Bites networking event.

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Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

Michael Carr on LinkedIn

Utilimarc on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

#UtilimarcFleetFYIs

www.utilimarc.com

Share your thoughts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook with #UtilimarcFleetFYIs.
www.utilimarc.com

Day Two of The Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky is in the books!

Join Gretchen and Michael at the conference by following along with their 'daily recaps' of each day during the three-day expo.

Day two saw a mass of new vehicles, plenty of new and familiar faces, equipment demos and plenty of education on some of the most popular and innovative equipment in the industry.

---------

Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog

Gretchen Reese on LinkedIn

Michael Carr on LinkedIn

Utilimarc on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

#UtilimarcFleetFYIs

www.utilimarc.com

Share your thoughts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook with #UtilimarcFleetFYIs.
www.utilimarc.com