Transportation Exchange presented by Rush Truck Centres of Canada
If you’re in the transportation industry, the Transportation Exchange podcast is for you. Listen in for insightful conversations with industry leaders covering what keeps us moving, from equipment and maintenance for fleets to new and upcoming regulations and opinions on the industry as it stands today and the road ahead.
Transportation Exchange presented by Rush Truck Centres of Canada
The PowerON Approach to Fleet Electrification
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In this episode, Dave Jerman from PowerOn Energy Solutions joins us to discuss key strategies for successful fleet electrification. Learn the importance of early planning, pilot projects, and tailored solutions to avoid infrastructure challenges. Discover insights from a last-mile delivery case study, financial benefits through grants and credits, and the game-changing 'charging as a service' model to future-proof your fleet while controlling costs. Tune in now.
Electrification and Infrastructure Planning
Speaker 2There we go . That's better . All right , we're good .
Speaker 1Yeah , one , two , three , hello , and welcome to another episode of the Transportation Exchange podcast presented by Rush Truck Center Canada . I'm your host , jason Cuddy , and on today's episode we welcome Dave German , account executive from PowerOn . Dave , welcome to the podcast .
Speaker 2Well , jason , thanks very much for inviting me . I'm very excited to have a conversation here today about electrification and hopefully , as we have a conversation , we can her discussion . We can provide some valuable insights to your listeners as they're considering or starting to digest the electrification within their fleet .
Speaker 1Yeah , I agree , I think you know the truck on our end has always been the easiest part of the conversation . I think it's the easiest part in the whole pathway to electrification . So having yourself on and kind of walking us through what customers need to do , kind of onsite early , getting to the site , is a key thing . I guess the one thing is from that point , add electrification to an existing facility . What are some things people need to know and understand ?
Speaker 2Yeah , that's a great question or a great place to start . What I've learned is that every fleet and facility is unique . So I think it's very important to have a conversation with customers to understand where they're at in the process , how many facilities that they have and even , like I said , with larger companies , especially if they're nationwide , there's a lot of considerations to digest . So I think the first place to start is to have a conversation , understand their operations , understand their goals , understand how many vehicles they're planning to have , where they're at in the process . And a great place to start would be something with a pilot project , which I'm sure we're going to discuss , because pilot is . I'm a big proponent of that . I think it's learn by doing and start small and some very valuable lessons can be done and gain some confidence . But then , once you have that conversation , you also would want to assess the facility . So if it's a single site had one last week was out of the customer's facility , went into their electrical room looking at the equipment that they have and this particular facility had plenty of capacity , so it wasn't an issue . They had a pilot project in mind , so there was no concerns there to proceed .
Speaker 2But , as you mentioned , when it gets to commercial vehicles , especially the bigger medium and heavy duty vehicles . They can consume . The batteries are quite larger than you would see on , say , a passenger car . When you're looking at your home , you have a 200-amp panel . You call an electrician , you order your EV and your electrician comes to your house . You'll be up and running within 24 hours .
Speaker 2Well , some of those assumptions are made on the commercial side , unfortunately , and it's best to have . Like you said , I think people were worried , especially with COVID and the supply chain issues we've had over the years . People are maybe more focused on the vehicles , but the infrastructure can take just as long , if not longer . So I think those considerations have to be done hand in hand . And we had one particular customer who was doing a pilot project , but it was a class eight fleet . So even with a few vehicles , they unfortunately ran into some nasty surprises where they didn't have sufficient power capacity and they were able to implement the first couple of vehicles but their plans were derailed because they needed some site and utility upgrades that were required . So I think it's very important to have those conversations . The vehicle and the infrastructure has to be done at least hand-in-hand and then planned accordingly .
Speaker 1Yeah , it makes sense and I've seen that with some other customers , other testimonials as people have gone through it . And it's one thing kind of thinking , okay , the infrastructure is on site , like you're getting chargers on site , getting all that in , but I think the bigger struggle for some locations trucking has been around so long . A lot of the buildings are in older parts of towns . Some of the maybe newer facilities maybe the municipalities have planned for it know it's the capacity at site can really be the trigger for most of it .
Speaker 2Yeah , for sure . I think the capacity is key and some facilities , if they're more industrial-based , may have some of that extra capacity . We were at one . It was a big warehouse facility so they had a lot of power coming into the building so it wasn't a concern coming into the building , so it wasn't a concern . But there are when you get into the trucking side of things .
Speaker 2Historically , transportation companies don't consume a lot of power if they're not into manufacturing or things of that nature . So , definitely , looking at the available capacity , start with the low-hanging fruit , see what capacity you have available . So that's why product projects , see what you have available today and then have those . That's why I think it's important to have conversations with companies like Power and like us . We can get involved in the ground floor , do things like roadmap studies and feasibility analysis so we can have those short-term and longer-term type of conversations so that companies can plan not only from making the electrification process successful , but also from a budgeting and planning point of view .
Speaker 2And with the technology changing so much , but also from a budgeting and planning point of view , and with the technology changing so much , definitely want to have some flexibility and there's some future proofing and also challenge some assumptions and one common assumption is that you need a one-to-one ratio of chargers to electrification .
Speaker 2But that's not necessarily the case . That's why I think it's having those operational understanding of where the trucks are , how many , or the vehicles are where they are at a given time , what the dwell times are , how much charging time is needed . We work with one fleet , for example , where they started with the assumption it was one-to-one and then , after working with them and doing a pilot project and understanding their operations , we were able to have a larger DC charger to three dispensers and then those three dispensers to four vehicles . So by challenging that one-to-one ratio , you can save a lot of money with respect to infrastructure and really optimize and right-size that infrastructure , because the amount of money and investment that's done here you really want to make sure that you're optimizing those types of investments and making those considerations moving forward .
Speaker 1Well , it makes sense , right , Because of the time and the cost , if anything you can take out of it from a cost or delay point of view , you know the better . And I know , when we do the trucks , you know we want to do an application survey . You know , kind of get a demo or pilot . We'll get into that in a second . But you know , and the whole point of that really is to kind of maximize , you know , the routing of the vehicle , potentially , um , you know , so you are . Maybe you don't need as much , you know power to do what you need to do with these vehicles that you thought you would with a normal diesel vehicle . Um , you know . So routing may change , um , but also just understanding the actual draw and how much energy actually going through in your route , right , because the vehicles have a estimated range .
Speaker 1But you know that's . You know very generic . So once you get into the true application you can really understand how much you're actually going to use . And then you know very generic . So once you get into the true application , you can really understand how much you're actually going to use . And then you know , so that's on the truck side . But then I think to your point going hand in hand with someone like yourself and your company is understanding okay . So we've got an idea of what the truck does . Now how do we get the power we need on site ? And then just kind of partnering up and challenging kind of the status quo and really putting together kind of a good plan of how to start implementing the next steps and the time frame and costs involved .
Speaker 2Right . So as far as you know , planning for growth , I think in Canada the… Utilities it's very different depending on what province you're in . For example , in places like BC and Quebec they have BC Hydro and Hydro Quebec , which is very vertically integrated Right , so you have that one utility that you need to engage with primarily . Here in Ontario it's a very different story . We have 60 local distribution companies so it can be quite daunting . It depends where you are in different cities . You have Toronto Hydro up this way in Durham region . You have AlexaCon in Oshawa as an example , oshawa Power . So you can say , wow , I have to not just talk to one utility , I have to maybe talk to like a handful here or even more . So that's where something like PowerOn , being a wholly owned subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation , we have those relationships , those conversations . We can definitely help engage with those conversations with the utility early .
Speaker 2And then I think it's important to have a plan and design for future proofing where possible , so you can implement some charges , for example , that they're expandable , so they're upgradable . So maybe you start with 100 kilowatts but you can have it upgraded to 200 kilowatts using the same cabinet and by implementing some hardware you can have that future expansion done if you invest that sort of money a little bit more wisely in the early days and with that future-proofing in mind . So sometimes you may say , okay , we see your plan , you do have short-term , mid-term and long-year plans , but it also has to be adoptable . Because it is changing so fast . Things like inductive charging is being out there . How cost-effective is that going to be ? Is that going to be more viable for en route charges , for example ? So we're not quite there yet .
Speaker 2But even in the near-term plans , work with the vehicles where they are today and with the technology where it is today .
Speaker 2But also , hey , maybe if we spend an extra 10% to 15% today , we can upgrade that transformer so that when you do deploy those extra vehicles in a few years you don't have to start from scratch or make some more costly investments .
Speaker 2So sort of , invest your money wisely and it's that optimization key I think is undervalued and making sure that you're right-sizing that infrastructure and investing your money smartly and with that future proof considerations , without having to do something fast and cheap . And then companies will come to us oh geez , I rushed to do something and I spent all this money and now it's not meeting my operations . They've got to literally tear it all out and start from scratch . So that's why you want to have it done right the first time and I think that's why having those long-term plans and goals and looking at the big picture , but also making your plan flexible so you can either accelerate if things are going well or you can defer things . Maybe the economy is changing , budgets change , business is going good , business has falled off a little bit , so you have to have that adaptability and flexibility built into your plans as you move forward .
Speaker 1That's a good point because I mean , the biggest component on this is the technology is changing so quick , right on your side , the charter side , on the truck side , so knowing that you can kind of plan ahead with you know within reason but that's a good point is to think ahead right , not just the vehicle today but the vehicles may be coming in the future , right , and you know , are you looking to scale it ?
Speaker 1what is your operation doing , and you know . But but partnering with with , with the right people to have those conversations , I think , is a key piece , so that you said you don't just go all in on one thing and then you're left in the dark four years later when a technology changes or something else changes , and you didn't think of it too far ahead , right ? So with what's involved and the time frame involved , you kind of want to future-proof yourself . It's a good wording for it .
Speaker 2No for sure , it's never going to be perfect , but you want to have that skillability in mind . I agree with you wholeheartedly on that . That's having that where I am today , starting small with the pilot , with the low-lying fruit . See what available capacity you have and defer those larger investments so that you can see what's available tomorrow and see how not only the vehicles change but the infrastructure is changing . Like I said , with inductive charging and smart charging and energy management and looking at a holistic view so that you can make sure that your total cost of ownership is optimized , because people moving around have some great conversations with people who are electrifying , having some very good experiences where they're saying , yeah , my TCO is down , I know this is the right way to go , and then they're finding ways to even optimize it a little bit further .
Speaker 2Where some other maybe , depending on what type of business they're in , maybe the vehicles aren't quite the right fit and electrification isn't going to be the right solution for everybody . It's not going to be . I don't believe any fleet's going to be 100% electrified , but it's going to be a portion of your business . How big of a portion depends on your operations . Maybe it makes sense that you can get like 90% of the way they're electric vehicles .
Speaker 2Maybe you're going to be 20% electric , and then hydrogen is a big topic of conversation and things of that and maybe keep those ICE vehicles as long as you can for things like long haul and I think that's more challenging . So let's kick that rock down the road but let's not wait , because I think if customers wait too long and kick that road down too far down the road , then they could be left when everybody goes to pick up that rock at the same time and there could be challenges there and then they left . Oh my , I should have maybe done that . That's why that pilot project we talked about , I think is is so key to walk before you run and you can have some lessons learned and gain some confidence and that you're going down the right path and you're making the right choices along the way good point maybe .
Speaker 1Yeah , let me dive into a little the pilot project , because I think , like I know , we talk on our end about , you know , the application survey . That's kind of pre-vehicle right . That's kind of looking at what you're trying to do with the vehicle and kind of make some , you know some assessments and some best guesses as far as the application . But I think the pilot is kind of where you know it's real world . You start to get some real data . Maybe walk us through kind of what you've seen from the pilot projects as far as real-world testimonials , once you're trying this product for the first time .
Speaker 2Yeah , I think that's . I guess we're going to repeat ourselves with pilot projects . It sounds like a broken record , but I really want to encourage customers to walk before they run . Learn by doing because , like you mentioned , you can have all the data fuel car data , for example and you think , oh , this is when I replaced that diesel engine and I turned electric . Well , electric , especially in inner city , with the regenerative braking , it can outperform those expectations and also the way the drivers behave
Leveraging Electrification for Financial Gain
Speaker 2.
Speaker 2And we had an example where a customer did a pilot project , a couple fold to gain confidence . But they had vehicle A , vehicle B , so they bought two different types of vehicles and the big thing was range anxiety . So I'm sure in the audience and listening to say range anxiety is probably one of the biggest concerns when people are looking to electrify . But what they found ? They did a full 12-month study so they could have the win or two , because not only in high temperatures through the summer , but look at that again big picture point of view . And what they found when they were making that decision , what they decided to do was they bought the vehicles with the highest battery available in that given vehicle . So a lot of vehicles will have a smaller , medium or large size option . So they went for the biggest one because they were worried about the range anxiety . But to their , you know , not surprise . But what they were happy to see is based on how this was a last mile delivery company and based on the range that the majority not all of them , but the majority of the vehicles were coming back to the depot with over 50% state of charge in most cases . So they said , wow , this is fantastic . These vehicles are performing as advertised , the range is not an issue . We're able to charge them and have a lot of capacity .
Speaker 2But by doing that , not only A , they decided they liked vehicle A over B . So they decided the model they preferred with the different manufacturers . So that was one . Two , they said , now that we know that range is not the issue , they were able to save some money because in the next vehicle spec they were going to do they're going to choose the lower-sized battery because they had so much extra power on most of these vehicles .
Speaker 2So , a , they were to save money on the vehicle purchase . That puts less strain on the infrastructure and , more importantly , batteries add a lot of weight to the vehicle so they're able to add more load capacity so they're able to deliver more packages . So it was a win-win across the board . So that's why I think , don't have assumptions . You hear some stories and if you do it right and learning by doing , you can really have some real-world experience and gain confidence . Not only that you're going down the right path , but you're choosing the right vehicle , and then you can scale that plan a little bit more as well as you go Makes sense and it's all real-world data , which is nice , right , and you talked about understanding kind of your needs and maybe not as much draw .
Speaker 1You talked about understanding your needs and maybe not as much draw .
Speaker 1I think one thing I knew about obviously coming in on the truck side is obviously there's grants , depending on where you go and provincially they'll move and depending on the time of year you're having a conversation , someone has money , someone doesn't , and obviously there's some grants for the infrastructure side . The part I didn't actually realize is that I guess there's grants also for using the charging infrastructure . From that point of view , maybe it's kind of highlighted what that is From our end . We're not overly familiar with that . That's kind of after the truck's already on place kind of thing .
Speaker 2Yeah , there's a variety of different things available . Obviously , there's some federal grants , and BC and Quebec could offer some extra money for people to do things . But one of the things that does get overlooked that's relatively new is something called CFR credits , which is clean fuel regulation credits , and that's exactly what it is . That's where you can . It's a new revenue stream for people who electrify , and it's not a tax . It's basically an incentive or it's a federal goal to lower carbon intensity . So the idea there is for fossil fuel producers companies like Suncor , who have greenhouse gas emissions , need to offset those emissions by buying clean fuel credits and by electrifying you're replacing an internal combustion engine , an ICE vehicle , with electrification and you have a charging infrastructure . You qualify for those credits . And the one thing that I think is important is timing is important because we're talking to some customers . They've had , you know , chargers and electric vehicles for a year , but they haven't done anything with CFR credits . So unfortunately , cfr credits aren't retroactive . It's basically you can start counting those credits from the day you register for the program .
Speaker 2So , working with somebody like Power On who can aggregate those credits because the large fossil fuel producers aren't going to buy you know credit here and a credit there . They want to buy them in bulk . So we were able with some of our large anchor clients . So we're able with some of our large anchor clients we deal with large transit authorities like TTC and Oakville and some other places so we're able to aggregate those credits and help customers basically provide those lower commission rates , if you will , to monetize it to smaller customers so they can maximize the money in their pocket when they do try to monetize these CFR credits Because it is rather administrative intensive , it's a little cumbersome and it can be overwhelming .
Speaker 2So , partnering with somebody like PowerOn , we can maximize the money in your pocket and we can aggregate those credits to make sure we maximize that . And for example , on large vehicles just to quantify it for the audience talking for commercial customers , which I imagine would be a good part of the listeners a large transit bus or Class A tractor can the value today . Obviously it is a market-based system so it can't change , but it can be between $15,000 to over $20,000 per vehicle per year . Oh wow . So it's a significant amount of money that can go against the operating costs and lower that total cost of ownership . So it is a new revenue stream and I would encourage customers to . Definitely , if you have charging infrastructure that you're using to give us a call and we can talk to you and we can help you register so you can start getting those credits and monetizing that today , versus just leaving that money on the table .
Speaker 1That's a good point and I would never have thought that I've rented some TCOs on it . And usually it's traditionally more with some of the infrastructure costs or the truck costs . You're taking fuel out , you're taking some maintenance spend out but never accounting for , let's say , that chunk of it which all of a sudden can very easily tip a TCO to electrification in favor , if all the conditions are right , and it kind of then goes back to your application and those pilot projects , right like doing your homework , to make sure you're getting what you're getting .
Speaker 2you can then start kind of fine-tuning your tco to really do your math and get your numbers kind of tied together oh for sure , and that's why I think when you're , when you're looking at , you know electrification and the vehicle costs and obviously the incentives that are available and one of the conversations when we had we have some seminars and webinars as well , and people are concerned . Oh , you know , I'm looking for more funding , more credits , and when it comes to CFR , for example , that's something where the early adopters , their credits , are that valuable today , but as the program becomes more successful and there's more credits on the market right now , a credit's worth between $150 to $200 per credit , but that could change . So you're really rewarding the early adopters . People are doing it early . You can maximize that . Even with some of the incentives that are out there , you can't assume that they're going to be there today . There could be some new ones tomorrow , we don't know and the vehicle costs could come down . So I think that pilot project , looking at it , getting yourself comfortable , and don't try to solve all your problems in one day there are going to be electric vehicles available that could be suitable for your fleet , so let's focus on those , and I agree that there are some applications that are a little bit more daunting and maybe not the best fit for electrification today . So let's not focus on those . Let's focus on the ones that we can do . We can do them successfully . There are a lot of more options coming every day . With respect to manufacturers like International Navistar , they're coming out with new options and range and battery technology is changing .
Speaker 2But at the end of the day , you need to start somewhere and then , if you can gain some confidence and pick the right vehicle , go for test drives . There's plug-and-drive events and things of that nature . So get yourself behind the wheel of one to start . It's a good place to start . See how they feel , how much quieter they are . People are commenting that some of these drivers love them . They're so much quieter , a lot , and the amount of stress that that adds . And , given there's studies out there , they're saying that how much more quieter just the way they run and just the way they run . And it's also , I think , training your staff , because you need buy-in from them . You have to train them properly the way the vehicles are operated they have that regenerative braking , so the way that it's driven and what the vehicle can do in maximizing the technology at hand , and small things like remembering to plug it in at the end of the day .
Speaker 2So you don't want to have a nasty surprise . It's something that you just oh gonna . Whose job is that to do ? I'm just . You know who's responsible . So just make sure you have that clearly defined , simple , something like that .
Speaker 2And even things like cable management . Like cable management , oh it's , it's just a dispenser . I got this cord , I got a plug in , but we were talking to one customer and they had a back-end policy and , lo and behold , they're . This particular vehicle they were looking at had the charging port on the front . Yeah , so now you geez , now how long does my cable need to be and where do I need to position that dispenser ? So these are small things that , if you don't think them through , that that at the end of the day you can have some , you know , nasty surprises , or and then the cord doesn't go , and then do you have to lax your backend policy or do you have to , you know , make it change where you located that dispenser and how long those cables . Like I said , there's a lot to think about . Those are just some simple examples .
Speaker 2Obviously , we can get into the weeds and get a lot more complicated , and I would encourage the listeners to give companies like Power on a Call because this is what we do . We're electrification experts and we've learned by doing and we've done some pilot projects and large-scale projects and everything in between . So we're looking to be your electrification partner from the very beginning , where we can help you with the planning . We do things like feasibility studies and roadmaps to looking at your infrastructure , optimizing and right-sizing that , to having the conversations with utilities and then just making sure that you have a plan and then make it flexible , make it adaptable , but you have to start somewhere and I think the make it adaptable , but you have to start somewhere , and I think the pilot project is a great place to get the ball rolling .
Speaker 1Yeah , I agree , and that's why I would have Yon right , just kind of walk through and introduce people to . You know how do you get further in and just talk about the truck , because the truck's been an easy conversation , it's been good no-transcript few years out , but at least they understand the process and the time and sort of the investment and little things like you know where do you put the charger in the facility , based on how you park your vehicle , like those are things that probably don't come up until it's in the ground , going and going . Oh , we've made a mistake , right . But by working with someone like yourself who's gone through it , you can be ahead of it and say , hey , what are you considering this ? Have you considered this ? Because it's new for most people walking into it , right . So it's great , great information . And then you know , while we have you here , you know short-term outlooks on , you know the technology , or just kind of , what do you see on the horizon ? Because it's a very fast changing . You know technology .
Speaker 2Oh for sure , Things are changing very fast as well . I think that's why , when you're looking at things that future-proofing I talked about as much as you can , making your plan adaptable , flexible , making those maybe investments , things like transformers , for example , those , those that to supply the power you're going to need that . So maybe , oh , I can , depending on what my plan is here in the next two to three , four years , I want to get that little bit bigger transformer so that I don't have to , you know , put in a second one . And really maximizing that little bit extra investment today will save you tomorrow
Transitioning to Charging as a Service
Speaker 2. And in speaking with that , what maybe people don't realize , and having conversations with a couple of fleet customers , because things are changing so much , one of the things that power on does is we can offer charging as a service .
Speaker 2Okay , so what is what does that mean ? What does charging as a service mean ? So it's changing . Rather than making it a capital intensive , we can , if we look at a plan with a , we can enter a long-term agreement with a customer . They have a deployment plan , a sustainable strategy , and then what we do is we translate that it . It's almost like a lease tone , like a monthly cost that you can have . So now you can change that capital expenditure more to a monthly operating fee and then that transitions the responsibility to us on making sure that those chargers are meeting your needs uptime guarantees , things of that nature so then that way you have a fixed monthly cost . That I know customers are always worried about their cost per mile , so this way they can have a fixed monthly fee and they can go with confidence . Let us worry about the infrastructure . You let us know your deployment plan , then PowerOn will make sure we design , build and optimize that infrastructure to keep pace with your deployment plan . And that transfers all the risk to a company like us .
Speaker 2So those are options . We could do a traditional build and sale Right , or we could do something in between , or that charging as a service , so that way it's not as daunting . And then we have to adapt . And you know the other thing in working with something like Power because you say , things are changing . We're at the EV Expo and you're seeing so many new players enter the market and it becomes overwhelming . Players enter the market and it becomes overwhelming . And companies like Power Run , backed by Ontario Power Generation with a rich history going back 100 years , you know you can deal with us in confidence that we're going to be here tomorrow , that we're not a fly-by-night where we have some large anchor , transit and commercial clients . For example , with the TTC we entered that service agreement for 20 years , so we have those kind of long-term agreements and that stability and purchasing power and economies of scale with those larger clients that we can basically leverage that with our smaller clients , even for pilot projects .
Speaker 1Nice . No , that's good to know and that's a key thing , right , as you partner with somebody against that future-proofing right . So I think it's , if anything , a takeaway from today . It's really . The pilot project is huge right to gather real world data and really see how it fits in it , but also that future-proofing kind of walking , definitely before you run , that's a key piece . But working with someone who knows what the next steps are going to be even before you're there and can walk you through it and even to your point , put together programs to even take that burden off of them and let them just focus on , focus on running their business and their transportation , doing what they do , and leave the infrastructure , electrification to people like us and I know nobody has a crystal ball .
Speaker 2They always say hindsight is 20-20 for a reason , but I think if you plan well , you put some good thought into it and really roadmapping and optimizing and future pricing , looking at your big picture , and learn by doing and taking those examples so that you can gain confidence and you know even simple things . Another small example was you know something like a jump seat . One of the vehicles didn't have a passenger seat , so they had to train them so they were able to get and then , working with the OEMs , they can give feedback . So you can make a difference too , and the OEMs will listen to you if you're working with them and then they are able to say , oh , we'll add a jump seat for the next model and things like that . So you can influence change as well , Because the OEMs , they want to provide the vehicles that the customers need .
Speaker 2So by working and partnering with them and providing feedback , you can make change too , can make change to make sure that those vehicles are meeting your needs right , so you can provide that , that feedback . So that's I think that's important to say . You don't have to go through this alone and you , your voice does matter , yeah that's a key point .
Speaker 1Right and reach out to everybody . You know , go to the expos . You know , inform yourself , get knowledgeable . But you know , I think the biggest key is there's enough support to do it .
Speaker 2Yeah , and some people , I think , when they think they can self-perform , they might have some . And if you're capable , by all means . But just know that even if you've started something , we're here , we can get involved at any stage . Even if you thought you can do it and then you started getting into the weeds a little bit , you say , wow , this is a little bit more difficult than I was thought of , being a little bit more involved , a little more complicated , give us a call , we can get involved at any stage . If we didn't get started at the beginning , that's okay .
Speaker 2We've helped a lot of customers along the way , even with those lead times . They didn't plan and they said I got a vehicle coming and I just found out that the charger is like 20 to 24 weeks away . Again , we have a economy of this scale . We're able to step in and we have relationships . We're able to lower that down to six weeks and help that customer out to make sure they got that . So I'm not saying we can do that every time no , and we're not going to be able to get lead times down to zero . But because we have some economies of scale and we can leverage those relationships , we can get some of those lead times reduced and found you got yourself further down the road than you wanted to be . But it's okay , we can step in and help you out , because we're here to make sure this electrification process is successful . And if you're successful , by and large it benefits everybody .
Speaker 1Yep , good point and well said , and that's why I wanted to have you kind of come on and get everyone kind of exposed to all the different things you do . So I appreciate you coming in and taking the time with us today .
Speaker 2No , I really appreciate you having me and hopefully we're able to provide some valuable information and things food for thought , as they say , for the listeners here to think about . But I would say , eventually you've got to get started somewhere . You're not going to change your fleet in a day and just walk before your run and get yourself a partner that you can trust and that you can work with . I think there's value in that to make sure that you're getting confidence that you're doing things the right way and that way you know that you have a plan and have a flexible plan that you can adapt with as you
Podcast Collaboration With Power On
Speaker 2move forward . So appreciate you having me here today to have the conversation For sure .
Speaker 1Excellent . Well , thanks for joining us again , and that concludes today's episode . We do want to thank Dave from Power On for joining us and to check out other episodes . Check out transportationexchangepodcastca . Thanks for watching , all right .
Speaker 2That should do it . That was all right .
Speaker 1Yeah , great job , yeah , you guys .