In The US, Electric Vehicles Just Keep Insisting Upon Themselves

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Stormy seas lie ahead for the electric vehicle transition in the US now that the federal tax credit has met a hasty and premature death. However, that doesn’t mean the case for vehicle electrification has suddenly evaporated. Despite the fossil friendly death grip settling over federal energy policy this year, leading global transportation stakeholders are happy to explain why electric vehicles are here to stay.

Electric Vehicles Are Just Better, That’s All

Regardless of federal tax policy, the public health and environmental case for electric vehicles remains a thing that exists. The business case for electric vehicles is not going away, either. Although businesses don’t run on goodwill, they do like to see the green stuff pile up on their bottom line, and both elements have begun to intertwine in the electric vehicle transition.

The Germany-based global shipping firm DHL, for example, has continued adding to its US electric vehicle fleet this year, and it made much hay out of the latest addition.

“DHL Express US Launches First Mercedes-Benz eSprinter Vans in the United States, Expanding Electric Fleet” reads the headline of a DHL press release last week, leading one to imagine that thousands, or at least hundreds, of new electric delivery vans are coming this way.

Not so. The new order of eSprinter vans only calls for 45 vehicles. That’s small potatoes in the great scheme of things, but DHL used the occasion to make a series of strong points in favor of removing fossil fuels from its business model.

That’s … interesting. In other times, corporate citizens — corporations are people, after all — were free to describe their goals and aspirations without fear of repercussion. However, the Trump administration has made a habit of attacking corporate First Amendment rights, leading some to knuckle under.

In its press statement, DHL made it clear that knuckling is not part of its playbook. The company notes that it already has 10,000 eSprinters in its fleet globally. Though the 45 eSprinters for its US operation is a drop in that bucket, DHL also notes that the new 45-vehicle order marks its first use of eSprinters in the US, hinting that more are on the way.

It does more than hint, though. DHL is supporting its new electric vehicle fleet with EV charging stations at targeted facilities in Illinois, Indianapolis, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. “The addition of this infrastructure ensures operational efficiency, maximizes vehicle uptime, and provides the foundation for future fleet electrification as the company scales its use of electric vehicles in the US,” DHL stated (emphasis added).

The CEO of DHL Express US, Greg Hewitt, also chipped in his two cents. “These vehicles not only strengthen our operations in major US cities but also set the stage for future electric fleet growth across the Americas,” Hewitt said.

DHL Makes A Healthy Case For Electric Vehicles

DHL’s press statement is also of interest because it supports the public health case for air quality improvement in US cities and other last-mile destinations.

The company also observes that its global fleet of eSprinters clocks in with a battery range well above Mercedes’s estimate of 206 miles. “DHL has consistently seen them exceed 240 miles — making them the longest-range battery electric vehicles in DHL’s US fleet to-date,” DHL explains.

“This extended capacity makes them ideally suited for inner city logistics while expanding their potential use in longer delivery routes. The vans also offer significant cargo capacity, enabling efficient last-mile delivery without compromise on payload or operational reliability,” DHL adds.

Assuming that DHL keeps adding more electric vehicles to its domestic fleet, the US market will play a significant role in the company’s global carbon-reducing roadmap. The DHL “Sustainability Roadmap” calls for electrifying 66% of its last-mile delivery fleet by 2030, which is just around the corner.

Fleets Are Electrifying, Trump Or No Trump

The big question is how much momentum can fleet electrification maintain after September 30, when the federal tax credit expired. Although the pace of sales may slow down in the coming years, DHL clearly expects its electric vehicle footprint to expand in the US.

Another optimistic view on the matter comes from the EV charging side, where the emerging Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) industry provides electric fleet owners with turnkey charging solutions that require no upfront investment in new infrastructure.

The California startup L-Charge, for example, has stepped up its scale-up plans. The company specializes in drop-in, off-grid EV charging stations powered by RNG (renewable natural gas), among other fuels, enabling fleet owners to bypass grid bottlenecks. On October 14, L-Charge installed serial cleantech entrepreneur Stephen Kelley as CEO and tasked him with carrying out plans for scaleup.

“Under Kelley’s leadership, L-Charge plans to establish its Charging-as-a-Service and Power-as-a-Service platforms as the preferred alternatives for fleets, enabling them to sidestep costly utility delays and transition to EVs on predictable timelines,” L-Charge explains.

Electric Vehicles Are Here To Stay

This year has also seen a burst of activity in the public EV charging station industry in the US, indicating strong confidence in the growth of the electric vehicle market despite the current state of federal policy. After all, US presidents come and go, and the current occupant of the White House is slated to leave as scheduled on January 20, 2029.

Another area working in favor of electric vehicles is wireless charging. Until now, the EV charging experience has followed along the lines of filling an ICE vehicle, which involves getting out of the car to manipulate a hose and plug it in. Wireless charging promises a more convenient experience than ICE vehicles can deliver (except perhaps in New Jersey, which is the only state in the US that prohibits drivers from pumping their own gas).

CleanTechnica has been following the progress towards the commercial deployment of wireless EV charging, including stationary devices as well as the ultimate convenience of road-embedded chargers that enable drivers to refresh their battery while in motion.

Aside from convenience, wireless charging also improves operational efficiency for fleet owners, particularly in regards to self-driving fleets owners like Waymo. Wireless charging also offers individual drivers a new level of safety and accessibility, all the more supported by self-driving technology.

The convenience, safety, and accessibility factors could have a significant impact on EV sales moving forward. Last week, the PR firm Astute Analytica drew attention to a recent study of driver attitudes towards wireless charging. “For consumers already planning to buy an EV, their likelihood to purchase increased by 40% when presented with a wireless option,” the firm notes.

“The effect was even more dramatic for those undecided about EVs. Their purchase intent increased by nearly 70%. Another survey showed 66% of consumers already use wireless charging for other devices, indicating a high level of familiarity and comfort with the core technology,” Astute Analytica adds.

EVs are just better, that’s all….

Photo: The global transportation firm DHL plans to support the US electric vehicle transition, starting with 45 eSprinter electric delivery vans along with new charging infrastructure to enable future additions to its EV fleet (cropped, courtesy of DHL).