{"id":82338,"date":"2025-05-10T12:40:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T16:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=82338"},"modified":"2025-05-10T12:40:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T16:40:31","slug":"theres-plenty-of-ev-money-out-there-and-plenty-of-people-to-help-you-find-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=82338","title":{"rendered":"There’s plenty of EV money out there \u2013\u00a0and plenty of people to help you find it!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\"Ignore<\/figure>\n

While Washington continues to threaten America\u2019s economic security and position as a global technology leader by toying with the idea of killing the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit<\/a>, the ENERGY STAR program<\/a>, and other energy efficiency incentives, the private energy sector is stepping up with massive investments in battery storage, charging infrastructure, and commercial EV rebates \u2013\u00a0and helping fleet buyers navigate those new incentives is becoming part of the broader business plan.<\/p>\n

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The inspiration for this article was a recent announcement by Ford Pro, which is baking its incentive sourcing plan into its new new Electric Vehicle Incentive Consultation Service \u2013\u00a0a new offering designed to help Ford\u2019s commercial customers navigate the rapidly-changing world of EV incentives.<\/p>\n

The approach is working, too. In the few short weeks since launching the Consultation Service, tFord Pro helped customers discover over $40,000 in available incentives for charging purchases and $1.5 million for electric vehicle purchases.<\/p>\n

Case(s) in point<\/h2>\n
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Joliet Junior College; via Joliet Junior College.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joliet Junior College in Illinois wanted to take advantage of the reduced air pollution, noise, and operating costs promised by EVs, but faced budget constraints that made the up-front costs of electrifying seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Consultants from Ford Pro were able to identify a number of state and local utility incentives the college was eligible for, which resulted in ra free L2 EV charger and an $8,000 EV charging infrastructure make-ready rebate from ComEd that, when combined, covered 100% of the college\u2019s installation costs.<\/p>\n

\tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/span><\/p>\n

The college was also able to qualify for a $7,500 commercial EV rebate (also from ComEd) that was applied at the point of sale, allowing the college to begin realizing fuel savings on day one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recently worked with Ford Pro to learn more about rebates for a 2025 Ford Lightning truck that will be used as a police patrol vehicle for our college campus,\u201d explained Tracy Williams, Deputy Chief of the Joliet Junior College Police Department<\/a>. \u201cThey went above and beyond my expectations in this process. The rebate we were eligible for was proactively added upfront to our quote. This service was a significant help to our small department, allowing us to allocate resources more effectively and reduce the initial outlay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ford Pro isn\u2019t alone<\/h2>\n

Startup manufacturers like Orange EV<\/a>, ReVolt Motors<\/a>, and Windrose<\/a> \u2013\u00a0even 3PLs like YMX<\/a>, Nuvve<\/a>, and Highland Electric<\/a> \u2013\u00a0have made cursory fleet assessments a core part of their initial go to market strategies.<\/p>\n

Even giant legacy brand Ford, with its Ford Pro E-Switch Assist, is offering to take telematic data from existing gas- and diesel-powered Ford F-150 and Transit models and track each vehicle\u2019s individual energy use to determine whether it\u2019s a good candidate for replacement with a Ford EV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart tools informed by data like E-Switch Assist are opening up many new conversations with our commercial customers large and small about EV readiness; we\u2019re already using E-Switch Assist regularly in consultations to help organizations determine if electric trucks and vans are right for them<\/a>,\u201d says Nate McDonald, EV strategy and cross vehicle brand manager at Ford Pro. \u201cThe importance of these tools and technologies goes beyond selling a customer a new vehicle\u2014it changes mindsets about whether electric vehicles will work for their business while potentially saving them time and money.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no question, then, that E-Switch Assist is a great product, but it kind of highlights one of my big criticisms of using fleet assessment and grant sourcing products as an integrated G2M strategy for OEMs.<\/p>\n

Electrek\u2019s<\/s> Jo\u2019s Take<\/h2>\n
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Plugging the E-Transit into a DCFC; via Ford Pro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The problem with tying this kind of fleet assessment and incentive sourcing into a sales pitch of any kind is the question of credibility. Imagine you\u2019re a fleet buyer for a large bakery looking to replace your aging diesel fleet with some new electric box vans. You\u2019ve read about the Motiv fleet proving itself over millions of real-world miles<\/a>, you\u2019ve read about the incredible deals on the Chevy Brightdrop<\/a>, and you even got to check out the new Bollinger B4<\/a> at an ACT Expo ride and drive<\/a>. They all seem great, and they all seem to work \u2013\u00a0but will they work for you<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Maybe they will, but if you got a fleet assessment from Motiv, another one from Chevy, and a third one from Bollinger, do you think any of them would tell you to go hit your local Isuzu dealer if that was<\/a>, indeed, the most cost-effective choice for your fleet\u2019s specific needs? Or do you think that each analyst would, through a miracle of miracles involving novel pivot tables and a sketchy misrepresentation of the law of large numbers, discover that their<\/em> company\u2019s products were ideally suited to meet your<\/em> fleet\u2019s needs?<\/p>\n

In fairness to Ford Pro, their E-Switch Assist product only looks at Ford products,\u00a0identifying when ICE-powered F-150s and Transits can seamlessly be switched out for F-150 Lightning pickups and E-Transit electric vans. I\u2019d also say that, in my experience, ReVolt founder Gus Gardner and Highland Electric CEO Duncan McIntyre are stand-up guys who would probably be the first to tell you if their company\u2019s products aren\u2019t right for you \u2013 but that\u2019s easy for me to say when it\u2019s not my<\/em> millions of dollars and my<\/em> job security on the line, you know?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I look at programs like what we have here in Chicago, where both Scooter and I are based, as real standouts. The local utility ComEd, which is mentioned in the Joliet Junior College example from Ford, above, offers an unbiased and complimentary Fleet Electrification Assessment to qualifying commercial customers<\/a>. That assessment not only helps identify what assets are primed candidates to electrify, but also looks into the customers\u2019 site, helping them understand their charging options and maximize savings with smart metering, intelligent off-peak charging schedules, and a $90 million EV rebate program to help fund their suggestions<\/a>. (!)<\/p>\n

On a national level, companies like ICF have a fifty year track record of providing fleets with the tools and information they need to maximize their fleets\u2019 energy efficiency with solutions that include electrification<\/a>, better route planning, and right-sizing, while companies like GNA (now part of TRC and hosts of the ACT Expo<\/a>) have been doing similar work, sourcing billions of dollars in grants for fleets in California. <\/p>\n

When it\u2019s all coming together with the right information, product offering, and utility involvement, you see results \u2013 which is why Illinois\u2019 EV growth is outpacing the rest of the nation by 4:1<\/a>. Here\u2019s hoping other states and utilities are paying attention, and start getting this EV thing right, too.<\/p>\n

Original content from Electrek<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

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FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.<\/em> More.<\/a><\/p>\n

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While Washington continues to threaten America\u2019s economic security and position as a global technology leader by toying with the idea of killing the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, the ENERGY STAR program, and other energy efficiency incentives, the private energy sector is stepping up with massive investments in battery storage, charging infrastructure, and commercial EV […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}