Fleet operator Ferguson partners with Holman and Electrada for electrification-as-a-service pilot

Ferguson, a North American distributor of plumbing and HVAC supplies, plans to conduct a fleet electrification pilot in partnership with Holman, a global automotive services organization, and Electrada, an electric fuel solutions company.

The project will deliver a turnkey fleet management and electrification solution. In the first phase, Ferguson will add 30 class 6 through 8 electric delivery trucks from Peterbilt and Freightliner to its California fleet. The project also includes charging infrastructure from Electrada to serve five depot locations in California.

Construction of the depot charging infrastructure is already underway, and Ferguson expects to take delivery of the first electric trucks before the end of the year.

Holman and Electrada have formed a strategic partnership to deliver a turnkey electrification-as-a-service solution that includes fleet management services along with infrastructure development. The companies offer fleet operators “a comprehensive, fully capitalized fleet management and performance-guaranteed electrification solution that allows organizations to simplify their transition to electric vehicles.”

“Fleet emissions account for a sizable portion of our Scope 1 emissions, and future reductions require an accelerated conversion [of our] medium- and heavy-duty fleet to electric vehicles,” explained Denise Vaughn, Ferguson’s VP of Environmental, Social and Governance. “Electrada’s comprehensive solution positions us to gain rich learnings from this program and expand with scale as technology progresses.”

“With the EV segment evolving rapidly, discussions around integrating these units into the fleet mix have quickly moved past simply determining which model is the best fit. Today, stakeholders from across an organization—fleet, sustainability, operations, facilities, etc—are all involved in the process,” said Emily Graham, Director of Sustainability at Holman. “As we approach potential electrification projects with our customers, it is a very consultative conversation, ensuring all the parties are aligned on the goals of the initiative.”

“We’re making a long-term program investment commitment, providing and operating all of the infrastructure, while eliminating the fuel price and operational risk of Ferguson’s fleet transformation effort, because that’s the core of what we do, that’s the essence of 360 Charging-as-a-Service,” said Kevin Kushman, CEO, Electrada. “We developed a deep understanding of Ferguson’s electrification needs based on their location-specific, real-world use cases. The solution not only provides the reliable electric fuel infrastructure that Ferguson needs to successfully accomplish their fleet electrification goals, but will also reduce fuel cost per mile from day one versus fossil fuel.”

Sources: Holman, Electrada