President Biden's recent Executive Order on Federal Sustainability sets an ambitious EV procurement target for the federal vehicle fleet:

"Transition to 100 percent acquisition of zero-emission vehicles by 2035…including 100 percent light duty vehicle acquisition by 2027."

But I recently spoke with a friend who relayed a sobering statistic: In 2020, out of 49,315 vehicles purchased by the Federal Government, only 111 were electric. Which is actually a hundred fewer than they bought in 2019. Which is, in a word, paltry.

Five years away from their first EV target, the Biden administration is starting largely from scratch. And while 111 electric vehicles is not exactly excusable (NYPD just bought 434), it also illustrates the very real challenge of electrifying large transportation fleets. It’s harder than it looks!

Because when you electrify a fleet as large as the Federal Government's, you're not just purchasing EVs and charging stations (something you’ve never done). You’re merging your fleet with the grid.

Fleets will require new utility infrastructure to accommodate the new power demand. And they’ll need software to help them go from pumping gas to managing a grid resource. They’ll also have to deal with a new set of characters – utilities, public utility commissions and regional transmission organizations – many of whom are themselves not ready for the electric onslaught, which is occurring at a rate of change that exceeds their normal pace of business.

Startups will come to the rescue, providing the connective tissue to make sure that everyone from fleet owners to my father-in-law can charge a F-150 without the grid going down or causing grandma’s bills to spike:

• The nation's trucking fleets will receive crucial rural resources from Camus Energy, which sells affordable demand response software to the nation's co-op utilities, which serve half the country’s geography.
• Silicon Valley Clean Energy has launched its ev.energy-designed EV charging app that will enable customers to shift EV charging toward hours of abundant renewable energy.
• Japan is targeting 100% EV/hybrid sales by 2035, and Mitsubishi has tapped London-based Kaluza to do the software.
• Revel has partnered with Electric Era to provide backup energy storage to help its NYC charging hubs align with grid needs and manage costs.

California’s 2035 target for all drayage fleets stimulates a growing market for industrial-grade EV transport. The state's funding submission deadline is February 16. Companies like Forum Mobility, EvGo and others will compete on lowest cost per mile value, while vehicle startups like Arrival will pitch both transport and logistics sectors on the simplified utility vehicle of the future.

Many of the new EV consumer models will have fleet-ish elements:

• Envoy provides EVs as-an-amenity for resorts, apartment buildings, and businesses.
• Motor will enable drivers to subscribe to electric vehicles before buying them and connect them to their utilities.
• Link is an EV marketplace with a Pro Membership that offers lower home charging rates and roadside assistance.

Here in Alexandria, VA (pop. 160,146) I serve on our transit company’s board, where we set a goal to electrify our bus fleet by 2040 and have the most electric buses of any city in Virginia at 14! We've found that even a small fleet requires a new operating model. Different seasons may call for different service schedules (e.g. heating buses in winter is - for now -  a major battery drain). And getting chargers and buses to communicate properly can be a thing.

The Federal Government and other fleet owners will face these challenges at scale. But for each one, the same fact holds: if you buy enough electric vehicles, you are the grid.