In this episode of SAE Tomorrow Today, Electrada CEO Kevin Kushman joins host Grayson Brulte to dive into the fleet electrification roadblocks that prevent EV programs from scaling. From infrastructure delays to insurance volatility and grid constraints, Kushman lays out how Electrada helps fleets overcome these hurdles with Electrada Electric Fuel and its flagship solution, 360 Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS).
“You don’t just buy a truck and hope it works. You build a system around it—energy, infrastructure, cost predictability.”
— Kevin Kushman, CEO, Electrada
Fleet Electrification Roadblocks Are Slowing Progress
Despite growing pressure to decarbonize, fleets face major fleet electrification challenges every day. Some are technical—like charger reliability or grid limitations. Others are organizational: siloed departments, CapEx risk, or an over-reliance on short-term pilots. Electrada’s approach eliminates these roadblocks by delivering electric fuel as a service, with guaranteed performance and zero upfront investment.
How to Clear Fleet Electrification Roadblocks
1. Start with the Site, Not the Truck
One of the most overlooked fleet electrification challenges is infrastructure planning. Electrada begins with energy needs, grid capacity, and load shaping—then builds out charging around real-world use cases.
2. Replace CapEx With Predictable OpEx
Many fleets stall due to cost uncertainty or a lack of internal expertise. By offering fixed per-mile pricing through multi-year contracts, Electrada turns a common EV fleet roadblock into a scalable fuel solution.
3. Prevent Hardware Failures
Electrada tests every hardware-software-vehicle combination before launch. That attention to detail helps avoid one of the most frustrating fleet electrification roadblocks: broken chargers that create downtime and driver distrust. And it helps drive Electrada’s industry-leading 99%+ uptime guarantee.
4. Cluster to Scale
Scattered pilots don’t scale. To break through early deployment bottlenecks, Electrada encourages fleets to cluster vehicles at key depots—removing another critical roadblock to electrifying fleets.
Addressing Roadblocks With Utilities
Utility delays are often the most time-consuming fleet electrification roadblocks. Electrada solves this by speaking the utility’s language—designing load profiles that fit existing infrastructure and avoid upstream costs.
When needed, they install solar, storage, or microgrid assets to bypass capacity constraints and maintain uptime.
Where the Industry Can Scale Today
Medium-duty Class 3–5 vehicles are the most electrification-ready today. But even here, fleet electrification roadblocks like reefer load, depot readiness, and hardware compatibility can delay progress. Electrada works with customers to fine-tune depots for success from day one.
From Pilots to Programs
Short-term pilots rarely scale. The fleets that succeed long-term are those that remove internal friction, focus on ROI, and work with partners who take on risk—not just sell equipment.
“We don’t make money until the last year or two of a contract. We stay accountable, not transactional.”
— Kevin Kushman, CEO, Electrada
Final Word: Remove the Roadblocks, Get Results
Success isn’t about hype—it’s about performance. The most electrification-ready fleets are those who plan ahead, avoid CapEx exposure, and eliminate fleet electrification roadblocks with partners who stay in it for the long haul. Want to know more? Get in touch with Electrada to get started with a tailored fleet electrification strategy built around Electrada Electric Fuel and its flagship 360 CaaS complete electric fuel solution.
