Transitioning your fleet to electric vehicles can be complex, but selecting the right Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) provider makes the process smoother. This checklist outlines the key questions for vetting CaaS providers to find the best partner for your fleet electrification journey.
Driven by climate change and new legislative demands, electric vehicle (EV) adoption among commercial fleets is accelerating. According to a recent Cox Automotive study, most fleets expect to integrate at least one EV within the next five years. The benefits of EVs, including reduced carbon emissions and lower total cost of ownership, are driving this shift.
However, the transition to full electrification can be overwhelming, especially for businesses just starting out. From infrastructure needs and range anxiety to budgets, maintenance, and operations, the electrification journey requires careful planning and expert support. This is where partnering with a Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) provider becomes essential.
By working with a CaaS provider, businesses gain access to a network of partnerships with engineering firms, equipment suppliers, utilities, and grant administrators. These partnerships streamline the electrification process, reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency compared to a DIY approach. But how do you ensure you’re selecting the right provider?
To make the best choice, here are the 10 key questions you should ask any CaaS provider. These will help you understand their service scope, pricing models, and capabilities for minimizing downtime during your transition.
10 Critical Questions for Vetting CaaS Providers
- Has the provider worked with businesses like yours?
Experience matters. Ask for references from companies or agencies of comparable size, scale, or mission. These insights will help you evaluate the provider’s reliability, return on investment (ROI), and their ability to meet sustainability goals, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. - Can the provider help you refine your fleet needs and use cases?
A reputable CaaS provider should take the time to understand your goals through detailed assessments and site visits. Their recommendations should result in a customized, de-risked, and performance-optimized electrification plan. - Is the provider a true one-stop shop, or are other vendors involved?
Seek out full-service providers that own, design, and manage your EV infrastructure. This minimizes the need for additional coordination with utilities, permitting agencies, and third-party vendors, saving you time and effort. - Is there a designated point of contact for support?
Reliable providers offer comprehensive customer support. For example, Electrada guarantees 24/7/365 support with on-site tech responses in under four hours and an uptime guarantee of 99%. - What are the provider’s charging capabilities?
When vetting CaaS providers, look for advanced charging solutions like smart charging and fast-charging options. Ensure the provider offers a robust software platform for fleet intelligence, enabling you to gather actionable data to optimize charging efficiency. - What is the expected transition timeline and impact on fleet operations?
A good CaaS provider will help you manage fleet productivity during the transition, minimizing downtime. Electrada, for example, offers a 99% uptime guarantee, proactively managing infrastructure to ensure continuity. - How does the provider determine charging equipment and rate requirements?
Providers like Electrada use a holistic approach, analyzing vehicle duty cycles, site factors, infrastructure capital expenditures, and electricity rates to recommend the optimal setup for your fleet. - Is the electric fuel fee schedule fixed or variable?
Opt for providers that offer predictable pricing over the lifetime of the relationship. Furthermore, a DIY approach can expose you to the volatility of electricity markets, where prices may fluctuate several times a day. - Can the provider help manage grants and incentives?
Maximize cost savings by working with providers who integrate government grants and utility incentives into their pricing model. Electrada, for example, applies these benefits directly to the contracted fuel costs. - How easily can the provider adjust to fleet size changes?
Scalability is crucial. Your provider should be able to handle fleet expansion or contraction with ease. Electrada, for instance, can integrate pre-existing charging infrastructure and calculate fair market value for any equipment you no longer wish to manage.
Making the Transition Smooth and Seamless
Electrada’s 360 Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) complete electric fuel solution offers a fully capitalized, performance-guaranteed model to simplify fleet electrification. This all-encompassing service is tailored to meet your fleet’s specific needs, ensuring reduced cost, risk, and operational disruption.
Get in touch to learn more about our fully capitalized, performance-guaranteed model, providing a seamless, cost-effective, and reliable solution that’s tailored to your specific fleet needs and use cases. 360 CaaS includes a 99% uptime guarantee, predictable pricing for the life of the relationship, and service level agreements that provide 24/7/365 all operations and maintenance coverage.
