Ford Pro and the City of Dallas have entered a 10-year agreement to grow and manage EV charging infrastructure for the city’s fleet operations. As part of the agreement, Dallas will install Ford Pro chargers at the city’s worksites and use Ford Pro smart charging software to customize and manage EV charging performance, according to a Ford Pro announcement. The integrated software and hardware solution is expected to help ensure the city’s fleet vehicles are charged optimally and ready for work.
In 2020, Dallas approved a Comprehensive Environmental & Climate Action Plan that includes efforts to reduce carbon emissions, in part by installing EV chargers throughout the city and adding light-duty EVs to the City’s fleet of 5,400 vehicles.
See also: Ford Pro launches Elite centers for commercial fleets
“The City of Dallas is committed to a clean, safe, and healthy environment, and we’re making great strides in our efforts to reduce emissions and improve air quality,” said Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson. “This agreement with Ford Pro marks a significant milestone and will help our city avoid energy waste and save money on energy costs. We look forward to building upon our work with Ford Pro to further scale EV charging infrastructure and electrify our fleet operations to continue to serve our great city now and in the future.”
Public sector trend
Four million vehicles are operated by state and local governments in the U.S., according to the Federal Highway Administration. The U.S. government has called for most federal vehicle purchases to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035, a trend that many state and local governments may be likely to mirror.
Ford Pro Charging already has hundreds of local government customers, the company noted. There’s an increasing trend of state and local governments not only adding EVs to their fleets, but also seeking high-quality EV chargers and smart charging software to manage it effectively. This shift may be driven in part by rising fuel costs, potentially lower operational costs provided by EVs, and a match of good use cases for how municipal agencies use EVs.
See also: Ford Pro touts turnkey transition to EVs
“EV adoption is on the rise with state and local government fleets, and we’re proud to provide smart charging software and hardware to help electrify one of the Lone Star State's biggest cities in one of America’s biggest metro areas,” said Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis. “The impact software can have on EV charging can be substantial, helping public agencies like the City of Dallas not only manage charging infrastructure today, but help determine where chargers may be needed in the future.”
Ford Pro’s suite of solutions—including vehicles, charging, software, financing, and service—is designed to deliver an always-on, connected customer experience through a comprehensive suite of solutions for all commercial and government customers.
This article was originally published on FleetOwner.com
