According to media reports, Ford's commercial vehicle division announced on December 5th a collaboration with utility company Xcel Energy to build 30,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the United States by 2030.
The two companies did not disclose the financial details of this collaboration but mentioned that they would cooperate through Xcel's broader Electric Vehicle Supply Infrastructure (EVSI) program. Through this program, Xcel will install charging infrastructure for eligible corporate customers.
The project will be managed by Ford's commercial vehicle and software division, Ford Pro. Amanda Rome, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at Xcel Energy, stated that the initial electric vehicle charging stations would be installed in the first quarter of 2024 in Wisconsin and Colorado, with plans to expand to more states later.
Over the next six years, the plan aims to extend to other states within Xcel's service area, including Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas.
Xcel mentioned that the company would cover "most upfront costs" for installing the charging stations. Rome estimated that business customers could save "up to $150,000" through this program. Simultaneously, Ford will provide customers with a complete set of charging products, including fleet management tools and other software utilities, to assist commercial fleet operators in managing the vehicle charging process.
Currently, sales of commercial electric vehicles are growing but at a slower pace than passenger vehicles. Year-to-date 2023, Ford has sold 6,187 electric versions of the E-Transit van in the United States, up from 5,811 in 2022. During the same period, the company also sold 20,365 F-150 Lightning electric trucks, an increase of 13,258 compared to 2022. Data from Cox Automotive shows that electric vehicles accounted for slightly less than 8% of total U.S. vehicle sales in the third quarter of 2023.
Similar to passenger vehicles, commercial electric vehicle customers face various constraints, including costs and a lack of charging infrastructure. Ford aims to address these challenges to make electric vehicles more appealing to commercial fleet owners.
