INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Commercial fleets are under pressure by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to transition to zero emissions.
CARB will adopt the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule in spring 2023, which puts all fleets of 50 vehicles or more on a fast-track to operate electrical vehicles (EVs) with requirements starting in 2024.
However, it’s expensive for commercial fleets to transition to EV. Plus, there’s concern about the lack of charging infrastructure.
So enter Zeem Solutions.
Their LA-based depot is a one-stop shop for everything EV.
Zeem provides a monthly flat fee for leasing, servicing, parking, charging, and energy storage using zero emission commercial vehicles.
A fleet driver parks their personal car at Zeem’s Inglewood depot, they pick up a fully charged EV, and go on their route.
After their day of business, they drop off the vehicle, and Zeem charges, cleans, and maintains the vehicle.
Zeem Solutions CEO and Founder Paul Gioupis says their model takes the guesswork out of the complex EV equation.
“Fleets have realized that they can come to Zeem for their entire electrification program. They realize how difficult it is to do it on their own, and we are the solution that allows them to do it starting today”, said Gioupis.
Zeem’s services were very attractive to global logistics company Kuehne+Nagel.
Prior to signing on with Zeem six months ago, Vice President of Air Logistics Maik Lutze, says the company faced multiple challenges in going electric.
“Finding the infrastructure, finding providers in the market from our direct vendors, but also from providers in the market who can serve our vendors, and infrastructure overall in the different areas of the country,” said Lutze.
There’s not enough commercial EVs on the market yet, but that’s also a result of the lack of charging.
Gioupis says the industry needs to become standardized.
Essentially, every vehicle differs from the type of charger it needs.
“Today we’re very focused on the output of what the actual charger might be, but every single vehicle is very different on how much they can actually take in, so until that standardization comes, there’s a challenge in understanding what kind of charger to use, tied to what type of vehicle,” said Gioupis.
It might be a bumpy ride right now on the way to widespread adoption of EVs, but Zeem Solutions hopes to make the road smoother by paving this alternative way for commercial fleets to transition.
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