It’s time to focus on EV infrastructure

June 13, 2023

Development of zero-emission trucks is a good start, but if the industry and government are committed to sustainability, we need to shift the focus from the trucks themselves to charging infrastructure.

Patrick Gaskins

There have been all kinds of hype surrounding electric vehicles, and many manufacturers—both traditional truck makers and new tech startups—have announced that they already are, or soon will be, in serial production of electric vehicles.

This means more EVs will be available for fleets to purchase, but it does not address the other part of EV deployment—getting them charged.

Charging an EV is not as simple as plugging it into an existing electrical outlet at your depot. Especially as you scale up the number of EVs you have in your fleet, you will need to install charging infrastructure. It is very unlikely that your site has enough electric power to charge more than a few trucks, even if you are charging them sequentially.

Unfortunately, adding power to your site is not simply a matter of flipping a switch. It involves assessing the current power available at your location, finding out how much additional power you need, and then determining what elements of charging infrastructure will need to be added to make it easy for you to charge all the EVs you have cost-effectively.

Estimates are that it can take 24 months or more to get the charging infrastructure in place that allows fleets to charge at their depots. That does not address any sort of network of charging stations across the country that would allow trucks to charge when they are away from their home depots.

If the government and the industry are committed to a cleaner transportation future, we need to shift the focus from the trucks to the charging infrastructure and the grid's readiness to power EVs today and in the future. It does no good to have electric trucks if they are going to sit parked against the fence because we don't have the capability to keep them charged and on the road.

Patrick Gaskins, SVP of Corcentric Fleet Solutions, oversees both sales and operations for the company's fleet offerings. Gaskins joined the company in 2010, bringing more than 30 years of experience as a financial services professional in the transportation industry. He leads a team that works with a supply base of more than 160 manufacturers to help the country's largest fleets manage all aspects of their fleet operations and fleet-related spending.

About the Author

Patrick Gaskins | Senior vice president, Fleet Solutions

Patrick Gaskins is a financial services professional serving the transportation industry for over 30 years. Gaskins earned his BBA in Finance from the University of Miami, FL in 1989, and received his CTP certification from the National Private Truck Council in 2002. He has held positions with GE Capital, TCF Equipment Finance, and various small independent lessors.

He began his career with Corcentric in 2010 as Vice President of Financial Services, was promoted to Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations, and is now taking the role of Senior Vice President, Fleet Solutions. In his new role he will lead Corcentric’s Captial Equipment Solutions, Fleet Procurement, Supply Management, and Remarketing teams. Gaskins will bring to the Fleet practice his expertise in developing data driven solutions to complex transportation transactions, driving efficiencies, and reducing expenses for Corcentric’s customers.

The Fleet Solutions practice leverages technology and the purchasing power of over 1,700 member fleets operating approximately 800,000 assets to provide its members with access to cost effective national account purchasing programs, fleet financing, asset management, and remarketing services.