Merchants Fleet launches ClearCharge end-to-end solution for charging infrastructure
29 June 2023
Merchants Fleet, the US’ fastest growing fleet management company, launched ClearCharge, a new offering that simplifies electric vehicle (EV) charging and infrastructure solutions for fleets of any size across the nation. ClearCharge Home, ClearCharge Work, ClearCharge Public, and ClearCharge DropStation are available to clients to support their unique charging location needs.
ClearCharge enables commercial fleets to plan, develop, and implement Level 2 and 3 charging to meet the evolving needs of their business.
The increased popularity and rapid technology advancements in EVs is encouraging enterprise scale EV adoption—it is becoming a viable path for meeting cost-savings and ESG objectives. However, charging accessibility and infrastructure deployment complexity can prove challenging for fleets that might otherwise be ‘EV-ready,’ today. ClearCharge eliminates that complexity and offers futureproofed solutions that are viable today and can scale tomorrow as EV fleets grow. ClearCharge provides a holistic set of options for fleet operators, enabling them to leverage our decades of expertise to operate their electric fleets with confidence, no matter where the job requires the driver and vehicle to be.
—Hari Nayar, vice president of fleet electrification and sustainability
Reflecting the transportation nuances of last-mile, service, corporate, delivery and cargo fleets, ClearCharge is designed for any business in any industry with any number of vehicles that wants to deploy EVs with charging infrastructure.
ClearCharge solves the four common and challenging charging scenarios commercial fleets face—at work or depot, at home, on the go in public, and remote. Product features include:
ClearCharge Home—simplifies home charger installation with tracked charging data and energy reimbursement reporting. Merchants provides expert guidance on compatible EV chargers, consultations, and manages the installation at the driver’s home.
ClearCharge Work—brings corporate or fleet depot charging solutions to the workplace. Offered across three program levels—Work, Plus, and Pro— Merchants creates a customized and scalable infrastructure plan, provides on-sitesupport with suppliers and installers from its network, training for workplace personnel, and post-deployment management.
ClearCharge Public—an all-in-one solution for EV fleet drivers to locate a charger, authenticate payment and initiate charging via a single smart phone application. For fleets that need hassle-free charging throughout the workday away from headquarters, ClearCharge Public simplifies drivers needs, and related billing transactions for fleet managers.
ClearCharge DropStation—a portable power plant that can be “dropped” anywhere to keep fleet batteries at remote job sites charged and ready for the trip back home or to the depot without range anxiety.
As ClearCharge expands and opens multiple charging pathways for fleets later this year with ClearCharge Public and DropStation, Merchants’ portfolio of EVs will too—with the addition of more than 1,200 new EVs spanning delivery vans and pickup trucks. We’re very excited about the EV future. As inventory and charging infrastructure continues to improve, prior imposing barriers to electrification have started to recede, giving fleet managers an opportune moment to transform their fleet operations and make progress in their sustainability goals.
—Hari Nayar
ClearCharge Home and Work are generally available to fleets that require Level 2 and 3 EV charging. ClearCharge Public will be compatible with Android and Apple smartphones, and will be coming soon. Reservations for ClearCharge DropStation are now open with deliveries starting in Q4 2023.
Silly People.
It's not about the endless number of companies that can mobilize technology, installation, and connectivity -- IT IS THE MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, and REGIONS that determine when, where, and how much power can be brought online. As someone who provides technical expertise (though not electrical and other services per se) to building, communities, and new developments -- I am continuously exposed to the mind-boggling permitting, sub-contractor vetting, and government meetings/ delays/ paperwork/ committees that need to be undertaken to approve new power to a site -- months. Many, many months of approvals on top of working with the Contractors - if, and only if, the existing supply and backbone/ stations are available. New power? Electrical demands that may need to increase by 10, 25, 50% per year as neighbourhoods embrace charging -- impossible. The rate of technological change is proportional to the bureaucratic sludge that exists to supply infrastructure to that Change. I recommend One investigates the numerous Studies undertaken to 'electrifying' a community, usually done by richer regions, and how real-time expectations are in the order of decades. If we thought California was mired in deadly distribution maintenance and under-development in its rural areas, try to upgrade within a dense, 100-year-old+ urban environment.
Posted by: Jer | 29 June 2023 at 04:33 AM