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Welcome to the Mile Marker podcast where we dive into the world of digital transformation for fleets. We will bring you the insights, trends and best practices to keep your fleet-based business moving forward all brought to you by Ridecell.
Mile Marker
Technology, Innovation, Regulation and Strategy: the Path to Effective EV Transition (Kevin Neal)
In this episode of the Mile Marker podcast, Kevin Neal, Business Development Director at Revolv, shares insights from his 23 years in the fleet industry. Kevin discusses the transformative journey of fleet electrification, from early trials with electric vehicles to the current landscape in 2024. He highlights key challenges, including regulatory compliance, technology advancements, and the importance of strategic planning. Revolve's role in helping companies transition to electric fleets is also emphasized.
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WEBVTT
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You are listening to the Mile Marker Podcast,
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where we explore trends and innovations in fleet automation
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and shared mobility, helping fleet based businesses make
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better informed decisions
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and achieve full digital transformation.
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Welcome everyone to the Mile Marker podcast.
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I am your host, Angela Simoes,
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and today we have Kevin Neal,
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business Development Director from Revolve. Welcome, Kevin.
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Oh, thank you very much. So you've been in the fleet
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industry for just a little bit of time.
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A few years, a few years, a few years.
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A few years. So I think 23 to be exact.
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Um, and the company you work for is, uh,
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the tagline is The Future of Fleets.
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Correct. So, a bit of a, a long question here are we
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where you thought we would be here in 2024,
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and given that you are focused on the future
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of fleets, where, where are we going?
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Yeah, it's a, it's a very interesting question.
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Um, like I said, I've been in the, this industry 23 years,
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so I've seen significant changes.
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Mm-Hmm. 23 years is a long time,
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and it seems like things happen fast,
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but I think the electrification, uh, category
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is gonna be something we've never seen
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before as far as timing.
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It, it's very specific in where it's gonna land,
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but it's gonna be driving forward,
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and there's a lot of reasons for that.
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Mm-Hmm. I'll cover some of those, but where, where we are,
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um, yeah, I think, you know, obviously you have
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to look at the entire automotive industry from a post
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covid, uh, perspective.
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Mm-Hmm. Uh, it slowed everything down, obviously. Right.
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Everybody's familiar with supply chain,
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chip sorts, et cetera.
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Right. Right. And that really hit, I think,
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the electrification piece a little harder has to do
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with the number of chips in an ev
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but also manufacturers obviously were treated in a very
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difficult environment to, uh, vehicles
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that were paying the bills, so to speak.
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Right. Mm-Hmm. And, and electric vehicles are new, right?
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So any kind of new business does take some time
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to become profitable or Right,
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or broader in its, its economic contribution to the company.
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So, yeah. So it, it took a little longer from there.
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Um, where we are today, um, is really exciting.
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Um, I started, as I said, 23 years ago,
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and just give a quick little background
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why I am sitting here in electrification today.
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I started in the fleet management business with a,
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excuse me, a company called LeasePlan.
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Mm-Hmm. They were absorbed by, uh, wheels a couple
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of years ago, but great company worked there
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for about 15 years, a Dutch company.
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So they were always very, um, sustainability focused,
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much more, I'd say, than American companies.
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Um, that's fine. But mm-Hmm.
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That their heritage of being Dutch.
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So from there, I joined Renault Nissan, OE Okay.
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So, spent some time there, again, all in fleets,
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all on the global side of the business.
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And that's really my first encounter with,
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with an electric vehicle.
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And you'd think it would be the, uh, the leaf,
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although I did drive one as a part of my,
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uh, lease compensation.
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You, you have these benefits,
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you can, you can lease vehicles.
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So it was awesome. It was my first experience.
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But from a business perspective, uh,
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Nissan had a vehicle called the ENV 200.
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It was a small cargo van, very similar to Transit Connect,
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which most, most of us here in America will know.
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We brought five prototypes into the us
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It was a really exciting project.
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So Nissan wanted to understand, is this market ready for
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electric, small electric cargo van?
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I think this was 20, 24, 5 or six.
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I kind of lost track a little bit.
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But, so the five prototypes came to the states.
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We ran it through different geo geographies,
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fleet size industries, big fleets, small fleets,
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getting people, you know, the feedback on, you know,
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what is the viability of this Mm-Hmm.
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This, this vehicle. Unfortunately,
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we made the decision at the time,
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we, the market wasn't ready.
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It wasn't that the vehicle didn't perform, it did,
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but the infrastructure, now,
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this is 10 years ago, you can imagine, right?
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Uh, it's even a struggle in some ways today.
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So, um, although it didn't succeed in this market,
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we launched it in Europe Okay.
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In Asia as well. So Japan, China, and parts of Europe.
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So I was part of that. So, you know, all
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of a sudden I'm like, this is a really cool technology.
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And I kind of recognized already back then
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that this is gonna be the future.
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I don't know when, but certainly
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a new innovative clean mm-Hmm.
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Economically sometime in the future would,
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would, would pass Mm-Hmm.
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Ice vehicles as far as, as, as that, uh,
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performance characteristic.
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So that's where I started 2016, kind of evolved over the,
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the few years still staying in fleet management.
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And then about three or four years,
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I finally went all in on electric vehicles.
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So I decided this is my passion.
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I really do enjoy, uh, driving electric vehicles.
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I love the new technology. Mm-Hmm.
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So I've been in this business a hundred percent, EV
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and Revolve is a hundred percent EV company.
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So it was a perfect match when I joined a couple years ago.
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That's great. And so when you're talking about, you know,
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that you did the, the test here
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and the market wasn't ready, it just, I have
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to think about Tesla, right?
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Yeah. And I know this wasn't part of our kind
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of prep conversation, but, you know, you gotta,
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whether you think he's crazy or a genius,
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or maybe a little bit of both, I mean,
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I feel like Tesla really forced the industry
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to embrace electric.
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Well, he's, you know, forward thinkers, right? Yeah.
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Um, you know, he, he had an idea, he had a passion
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and the smarts to take it, take it further,
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and has pulled everybody with him, right?
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So, but it's also sheer force
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of will also, sheer force of will.
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I mean, I've, I read a couple of biographies about him,
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and that guy just forced a round
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peg into a square hole, right?
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It Just made it happen.
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It is not done yet, I promise you that.
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Right, right. And, uh, so I a hundred percent agree.
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I think the future of fleet is electric, uh, just kind
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of based on, uh, what we're seeing in the industry.
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Um, but it's gonna take a while.
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I mean, I think it, initially people thought, oh,
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we're gonna get it all electric,
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you know, within the next 10 years.
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And, but now we're realizing
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it just doesn't happen that way.
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Right. It's a progression.
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Um, some people are having some successful pilots,
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uh, they're learning lessons.
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And so what are you seeing as far as the big lessons learned
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and kind of best practices for, uh,
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transitioning fleets to electric?
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Sure. And, and the different kinds of vehicles as well.
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Right. It's much easier if it's just a passenger car,
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but you've got fans, you've got heavy duty work trucks.
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Some of those vehicles just don't even exist yet,
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right? Mm-Hmm. So how does that all
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Play? Yeah, it's a great
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question.
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On the electrification piece, again,
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we're a hundred percent electric,
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so obviously we're all in on this Mm-Hmm.
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This industry. Mm-Hmm. But you're absolutely right.
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It's gotta fit. Um, there is no one size fits all here.
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What we find is that
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electrification works in certain applications, right?
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When I say works, it means operationally it works
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and economically it works.
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There are use cases where running an EV will be cheaper.
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The total cost of ownership
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will be cheaper than a nice vehicle.
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Again, very specific Mm-Hmm.
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Assets in very specific use cases.
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So what are some of those?
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Um, we're seeing the biggest success in pickup trucks. Okay.
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And cargo vans. Oh.
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So that space, you can, from an economic perspective, okay,
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there's all other regulatory
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and other, other challenges there.
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But in that specific area, you know, our role with clients
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that revolve is to, to find those applications
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that have predictive routing for our clients.
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That's kind of a best case, that have a return to base.
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So an Amazon type Mm-Hmm.
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Where you're coming back to, uh, you're coming back
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to a facility and then dwell time, meaning, you know,
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if the vehicle's used 20 hours outta 24,
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that's a different scenario than if it's being used 10
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to 12 hours and it'll sit Mm-Hmm.
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10 to 12 hours. Right. So
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what we're focused on those clients that,
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that are progressively wanting to electrify
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for economic reasons.
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And then again, there's always other reasons behind that.
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They're regulatory. We can talk a little bit about that.
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And there's environmental, environmental is,
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is a very important topic,
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but typically people will respond to economic incentives.
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Mm-Hmm. So, if, if you can work with a company
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and show them that electrifying this piece
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of your fleet today, we'll
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bring you economic advantages vis-a-vis competitors or, or
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however you're, you're measuring that
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you are gonna have a big success there.
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Mm-Hmm. And again, it's a slice
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of the market, right. Um, it's gonna,
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And the environmental could be a bonus. Right.
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And the environmental is a bonus.
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I, I, I tell this story the other, literally the other day,
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um, I live in Georgia,
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finally, humidity's gone down a little bit.
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So I'm going down the road, I've got my windows down,
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enjoying the weather, come up to a stoplight behind a truck.
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And as it turns green, it just spewed out that, that,
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that black, that black emissions.
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And as my car filled up with that, I thought, well, yeah.
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This, this is why, why we need electric vehicles
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or zero emission vehicles.
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So it was just interesting as I,
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before I came here to San Antonio.
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So you mentioned that some
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of the most successful applications are with pickup trucks
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and cargo vans because of their predictability.
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You know, they have a scheduled route. Mm-Hmm.
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That sort of thing. Mm-Hmm. Um,
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and I will say, I, I think I expected you to say passengers,
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you know, like maybe pharmaceutical reps.
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Mm-Hmm. Or, you know, people
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that can take their car home and charge at home.
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Is that because it's less predictable
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and they might be, you know, going to lunch
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or they, you know, they're kind of
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setting their own schedule.
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Is it really the predictability
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that is a determiner of Yeah.
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Because of the technology, the range we have today
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that predictability is really the driver, you know,
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the range anxiety is a real thing.
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Mm-Hmm. Um, and when you have a pharmaceutical fleet,
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you may have a, a, a pharmaceutical reps
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who are based in Manhattan, right.
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That's very different than someone in Boise, Idaho. Right.
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So you have to look at that business model
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and probably segment it into who can fall into the bucket
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of electrifying on the basis of their, their typical routes,
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you know, their home charging situation.
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Um, we're predominantly in California,
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and we work predominantly on a depot based model,
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but we have clients that, of course, that have, well,
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we have a few take home vehicles.
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The challenge in some markets in California is certainly one
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of those where you have in a very expensive,
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um, real estate market.
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Mm-Hmm. A lot of people live in apartments or condos or,
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or have homes that are quite old.
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So the, the electricity service would need a
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very large upgrade, upgrade, upgrade.
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Right. Just in their home. So all of these scenarios
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really, um, bring you some challenges
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that have to be solved.
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Mm-Hmm. Not that the depot model I just
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mentioned doesn't have as challenges.
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It certainly does. But again, that's what we're focused on
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because we believe that the, the economic drivers are going
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to accelerate that acceleration.
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You've gotta be able to work with a client
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to understand within their world,
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what part do they want electrify.
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Right. And what are their primary reasons?
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Everybody's is economic, but there may be other reasons.
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And the regulatory is a very important topic,
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uh, as you, as you know.
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Yeah. So let's get into that, the regulatory,
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because I think that was something that, um,
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I don't know if scared is the right word,
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but you know, when a state like California comes out
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and says, okay, businesses, fleet businesses, you have
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to have X percent of your fleet be electric by this date,
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or at least x percent of your, you know,
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future purchases have to be electric.
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Uh, you know, fleet business would look at their budget
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and say, I don't know that we can afford that.
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Yeah. Like, how do you do that? So talk a little bit about
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how you've helped businesses, uh, comply
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with the regulatory mandates and, and what that looks like,
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and how are things changing?
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Yeah, sure. So you, you have these regulatory,
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uh, requirements, right?
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So this is the stick, right?
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There's incentives, there's a lot of incentive.
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We can talk a little bit about that.
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And that's the carrot that the government gives you,
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but they've also always bring a stick to the party, right?
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And these regulations, specifically California,
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if there's one point that I hope listeners
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to this podcast would take from the conversation
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is California advanced clean fleets.
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There's a lot of discussion about it.
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But this is a regulation that is in effect,
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this is a regulation that for the milestone option,
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which is most corporate fleets, commercial fleets will,
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will choose the milestone option
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that goes into effect January 1st, 2025,
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which is three and a half months.
306
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Mm-Hmm. And that's it. That, that's going to happen.
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That is coming and that will happen.
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Um, if you're not in compliance, what happens?
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Well, carb is not really, uh, very transparent about that.
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But so what we've been doing in the market is
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with our clients say, well, you know, some
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of the companies say, no, we're gonna be compliant.
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Mm-Hmm. We're working on it. And,
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and we believe in sustainability.
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We have some economic benefits and compliance.
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So, so they kind of lined up perfect for us.
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And we've electrified throughout California
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with some of these companies.
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There's others that are a bit hesitant.
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Um, so what we encourage them to do is, okay, well, you need
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to build a strategic plan.
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Right? Right. Put something on the
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shelf, if nothing else, right.
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That whatever your trigger is Mm-Hmm.
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That you're gonna have that plan.
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When I say plan, you know, which vehicles can you electrify?
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Well, that's, that takes some deep analysis.
328
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Where are they gonna be sitting? What sites?
329
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Um, some sites are better to electrify than others,
330
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depending on what energy Mm-Hmm.
331
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Is, is available, so to speak.
332
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What kind of load did you have at that facility?
333
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Are you a warehouse?
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It's a relatively probably low load from energy perspective,
335
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or are you a manufacturing facility
336
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where you're drawing a lot
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of power in your day-to-Day operations?
338
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So the regulations are driving people to
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consider that may not have considered it.
340
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I think there's unfortunately a bit of a,
341
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I'm not sure the right word to use here,
342
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but not a lack of seriousness.
343
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I don't mean that, but people don't understand,
344
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I think the seriousness of it, that these are coming,
345
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and this is only California and this is
346
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Live. So it's kind of like,
347
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oh,
348
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they're really not gonna
349
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enforce it, kind of a thing. Right?
350
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Yeah. And, and you know, I, when you get
351
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The, when you get the fine in the mail, so all
352
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of a sudden becomes real, you
353
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Know, we, uh, you know, we're a private company, right?
354
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Right. We don't represent California.
355
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We just give our opinion. I always tell people,
356
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we're not the IRS, we're, we're h and r block.
357
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Right. We're trying to help you, we're trying to help you,
358
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um, with these compliant issues.
359
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But, and the other, the other point I bring up
360
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with folks is, okay, California in itself, carbs, a CF is,
361
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is one issue, but there's four
362
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or five other states that are looking at the sim.
363
00:14:05.245 --> 00:14:06.965
Mm-Hmm. Very similar type of regulation. Mm-Hmm.
364
00:14:07.145 --> 00:14:09.325
So this is not going away. Right. For fleets.
365
00:14:09.385 --> 00:14:12.245
So I very much encourage fleet managers today,
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if you are in California operating vehicles,
367
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if you bring Cal vehicles into California, if you,
368
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if they're registered in Arizona,
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if they're registered in Nevada,
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if they operate in California, California considers
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that a California vehicle from a regulatory perspective,
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if these vehicles are 8,500 pounds
373
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or above GVWR, then you've better put a plan together.
374
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Mm-Hmm. And that's what we do at Revolve, we, we,
375
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we do the analysis to help you understand which vehicles,
376
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which sites, uh, which applications Mm-Hmm.
377
00:14:41.165 --> 00:14:42.965
Are gonna work for you from a financial perspective.
378
00:14:43.145 --> 00:14:45.245
And that's really, I think, the secret sauce in this
379
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business is partnering up with a company like Revolver,
380
00:14:48.285 --> 00:14:50.685
others that have that expertise to help you through these,
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00:14:51.195 --> 00:14:53.125
help you through these regulatory environments.
382
00:14:53.125 --> 00:14:56.765
Because that's only the first step. Then how do I electrify?
383
00:14:56.765 --> 00:14:58.005
Right? So, so we do that,
384
00:14:58.665 --> 00:15:01.085
but as you walk through all the various steps
385
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of electrification, it's, it can be overwhelming.
386
00:15:03.205 --> 00:15:04.285
Sure. It's very complicated.
387
00:15:04.345 --> 00:15:06.765
But again, that's why there's companies like Revolve, right.
388
00:15:06.935 --> 00:15:09.005
Partnering with companies to, to do this
389
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And who have, uh, helped who, who have been doing it
390
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for a while now, and have made the mistakes,
391
00:15:14.825 --> 00:15:16.525
or have seen the mistakes that have been made.
392
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And that way you can streamline their process moving forward
393
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for even somebody that's brand new
394
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to the electrification process. Right.
395
00:15:23.475 --> 00:15:26.165
Yeah. Our, our best customers are one that tried
396
00:15:26.165 --> 00:15:28.245
to do it themselves, which
397
00:15:28.245 --> 00:15:28.885
Is Oh, really? Oh, that's
398
00:15:28.965 --> 00:15:29.885
Interesting. Yeah. So we
399
00:15:30.025 --> 00:15:31.845
Can, is there like a, a case study?
400
00:15:31.945 --> 00:15:33.245
Not, you don't have to mention any names Yeah.
401
00:15:33.245 --> 00:15:34.565
But like a scenario you can talk about.
402
00:15:34.715 --> 00:15:36.645
Yeah. We have a, a company that came to us
403
00:15:36.645 --> 00:15:39.205
and said, well, we bought, I think it was 20 EVs,
404
00:15:39.205 --> 00:15:39.805
and they're just sitting,
405
00:15:40.125 --> 00:15:41.085
we don't know what to do with them.
406
00:15:41.085 --> 00:15:44.045
Right? So somebody had an idea, Hey, we have
407
00:15:44.045 --> 00:15:47.005
to put EVs into our fleet for whatever reason,
408
00:15:47.005 --> 00:15:48.245
sustainability regulation.
409
00:15:48.305 --> 00:15:50.005
But there's a whole process, right?
410
00:15:50.005 --> 00:15:53.965
There's permitting on the, uh, local jurisdiction side,
411
00:15:54.275 --> 00:15:55.805
working with the utilities.
412
00:15:55.805 --> 00:15:57.805
You wanna make sure you're, you're capturing all
413
00:15:57.805 --> 00:15:58.885
the incentives that exist.
414
00:15:59.425 --> 00:16:01.285
The site plan we talked a little about earlier. Okay.
415
00:16:01.515 --> 00:16:02.565
What kind of energy
416
00:16:02.565 --> 00:16:04.005
development you're gonna need on that site.
417
00:16:04.025 --> 00:16:06.805
Do you need new switch gear? Do you need new transformers?
418
00:16:06.805 --> 00:16:07.885
Do you need new panels?
419
00:16:08.545 --> 00:16:11.925
Um, okay, so what kind of chargers do you want? Level two?
420
00:16:12.205 --> 00:16:13.645
'cause you know, they're less expensive.
421
00:16:13.705 --> 00:16:14.765
You have a long dwell time,
422
00:16:14.825 --> 00:16:18.005
or maybe you need a DC, a compact DC charger.
423
00:16:18.005 --> 00:16:19.485
Mm-Hmm. That's a little bit more expensive,
424
00:16:19.545 --> 00:16:22.925
but perhaps your duty cycles will require a faster charge.
425
00:16:23.515 --> 00:16:26.485
Then what kind of vehicles will, will meet your routing?
426
00:16:26.485 --> 00:16:28.765
Right? I talked about predictive, um, routes,
427
00:16:28.825 --> 00:16:30.885
but what is your average daily miles?
428
00:16:31.025 --> 00:16:34.325
If you're in a eran, a traditional one, and,
429
00:16:34.325 --> 00:16:36.645
and you're driving 80 to 90 miles a day, fine.
430
00:16:36.645 --> 00:16:40.085
But if you're driving two days a week, 150 miles, well
431
00:16:40.085 --> 00:16:41.885
that's a problem for that particular route.
432
00:16:42.305 --> 00:16:45.325
So all that data has to be incorporated and,
433
00:16:45.345 --> 00:16:46.845
and put into that strategic plan.
434
00:16:46.905 --> 00:16:49.765
So all those various elements are operational,
435
00:16:49.765 --> 00:16:51.485
they're financial, and, uh,
436
00:16:51.735 --> 00:16:53.365
those all have to be, uh, mm-Hmm.
437
00:16:54.025 --> 00:16:55.725
Put together and, and developed in that plan.
438
00:16:55.725 --> 00:16:57.285
Again, that's what we do. That's
439
00:16:57.285 --> 00:16:59.285
what fleet manager needs to start thinking about.
440
00:16:59.625 --> 00:17:01.245
And, and you notice a lot
441
00:17:01.245 --> 00:17:02.725
of people are interested in electrification.
442
00:17:02.755 --> 00:17:05.085
It's always a topic at aflo. These are conferences.
443
00:17:05.085 --> 00:17:08.365
There's always a, a breakout session or there's a presenter,
444
00:17:08.365 --> 00:17:09.405
and they're always fascinating.
445
00:17:09.425 --> 00:17:10.965
But, um, I do think people
446
00:17:10.965 --> 00:17:12.405
certainly in those parameters mm-hmm.
447
00:17:12.485 --> 00:17:15.205
Of working in, in California with that type of vehicle, need
448
00:17:15.205 --> 00:17:17.885
to probably move along if they have not. Right.
449
00:17:18.545 --> 00:17:21.565
So, seeing the progression that has happened so far,
450
00:17:21.815 --> 00:17:23.565
right, to where we are today,
451
00:17:24.815 --> 00:17:27.005
where do you think the progression, like,
452
00:17:27.005 --> 00:17:28.645
how do you think it will progress in the next,
453
00:17:28.735 --> 00:17:29.845
let's say year mm-Hmm.
454
00:17:29.925 --> 00:17:32.125
And then maybe three to five years, right?
455
00:17:32.245 --> 00:17:34.165
I, I, I don't know, have an actual number as far as
456
00:17:34.725 --> 00:17:37.365
X percent of fleets or electrified Mm-Hmm.
457
00:17:37.485 --> 00:17:39.445
I, I don't have that number, but, um,
458
00:17:39.665 --> 00:17:44.125
do you think it might increase, you know, 5%, 10, 15%?
459
00:17:44.155 --> 00:17:46.085
Like where, where, how do you think the
460
00:17:46.205 --> 00:17:47.805
progression will go faster, even? You know,
461
00:17:47.955 --> 00:17:49.525
It's, it's a tough question to answer,
462
00:17:49.585 --> 00:17:51.125
but certainly I think in the next year
463
00:17:51.125 --> 00:17:52.925
or two, you're gonna have steady, okay.
464
00:17:53.005 --> 00:17:54.285
I don't think it's gonna be explosive.
465
00:17:54.605 --> 00:17:57.165
I think primary regulation right now,
466
00:17:57.185 --> 00:17:58.925
the California is getting all the attention,
467
00:17:59.465 --> 00:18:02.365
but I think you're gonna see this rapid acceleration in
468
00:18:02.365 --> 00:18:03.805
three to five years and beyond that,
469
00:18:03.805 --> 00:18:05.525
because there are a number of things
470
00:18:05.525 --> 00:18:08.325
that are happening today that's gonna benefit that I think,
471
00:18:08.455 --> 00:18:09.685
let's call it the mid short term.
472
00:18:09.685 --> 00:18:12.125
Mm-Hmm. So two years, three years, you're seeing
473
00:18:13.275 --> 00:18:15.005
OEMs introduced traditionally, OEM,
474
00:18:15.005 --> 00:18:18.565
traditional OEMs introduce a number of new models,
475
00:18:18.565 --> 00:18:20.645
certainly in the cargo van, in the pickup truck,
476
00:18:20.645 --> 00:18:21.805
which is really a sweet spot.
477
00:18:22.065 --> 00:18:23.925
So you're seeing more and more introductions
478
00:18:23.925 --> 00:18:25.045
of that type of vehicle.
479
00:18:25.105 --> 00:18:28.365
And that's gonna significantly bring in more people into
480
00:18:28.365 --> 00:18:29.845
this electrification conversation.
481
00:18:29.915 --> 00:18:32.525
Primarily 'cause it, in some of those use cases,
482
00:18:32.545 --> 00:18:34.565
you're gonna have that economic benefit, right?
483
00:18:34.565 --> 00:18:37.645
Mm-Hmm. And again, that's gonna pull, you have a lot
484
00:18:37.645 --> 00:18:38.645
of incentives right now.
485
00:18:38.865 --> 00:18:40.525
Um, California is one,
486
00:18:40.525 --> 00:18:42.045
but there's others on the utility side.
487
00:18:42.785 --> 00:18:44.485
How long will they be there? Right?
488
00:18:44.545 --> 00:18:46.405
So today the incentives are there,
489
00:18:46.465 --> 00:18:48.725
are they gonna be there next year, two years, three years?
490
00:18:48.725 --> 00:18:50.965
Mm-Hmm. Perhaps, perhaps not.
491
00:18:51.345 --> 00:18:52.565
What's happened in California,
492
00:18:52.595 --> 00:18:54.325
they had an incentive called an hfi,
493
00:18:54.325 --> 00:18:56.405
which is basically an incentive tied to the,
494
00:18:56.505 --> 00:18:57.525
to the vehicle itself.
495
00:18:57.525 --> 00:18:59.925
And they were fairly big. Well, California changed
496
00:18:59.925 --> 00:19:00.965
that over the last two years.
497
00:19:01.025 --> 00:19:02.805
In the beginning, pretty much anybody could get it.
498
00:19:03.385 --> 00:19:06.165
And then they said, well, if you're a certain fleet size,
499
00:19:06.165 --> 00:19:07.565
you can only get part of it.
500
00:19:07.925 --> 00:19:09.925
Hmm. And now they're basically eliminating it
501
00:19:09.925 --> 00:19:11.925
for all fleets except for very small fleets.
502
00:19:11.925 --> 00:19:13.165
And the reason is they're saying, well,
503
00:19:13.165 --> 00:19:14.245
why do we incentivize you?
504
00:19:14.245 --> 00:19:15.805
Because now you have to do it. Hmm.
505
00:19:15.945 --> 00:19:18.405
So you kind of have that evolution from the incentive piece
506
00:19:18.405 --> 00:19:19.605
to the regulatory piece.
507
00:19:19.825 --> 00:19:21.365
And I think you're gonna see some of
508
00:19:21.365 --> 00:19:22.565
that in the next two to three years.
509
00:19:22.625 --> 00:19:24.245
So it bodes well
510
00:19:24.245 --> 00:19:26.045
for the next couple years on the incentive side,
511
00:19:26.385 --> 00:19:28.805
and we talked a little bit about the regulatory, I think
512
00:19:28.805 --> 00:19:32.205
that's gonna dry some steady volume right now, three years,
513
00:19:32.205 --> 00:19:33.405
four years, five years out.
514
00:19:33.545 --> 00:19:36.525
That's where I think it gets fascinatingly interesting
515
00:19:36.915 --> 00:19:39.725
because you are gonna see rapid development of technology.
516
00:19:39.725 --> 00:19:44.085
And this is a, a, uh, electric vehicles basically have a,
517
00:19:44.315 --> 00:19:46.205
they're early in their technology development.
518
00:19:46.545 --> 00:19:48.565
If you think about internal combustion, they've been
519
00:19:48.565 --> 00:19:49.645
around 130 years, right?
520
00:19:49.645 --> 00:19:51.925
Mm-Hmm. So, you know, they make incremental improvements
521
00:19:51.925 --> 00:19:53.685
for sure, but you know,
522
00:19:54.035 --> 00:19:55.525
there's not much more you can do with it.
523
00:19:55.985 --> 00:19:57.125
And electric vehicles,
524
00:19:57.125 --> 00:19:59.925
certainly in the commercial vehicle market, five years,
525
00:20:00.065 --> 00:20:02.005
10 years, you know, even Elon Musk, right?
526
00:20:02.065 --> 00:20:03.965
The, the, you know, 2013 maybe,
527
00:20:04.045 --> 00:20:06.005
I don't know the exact year he introduced his first vehicle,
528
00:20:06.145 --> 00:20:08.605
but, so these are, are very, um,
529
00:20:08.605 --> 00:20:10.165
early on their technology curve.
530
00:20:10.185 --> 00:20:13.125
So there's going to be rapid advances in technology.
531
00:20:13.885 --> 00:20:16.205
I think primarily you're gonna see it on the battery side.
532
00:20:16.865 --> 00:20:18.725
So you're gonna see the,
533
00:20:18.985 --> 00:20:21.405
the lithium iron phosphate batteries Mm-Hmm.
534
00:20:21.485 --> 00:20:22.485
Are taking over a little bit,
535
00:20:22.485 --> 00:20:25.325
certainly is manufacturers move down and price points.
536
00:20:25.325 --> 00:20:27.765
Mm-Hmm. Trying to introduce more affordable EVs,
537
00:20:28.235 --> 00:20:31.165
that battery chemistry's quite well positioned for that.
538
00:20:31.545 --> 00:20:33.885
But you see a lot of work on solid state batteries, right?
539
00:20:33.885 --> 00:20:34.925
That will be a game changer.
540
00:20:35.185 --> 00:20:38.765
You see, uh, lithium sulfur batteries, you see, um,
541
00:20:40.585 --> 00:20:42.045
sodium ion battery, Mm-Hmm.
542
00:20:42.125 --> 00:20:43.525
So all these new battery chemistries,
543
00:20:43.835 --> 00:20:45.085
they're all interesting, right?
544
00:20:45.085 --> 00:20:47.045
Nothing's been commercialized and who knows the winner.
545
00:20:47.185 --> 00:20:48.725
But there's, there's inordinate
546
00:20:48.725 --> 00:20:50.805
amount of work going into that. And this is a global,
547
00:20:50.975 --> 00:20:51.975
Right? This is a global
548
00:20:51.975 --> 00:20:52.525
product, right?
549
00:20:52.525 --> 00:20:55.405
We're not talking the US we're actually behind a little bit,
550
00:20:55.535 --> 00:20:57.405
quite honestly, in some of the technologies.
551
00:20:57.945 --> 00:21:00.645
So as that battery technology starts to take off,
552
00:21:00.645 --> 00:21:02.405
and you marry that up with improvements in
553
00:21:02.645 --> 00:21:03.725
charging technology, right?
554
00:21:03.825 --> 00:21:06.445
So if you think about today, uh, most
555
00:21:06.445 --> 00:21:08.845
of your commercial vehicles are a 400 volt, uh,
556
00:21:09.115 --> 00:21:10.725
have a 400 volt architecture.
557
00:21:10.825 --> 00:21:13.725
Um, some of them have gone to, some vehicles have gone
558
00:21:13.725 --> 00:21:15.565
to an 800 volt architecture,
559
00:21:15.565 --> 00:21:18.005
and that's primarily your higher end vehicles, your lucid,
560
00:21:18.035 --> 00:21:21.205
your, uh, Porsche, although Hyundai has introduced some.
561
00:21:21.825 --> 00:21:25.005
So is that trend gonna continue? It may, it may not.
562
00:21:25.185 --> 00:21:27.605
Um, but certainly that's something some manufacturers,
563
00:21:27.605 --> 00:21:28.685
and again, as some do it,
564
00:21:28.745 --> 00:21:30.405
the first movers do it mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.
565
00:21:30.545 --> 00:21:31.765
You from a competitive point,
566
00:21:31.765 --> 00:21:33.245
everybody starts looking at it.
567
00:21:33.705 --> 00:21:35.445
And then the cooling technology itself,
568
00:21:35.555 --> 00:21:37.365
both in the battery management system,
569
00:21:37.465 --> 00:21:40.725
but also in like a DC fast charge, if you think about how,
570
00:21:41.065 --> 00:21:42.725
how hot those things get, right?
571
00:21:42.725 --> 00:21:45.125
So the cooling technologies are very important. Absolutely.
572
00:21:45.465 --> 00:21:49.725
So as those two sets of technologies develop kind
573
00:21:49.725 --> 00:21:51.445
of interoperably, because these, these,
574
00:21:51.665 --> 00:21:54.325
all these technologies are intertwined, interwoven, so
575
00:21:54.325 --> 00:21:58.205
to speak, once they start to pay off on the development,
576
00:21:58.205 --> 00:21:59.845
you're gonna see lower cost
577
00:22:00.585 --> 00:22:02.405
EVs are gonna be much more competitive
578
00:22:02.405 --> 00:22:03.565
from a costing perspective.
579
00:22:04.065 --> 00:22:07.005
You're gonna see much more efficient energy density on
580
00:22:07.005 --> 00:22:08.085
the batteries, which means range.
581
00:22:08.145 --> 00:22:10.365
So all of a sudden, not range anxiety. Mm-Hmm.
582
00:22:10.845 --> 00:22:13.045
I dunno if you ever get rid of it, I still on a gas vehicle,
583
00:22:13.165 --> 00:22:15.405
I hate to get, you know, too low. I get gas, uh,
584
00:22:15.745 --> 00:22:17.565
Gas, anxiety, gasoline, Anxiety if it gets too.
585
00:22:18.065 --> 00:22:19.765
But that's gonna be kind of less
586
00:22:19.765 --> 00:22:21.765
of a determining factor of what you do.
587
00:22:22.425 --> 00:22:24.765
And then, um, finally charging times, um,
588
00:22:24.945 --> 00:22:26.045
if you think about, you know,
589
00:22:26.045 --> 00:22:27.445
the biggest complaints about charging,
590
00:22:27.505 --> 00:22:29.405
and I'm gonna go outside of commercial vehicles
591
00:22:29.405 --> 00:22:31.485
for a moment, but, you know, chargers don't work.
592
00:22:31.485 --> 00:22:33.045
20% of the chargers don't work,
593
00:22:33.045 --> 00:22:34.365
or whatever the statistic may be.
594
00:22:34.785 --> 00:22:39.085
So what, what ev consumers want is a consistent experience
595
00:22:39.085 --> 00:22:40.605
with chargers, and they want
596
00:22:40.605 --> 00:22:41.685
a quick experience with charger.
597
00:22:41.715 --> 00:22:43.845
They want it to be like they know today with gasoline.
598
00:22:43.845 --> 00:22:45.005
Right? Right. And we're not really there
599
00:22:45.005 --> 00:22:46.005
Yet. We don't really need five,
600
00:22:46.005 --> 00:22:47.245
10 different apps. Right?
601
00:22:47.485 --> 00:22:51.645
Exactly. So as, as, as, as that evolves five years,
602
00:22:51.645 --> 00:22:52.725
three years, seven years, Mm-Hmm.
603
00:22:53.005 --> 00:22:55.365
I think that's where this explosive takeoff happens.
604
00:22:55.825 --> 00:22:58.245
And again, the economic forgetting. Yep.
605
00:22:58.365 --> 00:22:59.565
I don't wanna say forget the environment.
606
00:22:59.565 --> 00:23:01.125
The environment, again, is a great, nice to have,
607
00:23:01.865 --> 00:23:05.045
but the regulatory will be less, less of a factor
608
00:23:05.045 --> 00:23:06.325
because you're, you know, it's going to,
609
00:23:06.685 --> 00:23:08.685
economics will pull people into that space, right?
610
00:23:08.905 --> 00:23:12.445
And, and that's our primary mission at Revolve, is to find
611
00:23:12.445 --> 00:23:14.365
that space for our customers.
612
00:23:14.385 --> 00:23:16.805
Mm-Hmm. What applications do you have
613
00:23:17.035 --> 00:23:20.965
that we can get you into the electrification space at a cost
614
00:23:20.995 --> 00:23:23.045
plus, or excuse me, a cost advantage
615
00:23:23.805 --> 00:23:26.805
vis-a-vis your current fleet vis-a-vis your competitors.
616
00:23:26.815 --> 00:23:29.765
Right? It, it's a great point that you bring up about the,
617
00:23:29.905 --> 00:23:31.765
uh, advancements in battery technology,
618
00:23:32.115 --> 00:23:35.565
because that, uh, affects the weight of the vehicle,
619
00:23:36.015 --> 00:23:38.605
which then can also affect road infrastructure, right?
620
00:23:38.605 --> 00:23:39.885
Mm-Hmm. And so there's,
621
00:23:39.885 --> 00:23:41.165
and there's this trickle down effect, right?
622
00:23:41.165 --> 00:23:43.125
Because then you might have companies that say, well,
623
00:23:43.345 --> 00:23:47.125
I'm just gonna wait until, you know, better batteries and,
624
00:23:47.225 --> 00:23:49.525
and longer range and things like that.
625
00:23:49.585 --> 00:23:51.005
But it, you know, to your point about
626
00:23:51.005 --> 00:23:52.125
regulation, you can't wait.
627
00:23:52.255 --> 00:23:55.765
Right? So then that, does that affect, um, you know,
628
00:23:55.885 --> 00:23:57.445
leasing agreements where, okay,
629
00:23:57.445 --> 00:23:59.045
well I'm only gonna lease this for a year
630
00:23:59.045 --> 00:24:01.005
because next year there's gonna be a better vehicle.
631
00:24:01.005 --> 00:24:02.925
You know what I mean? So it's just has this whole
632
00:24:02.925 --> 00:24:03.965
trickle down effect.
633
00:24:04.185 --> 00:24:06.845
And it's a lot to figure out, to your point earlier.
634
00:24:07.105 --> 00:24:10.445
So, you know, to start, you re work
635
00:24:10.445 --> 00:24:12.805
with a company like Revolver, others, where you've kind
636
00:24:12.805 --> 00:24:14.165
of done all the homework, right?
637
00:24:14.305 --> 00:24:17.205
And you plug in your needs,
638
00:24:18.065 --> 00:24:19.805
and it's almost like a calculator, right?
639
00:24:19.805 --> 00:24:21.685
Where you could figure out, okay, you're gonna use this car
640
00:24:21.685 --> 00:24:22.965
for a year, and then you're gonna switch,
641
00:24:22.965 --> 00:24:24.165
and then you're gonna charge here.
642
00:24:24.225 --> 00:24:27.645
And it's, it's a whole like, I don't know,
643
00:24:27.735 --> 00:24:29.405
Jenga kind of situation. Absolutely.
644
00:24:29.405 --> 00:24:31.885
Well, I'm a salesman, so take this for the grain of salt,
645
00:24:31.985 --> 00:24:35.365
but, but outsourcing these complexity makes complete sense.
646
00:24:35.365 --> 00:24:38.685
Mm-Hmm. To a company like Revolver, others, the complexity
647
00:24:38.685 --> 00:24:40.045
of electrification versus
648
00:24:40.115 --> 00:24:43.165
what fleet are doing today is significantly different.
649
00:24:43.165 --> 00:24:47.125
Right. Um, you talked about, um, the, the technology curve,
650
00:24:47.125 --> 00:24:48.605
and you mentioned about, well, a year later,
651
00:24:48.625 --> 00:24:49.885
what's the value of that vehicle?
652
00:24:50.025 --> 00:24:52.885
So what we have done at Revolve is we've offered in our
653
00:24:52.885 --> 00:24:54.805
product, it's a closed end lease.
654
00:24:54.805 --> 00:24:56.885
So we take that residual re risk,
655
00:24:57.135 --> 00:24:59.565
which is very different than the traditional market.
656
00:24:59.635 --> 00:25:01.285
This is an open end market in the us.
657
00:25:01.345 --> 00:25:03.565
Uh, my background working in international fleet,
658
00:25:03.565 --> 00:25:05.605
I've done both closed end, which is primarily Europe,
659
00:25:05.665 --> 00:25:08.565
and Open End is primarily us both have their places.
660
00:25:09.305 --> 00:25:11.605
Um, the US is definitely, uh, it's,
661
00:25:11.605 --> 00:25:12.805
it's good to have an open end.
662
00:25:12.825 --> 00:25:13.845
I'm a big proponent of that.
663
00:25:14.345 --> 00:25:16.965
But electric vehicles are a very new technology, right?
664
00:25:16.965 --> 00:25:19.605
And as I said, that technology curve, so within a year,
665
00:25:19.625 --> 00:25:21.005
two years, you are at risk
666
00:25:21.225 --> 00:25:23.685
of your asset significantly losing value.
667
00:25:23.685 --> 00:25:25.525
Mm-Hmm. Because of the advancements of technology.
668
00:25:26.225 --> 00:25:27.605
So when I had these discussions
669
00:25:27.705 --> 00:25:29.805
and people say, well, we don't wanna do, you know,
670
00:25:29.805 --> 00:25:31.525
close end, we're an open, I say, I get it.
671
00:25:31.595 --> 00:25:32.885
I've been in this business a long time.
672
00:25:33.305 --> 00:25:36.925
If I was buying an F-150, I would demand you use open net.
673
00:25:37.185 --> 00:25:38.965
If you're gonna buy an F-150 Lightning,
674
00:25:38.965 --> 00:25:41.005
or if you're gonna buy any transit or rise in
675
00:25:41.005 --> 00:25:42.205
or whatever electric vehicle,
676
00:25:42.265 --> 00:25:43.645
you should consider a closed end
677
00:25:43.645 --> 00:25:45.405
because the technology's moving that fast.
678
00:25:46.105 --> 00:25:49.605
Now then the question is, well, if, if, if the risk is
679
00:25:49.605 --> 00:25:51.005
what the client's too great, and you're pulling
680
00:25:51.005 --> 00:25:53.165
that risk in, why can you manage it better?
681
00:25:53.345 --> 00:25:56.165
And, and again, this is because of the revolve expertise
682
00:25:56.165 --> 00:25:58.925
and our background in, in renewables and energy management.
683
00:25:59.665 --> 00:26:01.565
And I don't wanna get too deep in the rabbit hole on
684
00:26:01.725 --> 00:26:03.805
residual setting, but typically residual settings,
685
00:26:03.805 --> 00:26:04.925
data points in a market, right?
686
00:26:04.945 --> 00:26:06.645
So you remarket a bunch of vehicles
687
00:26:06.665 --> 00:26:08.445
and you find the data points and you can set that.
688
00:26:08.445 --> 00:26:10.205
And that's quite easy. We don't have data
689
00:26:10.205 --> 00:26:11.485
points on electric vehicles.
690
00:26:11.485 --> 00:26:13.365
There's not been enough remarket. It's all new.
691
00:26:14.145 --> 00:26:16.005
And then when you do remarket, the ev
692
00:26:17.055 --> 00:26:19.365
let's say the a hundred mile range was great when you bought
693
00:26:19.365 --> 00:26:21.445
it, but four years, maybe it's
694
00:26:21.445 --> 00:26:22.725
500, whatever it may be, right?
695
00:26:22.785 --> 00:26:25.485
So who wants a 100 mile range vehicle when for,
696
00:26:25.585 --> 00:26:26.645
for a certain cost, you
697
00:26:26.645 --> 00:26:27.685
can get something significantly better.
698
00:26:28.275 --> 00:26:31.045
What we do at Revolve is we look at the asset in two pieces
699
00:26:31.115 --> 00:26:32.605
from a residual perspective,
700
00:26:32.625 --> 00:26:34.445
we look at it from a chassis perspective,
701
00:26:34.465 --> 00:26:36.285
and we look at it from a battery perspective.
702
00:26:36.305 --> 00:26:38.325
And that's really different than ice
703
00:26:38.325 --> 00:26:39.605
vehicles, obviously, right?
704
00:26:39.875 --> 00:26:43.285
That battery's value, if you tie it to the vehicle in
705
00:26:43.805 --> 00:26:46.325
X years, is gonna be very different than if you can extract
706
00:26:46.325 --> 00:26:50.925
the battery and use it in, um, stationary battery storage,
707
00:26:51.315 --> 00:26:52.925
microgrid applications where
708
00:26:53.505 --> 00:26:55.645
the weight is not really an issue with it, right?
709
00:26:55.645 --> 00:26:56.805
Where it is obviously in a car.
710
00:26:56.865 --> 00:26:59.925
But if you're in the, in the, the desert soaking up the sun
711
00:26:59.925 --> 00:27:01.565
and solar arrays, you know,
712
00:27:01.565 --> 00:27:03.125
and do you really need a light battery?
713
00:27:03.185 --> 00:27:05.045
No. You just need a, a, a battery. Mm-Hmm.
714
00:27:05.265 --> 00:27:08.205
So there's a lot of secondary markets that you can extract
715
00:27:08.205 --> 00:27:10.445
that value significantly more than if
716
00:27:10.445 --> 00:27:11.485
you just kept that in the vehicle.
717
00:27:11.665 --> 00:27:14.005
So it, it's a little bit detailed,
718
00:27:14.005 --> 00:27:15.765
but it just shows you the complexity of this market.
719
00:27:15.765 --> 00:27:17.845
Sure. And that's how, again, partnering
720
00:27:17.845 --> 00:27:20.365
with someone like Revolve, you can de-risk,
721
00:27:20.825 --> 00:27:21.965
but at a reasonable cost.
722
00:27:21.965 --> 00:27:24.085
Because again, assuming the risk, there's a cost
723
00:27:24.085 --> 00:27:25.205
to us assuming that risk,
724
00:27:25.425 --> 00:27:27.005
but it's not as high as people think.
725
00:27:27.055 --> 00:27:28.165
Right? Well, and something
726
00:27:28.165 --> 00:27:30.085
that we didn't talk about at all, and,
727
00:27:30.105 --> 00:27:31.845
and actually hasn't come up, uh, in all
728
00:27:31.845 --> 00:27:34.925
of our conversations this week, is the software defined part
729
00:27:34.985 --> 00:27:36.325
of a vehicle nowadays, right.
730
00:27:36.755 --> 00:27:39.485
That could technically help extend
731
00:27:39.485 --> 00:27:40.605
the life of, of the vehicle.
732
00:27:40.605 --> 00:27:42.845
Mm-Hmm. Right. Because of the upgrades and things like that.
733
00:27:42.865 --> 00:27:44.525
So even if the battery can't upgrade,
734
00:27:44.785 --> 00:27:47.285
but you're getting all these other features that are helpful
735
00:27:47.345 --> 00:27:50.885
to a fleet, you could potentially get more than maybe just a
736
00:27:50.885 --> 00:27:52.285
year or two, even though, you know,
737
00:27:52.425 --> 00:27:53.885
and so taking those things
738
00:27:53.885 --> 00:27:55.245
into consideration as well, right?
739
00:27:55.485 --> 00:27:58.245
I mean, there's, there's just so many aspects of it,
740
00:27:58.385 --> 00:28:00.645
um, to, to think about. Um, so
741
00:28:00.645 --> 00:28:01.645
Yeah. And that's an,
742
00:28:01.645 --> 00:28:03.045
it is a really good point when you
743
00:28:03.045 --> 00:28:04.165
bring up software, right?
744
00:28:04.185 --> 00:28:05.765
So these are really no longer vehicles,
745
00:28:05.765 --> 00:28:06.925
these are computers on.
746
00:28:06.995 --> 00:28:08.245
Yeah, Exactly. That's everybody says.
747
00:28:08.945 --> 00:28:12.605
And if you think about a typical electrification project
748
00:28:12.605 --> 00:28:17.405
that Revolve would do, you've got your charging software,
749
00:28:17.945 --> 00:28:20.645
you've got your energy management software,
750
00:28:20.665 --> 00:28:22.765
you've obviously got your vehicle software,
751
00:28:23.145 --> 00:28:24.405
and then you may have, uh,
752
00:28:24.685 --> 00:28:26.485
a cellular wifi connection to the site.
753
00:28:27.175 --> 00:28:29.325
These pieces are all interconnected in talking
754
00:28:29.345 --> 00:28:31.605
to each other, constantly being upgraded, right?
755
00:28:31.605 --> 00:28:32.805
If you think about your iPhone, right?
756
00:28:32.905 --> 00:28:34.965
Hey, upgrade your phone, upgrade your software.
757
00:28:35.045 --> 00:28:39.085
I mean, so the other kind of magic to this is if,
758
00:28:39.105 --> 00:28:42.365
if you electrify site and you have multiple players in there
759
00:28:43.305 --> 00:28:44.605
and something goes wrong, right?
760
00:28:44.605 --> 00:28:46.525
The interconnectivity goes down, all
761
00:28:46.525 --> 00:28:47.765
of a sudden your vehicles are not charging.
762
00:28:48.225 --> 00:28:50.245
So what happens? Well, the OM says, Hey,
763
00:28:50.305 --> 00:28:51.525
our, our software is perfect.
764
00:28:51.635 --> 00:28:53.645
It's fine. Mm-Hmm. The charging company says, Hey,
765
00:28:53.665 --> 00:28:54.845
our, our software is fine.
766
00:28:55.265 --> 00:28:56.885
So that's where it revolved that,
767
00:28:56.885 --> 00:28:58.965
that's why our value proposition is we
768
00:28:58.965 --> 00:29:00.125
manage the entire process.
769
00:29:00.345 --> 00:29:02.045
So we don't launch vehicles
770
00:29:02.045 --> 00:29:05.365
until they've done a robust inter interconnectivity testing
771
00:29:05.965 --> 00:29:07.005
protocol to make sure they work.
772
00:29:07.225 --> 00:29:10.645
If we're gonna upgrade software on one of the components,
773
00:29:10.985 --> 00:29:13.245
we do that prior to the upgrade.
774
00:29:13.305 --> 00:29:16.845
So we understand and we can test prior to launching that, so
775
00:29:16.845 --> 00:29:19.205
that there is that operational efficiency.
776
00:29:19.465 --> 00:29:22.565
And, and I can't overstate how important that is. Mm-Hmm.
777
00:29:22.645 --> 00:29:24.965
There's nothing worse than putting 20 vehicle EVs in,
778
00:29:25.065 --> 00:29:26.605
in the driver show up
779
00:29:26.605 --> 00:29:28.005
in the morning, and none of them charge. Right?
780
00:29:28.425 --> 00:29:29.765
Oh my gosh. That's panic. What a nightmare.
781
00:29:30.035 --> 00:29:31.925
What a nightmare. So again, uh,
782
00:29:32.115 --> 00:29:33.605
from a fleet manager perspective,
783
00:29:33.945 --> 00:29:36.245
as you're going into electrification, it's a little scary.
784
00:29:36.275 --> 00:29:39.485
It's complicated. Um, but there are companies out there and,
785
00:29:39.545 --> 00:29:42.365
and the more you can, um,
786
00:29:43.675 --> 00:29:46.685
outsource these activities to, to a mm-Hmm.
787
00:29:47.205 --> 00:29:48.805
A competent company, the better.
788
00:29:49.145 --> 00:29:50.565
And we're talking electrification.
789
00:29:50.685 --> 00:29:52.885
I, I found it very interesting early this week in one
790
00:29:52.885 --> 00:29:54.285
of the sessions I said, and they talked
791
00:29:54.285 --> 00:29:55.445
about artificial intelligence.
792
00:29:55.475 --> 00:29:57.725
They talked about autonomous vehicles.
793
00:29:58.545 --> 00:30:01.165
So if you think about all of these technologies coming,
794
00:30:01.225 --> 00:30:03.205
and I've just listed all this battery, right?
795
00:30:03.825 --> 00:30:06.685
So all of this technology is coming to your plate
796
00:30:06.685 --> 00:30:08.885
as a fleet manager, my God. Like, what
797
00:30:08.885 --> 00:30:10.125
Are you gonna do with all of that? What
798
00:30:10.125 --> 00:30:11.125
Are you gonna do with all of this? Yeah.
799
00:30:11.125 --> 00:30:12.885
And, and you've got your day job, right? Yeah.
800
00:30:12.885 --> 00:30:13.885
You've got these ice vehicles.
801
00:30:13.945 --> 00:30:17.045
So I think, uh, it's an exciting, very exciting,
802
00:30:17.195 --> 00:30:19.005
very interesting time to be in fleet.
803
00:30:19.105 --> 00:30:20.365
Uh, very challenging. Mm-Hmm.
804
00:30:20.445 --> 00:30:23.365
And I think, I think there's never been a better time to,
805
00:30:23.385 --> 00:30:26.165
to outsource and find partners as these other, you know,
806
00:30:26.165 --> 00:30:27.765
technologies are coming into your fleet.
807
00:30:28.245 --> 00:30:30.045
Ultimately, it's for the benefit, obviously your fleet,
808
00:30:30.065 --> 00:30:32.085
the cost, the sustainability and those issues.
809
00:30:32.145 --> 00:30:34.925
But if you wanna make sure you're running it efficiently,
810
00:30:35.075 --> 00:30:36.165
efficiently, mm-Hmm.
811
00:30:36.265 --> 00:30:37.405
As that fleet manager, you,
812
00:30:37.425 --> 00:30:39.005
you really do need to find good partners.
813
00:30:39.485 --> 00:30:41.245
Absolutely. And I know we're going a little bit long,
814
00:30:41.245 --> 00:30:42.645
but this has just been such an int Yeah.
815
00:30:42.845 --> 00:30:45.525
Interesting conversation. And just one last question,
816
00:30:45.525 --> 00:30:47.845
because I wrote an article about it this morning, uh,
817
00:30:47.845 --> 00:30:49.885
by Roberta Baldwin about wireless charging.
818
00:30:49.885 --> 00:30:51.965
Mm-Hmm. So have you guys started researching
819
00:30:51.995 --> 00:30:54.485
what are the wireless charging options out there?
820
00:30:54.485 --> 00:30:57.405
Because that would, I imagine, for, especially for a fleet,
821
00:30:57.465 --> 00:30:59.365
it makes it a lot easier Yeah.
822
00:30:59.525 --> 00:31:01.365
To drive into a depot and just park the car
823
00:31:01.425 --> 00:31:02.845
and it starts to, you
824
00:31:02.845 --> 00:31:03.845
Know, yeah. That'll get there. That
825
00:31:03.845 --> 00:31:05.405
is a fascinating technology.
826
00:31:05.525 --> 00:31:06.605
A lot of people are working on it,
827
00:31:06.605 --> 00:31:09.245
but that we try to stay in the robust areas, right?
828
00:31:09.265 --> 00:31:10.965
So the proven, the proven right? Yes.
829
00:31:11.245 --> 00:31:13.045
Um, we, we look at everything obviously is
830
00:31:13.045 --> 00:31:14.205
part of our expertise.
831
00:31:14.225 --> 00:31:16.685
You want to, you wanna understand all these new technologies
832
00:31:16.685 --> 00:31:19.205
coming, but as we implement those with clients, right?
833
00:31:19.205 --> 00:31:21.005
They don't really want to be Guinea pigs. Mm-Hmm.
834
00:31:21.085 --> 00:31:22.845
So we, we, we really
835
00:31:23.875 --> 00:31:26.645
only launch very robust charging Mm-Hmm.
836
00:31:26.725 --> 00:31:28.005
Systems charging software.
837
00:31:28.545 --> 00:31:32.045
Um, we're agnostic on the o em, so we will work,
838
00:31:32.555 --> 00:31:34.325
theoretically work with anybody,
839
00:31:34.345 --> 00:31:36.645
but really we focus on more robust Mm-hmm.
840
00:31:36.835 --> 00:31:37.965
Manufacturers. Right?
841
00:31:38.225 --> 00:31:39.605
Uh, 'cause there's nothing worse, right?
842
00:31:39.605 --> 00:31:41.845
And we sign a contract and, and, and nothing's working.
843
00:31:41.985 --> 00:31:44.645
So we tend to really wanna stick with the proven
844
00:31:44.665 --> 00:31:46.085
and robust that's hard
845
00:31:46.085 --> 00:31:49.045
to do in a very rapidly changing technology environment.
846
00:31:49.145 --> 00:31:51.365
But, um, certainly we keep our finger on the pulse
847
00:31:51.365 --> 00:31:53.445
of everything new and, and the wireless charging.
848
00:31:53.585 --> 00:31:54.925
You got, you gotta check it out. Yeah.
849
00:31:54.925 --> 00:31:56.885
It's very, it's very, we, we are looking at it,
850
00:31:56.905 --> 00:31:59.005
but, uh, we've not implemented anything like that yet.
851
00:31:59.315 --> 00:32:02.405
Well, um, we are clearly immersed in technology.
852
00:32:02.635 --> 00:32:04.565
It's all around us. You can't get away from it.
853
00:32:04.805 --> 00:32:06.045
I mean, if you put your phone down
854
00:32:06.045 --> 00:32:07.325
or you forget your phone home,
855
00:32:07.425 --> 00:32:08.605
you feel like you're naked, right?
856
00:32:08.715 --> 00:32:10.285
It's just like, like, oh my God, I don't on my phone.
857
00:32:10.645 --> 00:32:12.845
Terrible. Um, but there are times in life
858
00:32:12.895 --> 00:32:14.725
where it's good to disconnect, right?
859
00:32:14.725 --> 00:32:17.325
Mm-Hmm. So how do you disconnect? Yeah,
860
00:32:17.325 --> 00:32:18.245
It's a great question because,
861
00:32:18.265 --> 00:32:19.285
you know, I love technology.
862
00:32:19.305 --> 00:32:20.725
That's why I'm in the EV business.
863
00:32:20.825 --> 00:32:22.325
We all, I'm, I'm totally addicted
864
00:32:22.325 --> 00:32:23.445
to my phone like everybody else.
865
00:32:23.545 --> 00:32:24.805
You can't live without it. Right?
866
00:32:24.985 --> 00:32:26.245
Um, but,
867
00:32:27.225 --> 00:32:29.765
and maybe it's a generational, I I will hope my kids
868
00:32:30.315 --> 00:32:32.685
will kind of find outlets themselves.
869
00:32:32.845 --> 00:32:33.925
I don't know, you know, maybe in that
870
00:32:33.925 --> 00:32:35.125
generation it's so embedded,
871
00:32:35.125 --> 00:32:36.125
It's hard. Mm-Hmm. But,
872
00:32:36.125 --> 00:32:37.645
um, you know, I like fishing,
873
00:32:37.865 --> 00:32:40.165
so I don't do it very often a couple times a year.
874
00:32:40.185 --> 00:32:41.445
But I really do enjoy that.
875
00:32:41.465 --> 00:32:43.645
And it's something I've, um, do with my,
876
00:32:43.665 --> 00:32:45.445
my sons, some family members.
877
00:32:45.945 --> 00:32:47.405
We do trip or two every year,
878
00:32:47.625 --> 00:32:49.005
and usually they're destination trips.
879
00:32:49.025 --> 00:32:51.965
So I like to go, like, we go to Ontario, a very rural part
880
00:32:51.965 --> 00:32:54.565
of Ontario, Canada, or we went to Arkansas this year.
881
00:32:54.905 --> 00:32:57.525
Wow. Sometimes we go to the Baez, Louisiana. Nice.
882
00:32:57.785 --> 00:32:59.285
The fish in itself is interesting. Mm-Hmm.
883
00:32:59.365 --> 00:33:01.245
I'm not a huge fisherman, but I love the,
884
00:33:01.625 --> 00:33:02.845
you're getting out there.
885
00:33:03.145 --> 00:33:05.725
Um, sometimes there is no connection, which is great.
886
00:33:05.905 --> 00:33:08.405
Uh, no wifi, uh, no cell connection.
887
00:33:08.425 --> 00:33:10.845
But what it does for me at least, is, you know, I,
888
00:33:11.195 --> 00:33:12.725
it's usually eight hour trips, couple days.
889
00:33:12.985 --> 00:33:15.165
Uh, it, it, you're surrounded by
890
00:33:15.755 --> 00:33:16.845
just, you know, nature Mm-Hmm.
891
00:33:16.925 --> 00:33:19.445
And, and you're, you're mentally kind of shutting off just
892
00:33:19.445 --> 00:33:21.365
because you have these wonderful things in front of you.
893
00:33:21.585 --> 00:33:23.445
You know, you see moose in, in Canada, which
894
00:33:23.445 --> 00:33:24.565
for a guy in Atlanta is pretty,
895
00:33:24.565 --> 00:33:25.645
pretty interesting, pretty pretty cool, right?
896
00:33:25.995 --> 00:33:27.005
Bald eagles. Yeah.
897
00:33:27.025 --> 00:33:29.045
Um, last month we were floating down
898
00:33:29.045 --> 00:33:30.165
the Buffalo River in Arkansas.
899
00:33:30.195 --> 00:33:31.285
Nice. The beautiful bluffs.
900
00:33:31.625 --> 00:33:33.925
And so I tend to just, just kind of admire that.
901
00:33:33.945 --> 00:33:36.165
And that sounds a little, a little hokey, I guess.
902
00:33:36.185 --> 00:33:38.085
But, um, no, I don't do it much. Yeah.
903
00:33:38.245 --> 00:33:39.965
You know, unfortunately. But it does help me.
904
00:33:40.185 --> 00:33:43.205
And the other, the other thing I try to do to, to unplug,
905
00:33:43.205 --> 00:33:46.445
or at least put my mind in a different space is, um,
906
00:33:46.445 --> 00:33:48.725
you know, some of my hobbies, I, uh, like to play squash.
907
00:33:48.995 --> 00:33:51.445
Nice. I like to swim. And those are activities.
908
00:33:51.445 --> 00:33:53.565
Pickleball. I've started pickleball.
909
00:33:53.585 --> 00:33:55.245
The cra everyone's doing pickleball. It's,
910
00:33:55.245 --> 00:33:57.685
It's, it's, it's very addictive, I have to be honest.
911
00:33:58.265 --> 00:33:59.445
Um, but all of those, you
912
00:33:59.445 --> 00:34:00.485
know, they're not technology, right?
913
00:34:00.485 --> 00:34:02.285
You're hitting a plastic ball or you're hitting a rubber
914
00:34:02.285 --> 00:34:03.485
ball, or you're, you're swimming.
915
00:34:03.625 --> 00:34:05.845
And, and what I love about those is you can take
916
00:34:05.845 --> 00:34:07.045
your mind somewhere else, right?
917
00:34:07.325 --> 00:34:09.685
Whatever, whether it's interacting with, with, in squash,
918
00:34:09.705 --> 00:34:11.365
for instance, which is very mental game actually,
919
00:34:11.665 --> 00:34:13.285
or swimming, which, you know,
920
00:34:13.285 --> 00:34:14.485
you just have your own thoughts, right?
921
00:34:14.485 --> 00:34:15.965
Mm-Hmm. You're just swimming, you're your own thoughts.
922
00:34:16.585 --> 00:34:20.205
So what I found is as I get more obsessed with technology,
923
00:34:20.275 --> 00:34:21.285
more deep into it
924
00:34:21.305 --> 00:34:24.965
and dependent on it, I do try to find those parts of life
925
00:34:24.965 --> 00:34:27.325
where you can kind of just separate a little bit, not a lot,
926
00:34:27.325 --> 00:34:28.725
just, just a little bit, just to kind
927
00:34:28.725 --> 00:34:30.405
of slow down a little bit. Well,
928
00:34:30.565 --> 00:34:31.885
I, I think there's been lots of studies
929
00:34:31.955 --> 00:34:34.925
that show immersing yourself in nature is actually
930
00:34:34.925 --> 00:34:37.445
physically healthy for you. I
931
00:34:37.445 --> 00:34:39.525
Totally believe That, uh, in your, your mental health,
932
00:34:39.595 --> 00:34:41.885
your physical health, just you feel invigorated.
933
00:34:41.885 --> 00:34:44.725
Mm-Hmm. I mean, I remember reading a long time ago in Japan,
934
00:34:44.875 --> 00:34:48.805
doctors will actually prescribe a walk in the forest, right?
935
00:34:48.805 --> 00:34:52.445
Because just being in nature and is so helpful.
936
00:34:52.665 --> 00:34:54.005
So not, not hokey at all.
937
00:34:54.245 --> 00:34:56.885
I think it's absolutely something that we should do more of.
938
00:34:57.085 --> 00:34:58.125
I, I agree. I Agree.
939
00:34:58.125 --> 00:35:00.925
Um, and it's actually really helpful when there's no wifi.
940
00:35:01.145 --> 00:35:02.765
So like, you're going somewhere
941
00:35:02.865 --> 00:35:04.165
and you know you're gonna be disconnected.
942
00:35:04.555 --> 00:35:07.485
It's a forcing function that's really phenomenal,
943
00:35:07.745 --> 00:35:09.045
but you just gotta be prepared for it.
944
00:35:09.205 --> 00:35:11.845
'cause I remember one time recently we went camping
945
00:35:12.145 --> 00:35:14.725
and I didn't know I wasn't gonna have Yeah.
946
00:35:14.725 --> 00:35:15.925
And it was like, oh my God,
947
00:35:16.045 --> 00:35:17.365
I was thinking I was gonna be able
948
00:35:17.365 --> 00:35:18.525
to do something while I was here.
949
00:35:18.625 --> 00:35:20.365
And so then, you know, you get back
950
00:35:20.365 --> 00:35:21.645
and then you're catching up.
951
00:35:21.795 --> 00:35:23.285
Yeah, that's right. It's just like, so stressful.
952
00:35:23.385 --> 00:35:26.765
But, um, but if I know I'm not gonna have it, then I prepare
953
00:35:26.765 --> 00:35:28.805
for it, then prepare for it, and you really enjoy Yeah.
954
00:35:28.985 --> 00:35:30.965
The, the disconnect. So, um, well,
955
00:35:30.965 --> 00:35:32.525
this has been a phenomenal conversation. Oh,
956
00:35:32.525 --> 00:35:33.125
I've really enjoyed, thank you. Enjoyed
957
00:35:33.125 --> 00:35:34.125
So much, Kevin. Thank you for the invitation.
958
00:35:34.125 --> 00:35:34.605
959
00:35:34.645 --> 00:35:35.805
Absolutely. No, this has been great.
960
00:35:35.985 --> 00:35:39.565
And, uh, really excited to see how things evolve
961
00:35:39.675 --> 00:35:40.685
with Revolve.
962
00:35:42.185 --> 00:35:44.525
Um, I think you guys are providing a great service.
963
00:35:44.905 --> 00:35:47.645
Uh, and it's just going to get bigger from there.
964
00:35:47.715 --> 00:35:50.045
Yeah. It's, it's a great industry. Yeah. Great people.
965
00:35:50.305 --> 00:35:52.005
Um, the ALE Conference, I've been doing this
966
00:35:52.005 --> 00:35:53.885
for a long time, and, uh, it's, it's nice
967
00:35:53.885 --> 00:35:56.965
to see them bringing these new technology themes
968
00:35:57.035 --> 00:35:58.365
into some of the presentations. Yeah.
969
00:35:58.365 --> 00:35:59.605
Yeah. We didn't even talk about ala the fact
970
00:35:59.605 --> 00:36:00.605
that we're here at the show,
971
00:36:00.785 --> 00:36:02.045
and, uh, everybody,
972
00:36:02.045 --> 00:36:03.685
it's just like a big love fest here, which is
973
00:36:03.825 --> 00:36:04.825
Yes, it really is.
974
00:36:04.975 --> 00:36:06.325
After 20 some years, I,
975
00:36:06.445 --> 00:36:08.125
I keep seeing the same people for 20 years.
976
00:36:08.125 --> 00:36:10.005
So a lot of friendships have developed here.
977
00:36:10.005 --> 00:36:12.685
Well, and then even retirees come back just because Right.
978
00:36:12.925 --> 00:36:14.805
It's just so bizarre to me. But it's great.
979
00:36:14.915 --> 00:36:16.205
It's a really unique environment.
980
00:36:16.265 --> 00:36:17.325
But thank you so much, Kevin.
981
00:36:17.325 --> 00:36:18.885
This has been great. Wonderful.
982
00:36:18.885 --> 00:36:19.885
Thank you. Thanks
983
00:36:19.885 --> 00:36:21.285
for listening to The Mile Marker podcast.
984
00:36:21.785 --> 00:36:24.005
If you liked what you heard today, give us a, like,
985
00:36:24.095 --> 00:36:25.685
share this episode on social media
986
00:36:26.025 --> 00:36:28.525
and even take a minute to give us a review on iTunes
987
00:36:28.525 --> 00:36:30.485
or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
988
00:36:31.105 --> 00:36:33.485
Be sure to subscribe to our channel so you can join us
989
00:36:33.505 --> 00:36:35.685
for future episodes full of insights
990
00:36:35.685 --> 00:36:38.605
and ideas to keep the mobility industry moving forward.