When you think of electric vehicles as a service, what usually comes to mind? Is it simply another way to acquire EVs, or does the model change how fleets approach electrification? 

EVaaS generally combines access to electric vehicles with the support needed to put them into service. How that works depends on the provider and the needs of the fleet. 

During a recent conversation, Sustainability Partners CEO Adam Cain said EVaaS is beginning to move beyond small pilot programs as fleets take a broader look at what electrification requires. The vehicle is only one part of that decision. A workable deployment also depends on whether the duty cycle fits and the charging plan can support daily operations.  

Moving Beyond Limited EVaaS Pilot Programs 

Cain said state mandates and firm timelines are pushing some fleets beyond the small EV pilots that characterized earlier adoption. 

“I would say the tide has changed…there was a time where it was just kind of feel-good pilot projects, but it is real now,” Cain said. 

He pointed to Hawaii, where disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the state’s reliance on imported oil and diesel. According to Cain, that experience contributed to a stronger push for self-sufficiency and an aggressive mandate to electrify the state’s government fleets. 

Sustainability Partners now holds a state contract supporting that effort. Cain said the work covers the vehicles as well as the power and charging needed to operate them. The deployment has expanded to several types of equipment already being used in the field, including electric street sweepers. 

Cain described New Mexico as another state moving toward a larger deployment under its own mandate. Sustainability Partners also holds a contract there to provide EVs and the charging infrastructure needed to support them. 

The size of these deployments marks a change from earlier efforts that might have placed a single EV outside an office without a clear plan for its use. Cain said fleets now have access to electric options that can serve a wider range of operational roles. The company is also supporting airport electrification by installing charging infrastructure for ground-support equipment. 

Still, the suggestion is not that adoption is occurring evenly across the country but rather that each region has different operating conditions and access to resources, with some states seeing a clear need to move forward, while others do not. However, where electrification aligns with those regional needs, fleets are beginning to pursue broader deployments.  

Supporting a Fleet’s Duty Cycle  

Determining whether an EV can support a fleet’s duty cycle begins with understanding how the vehicle will be used. Cain said Sustainability Partners works with fleet staff to review mileage and the amount of time available to charge between assignments. 

That review can identify whether a vehicle has enough range for its expected work and whether it can be recharged before the next driver needs it. 

“If we just got them a vehicle, we wouldn't be doing a service for them,” Cain said. 

Once the vehicles are deployed, Cain said their technology can provide greater visibility into daily and monthly mileage. Fleets can use that information to identify underused vehicles and move them to areas where demand is higher. In some cases, he said agencies have found that they do not need as many vehicles as they previously thought. 

“There's no more oil and transmission fluid. The maintenance side is much less, which is super helpful. You save a lot of money with that,” Cain said. 

The usage data collected from the vehicles can also help inform the fleet’s longer-term plan. 

Addressing Power Availability and Utility Delays  

 Adding EVs becomes more complicated when a fleet moves beyond one or two vehicles. Cain said the charging plan must account for the amount of power the vehicles will draw and whether the existing electrical system can support that demand. 

“We're actually matching both the vehicle and the charging versus just, hey, I bought a car,” he said. 

If the available power is insufficient, the fleet may need to coordinate with its utility or consider generating power on site. Cain said resolving those questions requires engineering work before chargers and vehicles can be deployed together. 

Utility coordination can also affect how quickly a project moves forward. “People don't want to wait ten years to get it all figured out. That's the other thing, speed,” Cain said. 

Sustainability Partners works with installation and manufacturing companies to coordinate that process. Cain said the company remains technology-agnostic when selecting equipment for a project. 

Without a broader plan, fleets may add vehicles incrementally before realizing that the charging requirements have become difficult to manage. Cain said this challenge contributed to slower EV adoption when fleets were left to coordinate each part of the deployment separately. 

He again pointed to Hawaii as an example of the combined approach. The state’s project accounts for its vehicles and the power needed to operate them, which Cain said has helped Hawaii move ahead of schedule on its climate initiatives. 

Changing Vehicle Technology and Uncertain EV Residual Values  

Vehicle technology can change faster than a fleet’s typical replacement cycle. Cain said Sustainability Partners’ EVaaS agreements are generally structured month to month, allowing a fleet to replace a vehicle when a newer model better meets its operational requirements. 

Consider, for example, a fleet that needs greater ground clearance for off-road work. If a more suitable electric truck becomes available, Sustainability Partners can sell the existing vehicle and apply the proceeds toward its replacement. The company can also coordinate any required upfitting. 

This process does not eliminate uncertainty surrounding EV residual values. Instead, it shifts responsibility for selling the vehicle and coordinating its replacement to the service provider. 

Cain said the same structure can be used when a fleet needs to add new equipment to a vehicle already in service. He pointed to technology that alerts navigation systems when an emergency vehicle is stopped along the road. Under the service model, the provider can coordinate with the contractors needed to install that equipment. 

The growth of EVaaS will depend on whether the model fits the application, according to Cain. Fleets with predictable usage may have a clearer path forward because charging can be planned around when vehicles return from their assignments. 

Long-distance operations can present greater range and charging challenges. And, regardless of the fleet type, the decision needs to begin with the duty cycle rather than the availability of an electric vehicle. 

“With EVs as a service, really the growth there is the application that’s right for it,” Cain said.