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Nov 16, 2011 12:17 PM

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) and Enova (NYSE AMEX: ENA and  AIM: ENV and ENVS) have launched a program to make electric vehicles more  accessible to fleets.

The Green for Free  program allows fleet executives to purchase all-electric vehicles for the cost  of a diesel-powered commercial vehicle. The savings fleets incur from the  reduced maintenance and fuel savings of the electric vehicles (EVs) is then  used over a period of time to cover the incremental expense for the technology.

The Green for Free  program will utilize the FCCC All-Electric Walk-in Van (WIV) chassis powered by  the Enova drive system. Fleets with set routes in pickup and delivery  applications are ideal for the Green for Free program because they have  predictable drive routes and return each night to the company depot. FCCC is  already well-established in the market and can provide immediate volume, which  is required to reduce high-cost components, such as batteries. Additionally,  the project looks to focus on disciplined duty cycles, utilizing 80 percent of  the battery daily, versus design for extended range.

“FCCC and Enova  recognize that the Green For Free program is necessary in order to make  all-electric vehicles more affordable, and therefore more accessible, to  fleets,” said Bob Harbin, FCCC president. “We want to help those fleets  interested in reducing their energy consumption and environmental impact by  enabling them to purchase more alternative-fuel vehicles at one time because of  the reduced upfront costs.” 

The commercial  vehicle market has relied on government funding for alternative-fuel vehicles  with some success. However, this is the first program that will eliminate the  overall incremental costs associated with buying and operating an all-electric  vehicle, making the program attractive to fleets that are both large and small.   

FCCC and Enova plan  to deploy a total of 3,000 alternative-fuel vehicles within a two-year time  frame beginning no later than the third quarter 2012 as a result of the Green  for Free program.

Enova and FCCC  developed an integration method for both new and retrofit applications. FCCC’s  all-electric chassis is built upon the FCCC MT-45 chassis – known for its  durability and GVWR of 14,000 to 19,500 lbs. – which is capable of handling  heavy payloads. FCCC maintains a dominant market share in the WIV chassis  market, which it expects to continue to expand.

“This business model  has the potential to stimulate tremendous and rapid growth, helping achieve  economies of scale through cost reduction, resulting in an excellent value  proposition for the commercial fleet operator,” said Mike Staran, Enova  president and CEO. “Enova has been delivering proven electric drive systems to  a diverse set of domestic and international customers and has the distinction  of seeing more of its green drive systems on the road than any of its  competitors. The company continues to build on more than 20 years of innovation  and traces its roots back to General Motors’ EV1 electric car.” 

FCCC was the first  chassis manufacturer to bring the hybrid-electric vehicle and all-electric  vehicle to market.