In this phase, the project team interviewed utilities, charging station service providers, and non-profits to investigate whom retailers should be engaging as they design, install, and operate fleet and passenger vehicle charging infrastructure at their buildings.

• The key external stakeholders for retailers to engage during the charging infrastructure development process are utilities, charging station service providers, product suppliers, delivery services providers, and retail customers. These groups provide access to financial incentives, technical advice, and customer insights. Of these stakeholder groups, utilities are the most important because they can provide retailers information about commercial rebates and consulting services that assist with fleet electrification. They are the parties most involved during the entire infrastructure process.
• Early and continuous communication between retailers and utilities is essential for success throughout the process. The utility needs to be aware of where and when fleet charging station installations are happening and plan for any potential utility infrastructure upgrades, especially for medium- and heavy- duty vehicle and Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) loads.
• Selecting a charging network service provider who has worked with other retailers on deploying fleet and passenger charging infrastructure within the same business segment such as a fueling station or grocery store is ideal. The charging network service provider’s experience can avoid or forestall technical issues the retailer otherwise would not have anticipated.
• For passenger and fleet charging, charging network service providers offer amenities that benefit customers and retailers. This includes visibility into and control of charging stations to provide real-time data and insights for future planning, syncing with the grid to provide adaptability with time-of-use rates, and allowing customers to use a mobile phone app to manage charging and make payments.
• Since many retailers do not own their delivery vehicles, engaging with their third-party logistics providers about potentially using EVs and the fleet charging options retailers plan to implement at their sites is key. This will allow retailers to meet their internal supply chain targets while reducing fuel and logistics costs for both retailers and supplier fleets.
• As vehicle electrification becomes more commonplace over time, retail customer preferences and charging behavior are likely to change, along with technology availability. Surveying customers regularly to assess their experiences at retail charging locations is key to maintaining a competitive edge in the market.

How C2ES works to advance electric trucks and charging infrastructure

Jessica Leung, C2ES Solutions Fellow, on Electric Vehicle Charging for Retailers

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This joint initiative assesses the market landscape, challenges, and opportunities for electric truck adoption among retailer shippers and their transportation partners. The initiative developed an independent total cost of ownership analysis, Assessing Financial Barriers to Adoption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles, along with a publicly available total cost of ownership analysis tool, to help retailer-shippers better understand options available to them and their transportation providers.

As part of this collaboration, the project team interviewed an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer and retail and trucking companies that have piloted electric vehicle trucks within their businesses to assess their perspective on the state of the industry. This brief summarizes issues that those companies see as important as they strategize about electrifying their fleets.

In general, companies are positive about the direction that electric trucks are taking. They recognize the environmental benefits of switching from diesel to electric, and some mention that employees enjoy test driving electric trucks. In the future, they envision their companies transitioning their fleets entirely, once national charging infrastructure is built out more, and the costs of electric trucks are reduced through technology maturity and deployment or expanded public policy. Specifically, the expansion of charging infrastructure and vehicle incentives were cited during several interviews as important elements needed before companies pursue deployment in earnest.

The retail and trucking companies interviewed for this brief recognized the environmental benefits of electric trucking and demonstrated a willingness to learn more. They also offered a few insights and strategies that other companies might consider as they plan to add electric trucks to their fleet. For example, start with adoption of electric yard trucks because they are not dependent on a nationwide network of charging infrastructure like shipping trucks are and only require an onsite 100-kilowatt charger.

Key Takeaways

• The upfront costs for electric trucks remain a primary barrier to investment in electric trucks. However, financial incentives can reduce these upfront capital costs and models indicate that the total cost of ownership for an average electric truck can be lower than a diesel or natural gas equivalent with adequate incentives. In California, for example, several programs support EVs including the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) and the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) program.
  • One resource for finding incentives is the Alternative Fuels Data Center: https:// afdc.energy.gov/laws.
  • Several retail and trucking companies interviewed suggested that operators of California fleets should strongly consider electrifying at least a portion of their fleets to take advantage of the financial incentives available.
  • Electric heavy-duty vehicles have many tangible benefits, including several inherent health advantages. These include a much quieter ride than diesel trucks, making EVs less impactful on a driver’s hearing, and no tailpipe emissions.
• As retail companies electrify their fleets, increased collaboration between a company’s energy team and fleet management team will be required to maximize organization-wide efficiencies such as procurement and energy management. Without collaboration, costs could be much higher.
• Vehicle maintenance is still a concern. Companies need technicians who are trained for electric trucks and savvy on new electronic software systems. One retail company highlighted how they were using EV manufacturers to provide maintenance and support but suggested there was also a need build out a third-party EV maintenance network nationwide.
• Communication between electric truck users and EV manufacturers is an important part of the process. One retail company who had conversations with EV manufacturers noted they were very receptive to feedback on usability and ergonomic design from companies who piloted EVs. This is a key aspect of the electric truck development process and can help with technology improvements and potentially accelerate the speed of deployment as manufacturers better understand what potential users want.

How C2ES works to advance electric trucks and charging infrastructure

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Because EOR is already widely practiced, it is not considered by this report. Instead, the focus is on non-EOR utilization of captured carbon, which offers the potential to significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Pathways include the production of construction materials, fuels, plastics, chemicals, and algae-based products (e.g., fuels, animal feed, and fertilizers). Each of these sectors, along with their potential for market growth is explored herein.

While non-EOR carbon utilization does not, at present, greatly contribute to greenhouse gas reduction it offers significant potential to do so in the coming decades, given advances in technology, wider commercialization, and supportive government policies. CCU may be an especially useful tool for decarbonizing certain industrial sectors and providing an option in locations where either social issues or land constraints do not allow for other types of carbon disposition. Also, the continued development of CCU technologies may help drive carbon capture innovation generally, making broader greenhouse gas reductions possible.

Numerous government agencies, non-governmental entities, and academic institutions have recently considered the potential development of carbon utilization and how government polices might encourage it. Rather than duplicate that body of research, this report seeks to provide an overview of options, growth and greenhouse gas reduction potential summarized by use category.

This report discusses carbon utilization products and processes and focuses on policy actions that can foster growth in carbon utilization by 2030, in part because markets beyond that timeframe are difficult to predict, but mostly because deliberate near-term action is needed if CCU is to expand significantly. However, more general climate policies, such as carbon pricing or the inclusion of fossil-based carbon capture in clean energy standards, are also necessary to lay the foundation for a low-carbon economy that includes new demand for CCU-based products and processes.

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Key Takeaways

• Use trusted messengers: Identify who businesses regularly engage with. Work with business networking organizations.
• Leverage existing channels: Incorporate resilience into business activities. Expand resilience efforts to include businesses.
• Identify opportunities: Form public-private partnerships. Develop business resilience networks.
• Distribute targeted information: Tailor the message. Identify steps businesses can take.

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Key Takeaways

• Resilience planning is an extension of existing programs and partnerships.
• Businesses respond to city leadership.
• Businesses respond to data.
• ‘Business’ is not a monolith.
• Innovative financing can help promote collaboration.

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In 2013, C2ES released Weathering the Storm: Building Business Resilience to Climate Change (hereafter WTS 2013), which examined how companies listed in the Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Global 100 Index were approaching climate risks. WTS 2013 provided a baseline perspective on how major companies were assessing their climate vulnerabilities and whether and how they were working to strengthen their climate resilience. This report provides an update and takes a closer look at how companies are preparing for climate change and what is keeping them from doing more.

The report is based on several lines of research:

• A comprehensive review of the perspectives and activities of S&P Global 100 companies, based on their reporting to CDP1 and their corporate sustainability reports and annual financial filings;
• Interviews with company representatives to gather more detailed information on whether and how companies are assessing climate risks and what barriers are keeping them from doing more; and
• Dialogues conducted with companies, federal and local government agencies, academics, and other stakeholders through several workshops and events focused on business resilience.

These sources provide an in-depth look at the state of climate risk assessment and resilience planning within the business community. While some companies have taken steps to assess risks and prepare their business for future climate changes, many companies face various internal and external challenges that hinder efforts toward greater climate resilience. This report identifies various approaches companies are using to address climate risks, examines challenges companies face in managing and reporting risks, and suggests strategies to overcome these challenges and strengthen climate risk management within the private sector.

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