Ford Pro and Southern Company launch six-month pilot to help businesses prepare for electric transition.
Responding to rising fuel costs and the potential for lower total cost of ownership, businesses across the southeastern U.S. are increasingly turning to electric vehicles, with more than 100,000 registered across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Recognizing the need to support them during this transition, Atlanta-based energy provider Southern Company is collaborating with Ford Pro™ on a six-month pilot program to study the operational benefits and requirements of electrification for businesses.
Using insights from the pilot, Southern Company, whose subsidiaries serve more than 587,000 business customers, will develop an electrification blueprint for all businesses throughout its service areas. The pilot program will focus on optimizing depot charging practices (including electricity use and costs), maximizing vehicle uptime, and minimizing total cost of ownership.
Successful electric fleet management requires more than vehicles and chargers; it also necessitates intelligent software.
To that end, the pilot will leverage Ford Pro Intelligence1 and Ford Pro Charging Software2 to collect and analyze connected vehicle data from more than 200 F-150® Lightning® trucks and charging data from over 150 Ford Pro Chargers, including Level 2 AC and Level 3 DC charging stations, at Southern Company subsidiaries. Data insights can help Southern Company system fleet operators schedule energy transfers to reduce electricity consumption during peak demand periods (known as demand response curtails).
With the help of Ford Pro, Southern Company isn’t just participating in the transition to electric vehicles—it’s setting an example for others. Understanding the charging behaviors associated with its system’s electric fleet will help Southern Company and its subsidiaries advise their commercial and industrial customers and support their energy requirements as they integrate electric vehicles and charging units.
“This pilot will create a flexible, scalable electric fleet management model that can be readily adopted by others. At the conclusion of the program, organizations will have a blueprint to successfully navigate the transition to electric vehicles and unlock all their associated benefits.”
Ananya Gupta, Senior Product Manager
This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for updates on how Ford Pro and Southern Company are building a scalable, cost-effective charging operation and empowering others to do the same.
