Ford ProTM Helps Energy Solutions Provider Motive Companies Simplify EV Fleet Transition
Apr 4, 2024 | 7 min read
Motive Companies is a business that recognizes the value of end-to-end solutions in crafting excellent customer experiences. Across its three companies (Motive Energy, Motive Infrastructure Solutions, and ACT), Motive provides innovative energy, power, battery, charging, and telecommunication solutions customized for a range of industrial and commercial applications—all with a focus on sustainability.
“We are an end-to-end solutions provider from the underground to the top of the tower and from the edge to the core,” said Chris Glade, vice president and general manager of Motive Infrastructure Solutions. “We engineer, procure, and construct quality solutions.”
Motive has experienced impressive growth over the past decade. According to Glade, it has quadrupled in sales over the past 10 or 15 years. Throughout this growth trajectory, it has relied on a like-minded collaborator with a similarly comprehensive, customer-focused approach: Ford Pro.
Today, Motive Companies uses Ford Pro for everything from fleet financing to software to embarking on an electric vehicle (EV) fleet transition. As the company continues its upward path and grows its brand presence from regional to national, Ford Pro will stay by its side, providing the end-to-end solutions the company needs to keep expanding—without growing pains.
Motive Companies EVP Jeff Rome considers Ford vehicles the backbone of Motive’s construction projects.
Jeff Rome, EVP at Motive Companies, believes Ford vehicles are “the backbone of our construction projects, both in the telecom space and the energy space.” Today, Ford vehicles account for 85% of Motive’s fleet. Considering that the Ford Pro lineup has been America’s bestselling line of commercial vehicles for 38 years,60 it’s no wonder nearly one in four fleets surveyed indicate they are Ford only—more than 2.5 times as much as the next brand.1127
Hands-On Fleet Financing for Fast-Growing Fleets
Commercial fleet businesses like Motive stick with Ford Pro for a reason. When companies rely on Ford Pro, they get more than a vehicle provider—they get an integrated web of experts who are committed to helping them succeed. That’s why Motive also counts on Ford Pro for its fleet financing needs.
“Motive Companies started with a very small line of credit in 1997 and has grown tremendously over the years to this point,” said Mike Chancellor, commercial business development manager (CBDM) at Ford ProTM FinSimpleTM.
CBDM Mike Chancellor works closely with Motive Companies on their fleet financing.
Experts like Chancellor have joint sales calls with dealers to meet customers, determine their needs for the next 12 months, set up lines of credit, and make sure customers know how to use the tools at their disposal to make bill pay as easy as possible. Once the line of credit is set up, Ford Pro FinSimple experts maintain regular touchpoints with customers to ensure their ever-evolving needs stay met.
“As our company grows and our needs grow, they’ve been very helpful in increasing our line of credit and helping us work with our dealer base,” Rome said. “We get most of our vehicles from the same Ford dealer, and their backing of Motive allows us to continually add vehicles and maintain that process going forward.”
Guillermo Felix, fleet services manager at Motive, oversees procuring and sourcing vehicles for the company. His job involves fielding frequent requests for different types of vehicles needed to operate Motive’s fleet and ensuring vehicles are properly upfitted to meet the specific needs of the commercial fleet business.
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As Motive grows, their relationship with Ford ProTM FinSimpleTM grows with them.
“Obviously, there’s a cost structure along with that,” Felix said. “Working with Mike and Ford Pro FinSimple allows us to allocate the specific type of vehicles we need and make sure we have the correct credit structure moving forward. The relationship continues to grow and be efficient and effective. They give us an advantage in the marketplace because they’re the best solution in meeting our fleet needs and offering the reliability we require for our business.”
Ford Pro customers gain account visibility with Account Manager, where they can view individual account details and full transaction history, download statement data, and even combine all billing into one simple monthly payment—all from one easy-to-navigate dashboard. Combined billing,1128 complimentary with all Ford Pro FinSimple commercial financing and leasing products, eases monthly bill pay for a quick and painless process. New loans automatically show up in the Account Manager, and fleet managers can add them to combined billing with the simple click of a button. Felix estimates that the tool reduces a previously hours-long process into a matter of minutes, opening up his time to focus on other responsibilities.
How Motive Expands While Shrinking Its Carbon Footprint
Motive is also expanding with a focus on sustainability. “It’s great to work for a company that’s always looking for more energy-efficient ways to do things,” Glade said. “We’re always thinking of ways to innovate in that space.” EV charging infrastructure is one of Motive’s major offerings, and Motive’s leaders are excited about exploring EV solutions for the company and its customers.
Motive plans for its fleet to be 90% electric within the next decade.
According to Rome, Motive’s fleet will be 90% electric within the next 10 years. “If you’re going to be in an industry such as EV, the only way you can really service your customers well is by using those products,” Rome said. “That’s why we have one of the first Ford F-150® Lightning® trucks that the company got in the EV group so that we could see how it works: where to charge, how to charge, how it affects our operations.”
Rome also recognizes the operational efficiencies born from fleet electrification. “There’s a big opportunity for our company to begin optimizing what we do by not having to deal with, for example, fueling as part of our daily process,” he said. “Installing EV charging infrastructure at every facility and site that we visit will, over time, enable us to build a mesh network where people can constantly top off their vehicles as they move from site to site, so they don’t have to deal with going to a gas station three to four times per week, taking up anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes each day.”
Depending on the Ford EV you drive, you could reduce lifetime carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by as much as 60% compared to driving a similar internal combustion engine vehicle. For the F-150 Lightning pickup, this lifetime CO2 reduction is equivalent to the CO2 saved by not using approximately 8,777 gallons of gasoline.1129
Off Grid? No Problem.
Pro Power Onboard shown. See Owner’s Manual for important operating instructions.
With a full suite of off-grid solutions, energy is core Motive’s business offering. “Energy is extremely important because there’s a lot of sites out there where there aren’t conventional utilities, or it’s cost-prohibitive to bring conventional utilities to the site,” Glade said. “So, we have an off-grid solution to work around those restrictions.” Ford Pro also understands the need for reliable portable power in remote settings and helps provide it to Motive with Pro Power Onboard,527 available on Motive’s Ford F-150 Lightning trucks.
The available feature helps turn the vehicle into a portable power source, offering two different levels of output (standard 2.4 kW and available 9.6 kW). Technicians can power tools from their trucks without having to lug around heavy generators, and they don’t have to worry about depleting their trucks’ range. By setting a high-voltage battery reserve limit on the vehicle’s touchscreen when it’s in Park, a driver can “save” a specific amount of range to ensure they can reach a nearby charger. Once a vehicle reaches the pre-set limit, the driver receives a notification, and Pro Power Onboard turns off.
What’s more, the daily cost to use the Pro Power Onboard feature available on the 2023 F-150 Lightning truck ($1.51) is lower than the cost to operate a gas-powered generator ($5.54). That’s a savings of $4.03 per hour, $32.24 per workday, and an estimated $644.80 to $709.28 per month based on current gas and electricity prices compared to a gas-powered generator.1126
From finding the right vehicles to simplifying fleet financing and more, Ford Pro serves as a key collaborator for Motive Companies. As the business continues its growth trajectory and aims toward ambitious sustainability goals, Ford Pro will be there every step of the way.
If your fleet is undergoing a growth spurt, now is the time to simplify your fleet financing. Learn more about Ford Pro FinSimple and apply for a Commercial Line of Credit.140
Disclosure(s)
- 1)
Based on S&P Global Mobility CY1985-2022 US TIPNet Registrations excluding registrations to individuals. TIP Registrations prior to 2010 do not include all GVW 1 and 2 vehicles.
- 2)
Escalent, 2022 Fleet Electrification Brand Landscape (October 2022)
- 3)
This program is available for customers with two or more accounts. CommerciaLease accounts are automatically enrolled in combined billing, assuming all your due dates are the same.
- 4)
Lifetime use based on 225,865 miles average for pickups. (ref. 40 CFR 86.1865 12(k)(4)
- 5)
See Owner's Manual for Important Operating Instructions.
- 6)
Based on standard fuel price and vehicle usage assumptions. Estimated savings based on Q1 2023 average gasoline cost $3.38/gallon, and residential electricity cost of $0.1574/kWh (https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a), F-150® Lightning® truck with available 9.6 kWh Pro Power Onboard vs. a standard 9.6 kWh gasoline generator. Actual savings will vary with conditions such as external elements, fuel price fluctuations, charging habits, and lithium-ion battery age and state of health.
- 7)
Subject to initial approval, ongoing eligibility and periodic reviews.