Vestas’ Journey to Fleet Electrification
Aug 21, 2023 | 4 min read
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While many companies may be chasing the brand halo granted by sustainability initiatives, for Vestas, clean energy is their brand. And the company has a history of walking the walk.
In 2023, Vestas was named the most sustainable company within the energy sector by Corporate Knights,1042 and as part of its ongoing sustainability initiatives, Vestas strives to be carbon neutral by 2030 without any offsets.
Following this blueprint, Vestas is pursuing fleet electrification—and it’s tapped Ford ProTM to help make it happen. “Electrifying our service and construction fleet will help us along the path toward our goal of being carbon neutral by 2030,” said Michael Kraft, Vestas’ North American fleet manager. “Transportation is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, and being able to eliminate a very large portion of that will go a long way toward our goal.”1043
The Right Tools Make All the Difference
When Vestas first began adopting EVs into its North American service fleet of more than 1,800 vehicles, the company vetted and tested other manufacturers. However, Vestas quickly found that most EVs on the North American market weren’t well suited for rugged work sites.
“One of the things that was challenging for us was that the existing EVs on the market weren’t conducive to supporting our people in the field,” Kraft said. “We need trucks. We need something that can handle rough conditions and transport tools and equipment. Once Ford started producing the F-150® Lightning® truck, it seemed like a really good choice for us.”
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Currently, Vestas’ North American fleet is only 5% electric, but with the addition of F-150® Lightning® trucks, Vestas is accelerating EV adoption.
Indeed, wind farms in North America are often in remote, rural locations, and workers must climb hundreds of feet to service the turbines. Triston Sherlock is a wind technician at a Vestas wind farm in northwest Missouri. “Climbing 300 feet in the air is pretty exhilarating,” he said. “You don’t really know what to expect until you get up there. It depends on the task at hand, but I can be up there for as little as 30 minutes or several hours.”
Given the working environment, having the right tool for the job is incredibly important. “We’re always looking out for each other,” said Kevin Schieber, site manager of the northwest Missouri wind farm. “We want to make sure we have the necessary tools, whether that’s small hand tools, the trucks we drive to the towers or the software we use to troubleshoot the work that we do day in and day out.”
By acquiring F-150 Lightning trucks, Vestas advanced its sustainability goals without sacrificing power and durability. Not only is the all-electric truck equipped with two powerful motors to provide 4x4 off-road performance,239 its frunk is the perfect storage option for technicians to transport tools and equipment.
“I really like the truck’s power,” Sherlock said. “And the frunk is pretty unique. It’s got a lot of space, actually—you can fit more in there than you think. It’s dry storage, and that’s really nice because I don’t have to worry about weather getting in there and rusting my tools or corroding my parts.”
Intelligent Charging Made Simple
Vestas also had to think about how they were going to keep their vehicles charged. Again, they turned to Ford Pro. “We did receive a bunch of Ford Pro Chargers with the trucks, so we’re installing those across our network,” Kraft said. And because E-Telematics129 and Ford Pro Charging Software collect and integrate vehicle and charger data into a seamless user experience, Vestas is able to manage EVs from one account. For example, from the Ford Pro Charging Software, site leaders like Schieber can check the real-time charging status of vehicles across their service fleet, set charge times and capacity from afar and more.
Kraft is excited to dig deeper into Ford Pro software as well. Pairing fleet electrification with telematics translates to easier fleet management. “We use a number of fleet management tools,” Kraft said. “Ford offered us software with the new EVs that will help us track the vehicles and monitor their health status and charging status. It helps us maximize efficiency and helps the site managers know what’s going on and control the operation.”
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Along with Ford ProTM vehicles, Vestas also integrated Ford Pro Chargers and software products into its fleet.
As Vestas continues to phase out older trucks and adopt EVs and sustainably-fueled vehicles, the telematics data collected through the EVs’ built-in modems can continue to inform operations in new, exciting ways. “Getting the newer vehicles into the fleet is going to enable us to have a lot more data about the operation of the vehicles and how they impact our site operation as well,” Kraft said. “Ideally, we’d have one unified system with all the information about the vehicles, their health, their charging performance and how they’re being used. I’m very excited about the potential.”
Disclosure(s)
- 1)
“Reports and Ratings.” Vestas. https://www.vestas.com/en/sustainability/reports-and-ratings
- 2)
“Climate Action.” U.S. Department of Transportation. Jan. 13, 2023. https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/climate-and-sustainability/climate-action
- 3)
Always consult the Owner's Manual before off-road driving, know your terrain and trail difficulty, and use appropriate safety gear.
- 4)
Eligible (2022 and 2023 MY) vehicles receive a complimentary three-year trial of Ford Pro™ E-Telematics services, and eligible (2024, 2025 and 2026 MY) vehicles receive a one-year trial that begins on the new vehicle warranty start date. Requires modem activation. Terms and conditions apply. Telematics service and features depend on compatible cellular network availability. Evolving technology/cellular networks/vehicle capability may limit functionality and prevent operation of connected features. Annual service contract is required for E-Telematics service after trial. Call 1-833-811-3673 or go to FordPro.com to activate E-Telematics service.