POWERGRAMS

TECHNOLOGY 12 we're going to offer them as a feasible option for our customers." Currently, Fleet Services owns 958 vehicles in those three categories – cars and SUVs, forklis and off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and golf carts. Of those, 236 – or 26% – are all-electric or plug-in hybrids. "We want our customers to use electric and baery-powered vehicles when possible, so we need to set an example by using them in our fleet," Martin said. "It will also help reduce our company's reliability on gasoline and diesel, and add electricity to the grid." Cody Caver said though the technology is growing, bringing these vehicles into the fleet can sometimes pose a challenge. One issue, he said, is that there may not be the "right" technology available for the company's needs. "Most of our fleet is made up of large four- wheel-drive vehicles with no bells and whistles," said Caver, Fleet Services engineer, General Services Complex 3 – General Garage. "But manufacturers are bringing small vehicles designed for on-road use to the market first, and that's only a small portion of our fleet." Caver said another issue is the electric pickup and bucket truck segment is not mature and most options are aer-market hybrid conversions of conventionally fueled vehicles. These conversions can be complex and costly, and may affect reliability. "When these systems function as they were designed, there can be huge benefits for the fleet," he said. "But when the systems have issues, it can bring extra challenges to those who are making sure our customers' lights stay on. Before we can widely electrify Alabama Power's pickup and bucket trucks, the technology must be proven and reliable." Martin and Caver say the biggest challenge is changing customers' mindset. Fleet Services has been working with Power Delivery, Marketing, Fossil Generation and company customers to encourage Kuhn and Energy Services team share a Tesla Model X.

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