SPI Energy Co., a global renewable energy company and provider of solar storage and electric vehicle (EV) solutions for business, residential, government, logistics, and utility customers and investors, announced Feb. 18 Phoenix Motorcars delivered the first of two electric service trucks to the City of Woodland, California. The trucks are the first all-electric medium-duty commercial service tucks of their kind to be built and used in the industry. Funding for the vehicles and infrastructure was coordinated between Phoenix Motorcars and the City of Woodland, leveraging local Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and utility funding programs.  

The ZEUS 500 electric service truck is built on a Ford E-450 chassis with a Knapheide service body and comes fitted with customized configurations to maximize functionality for the city, offering up to 110 mile range from its 105-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The trucks are equipped to be both Level 2 and Level 3 charging capable.  

Phoenix Motorcars collaborated with the City of Woodland to install two dual-cord Level 3 50kW DC fast-charging stations. Funding for building out the electric infrastructure to the chargers was awarded through Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E’s) EV Fleet program. The program helps fleets easily and cost-effectively install EV charging infrastructure so they can save money, eliminate tailpipe emissions, and reduce the maintenance needed for medium-duty commercial EVs. PG&E’s program supports Level 2 and Level 3 DC fast chargers in a variety of installation configurations, based on a fleet operator’s needs.  

Participants of PG&E’s EV Fleet program are responsible for procuring the chargers and having them installed. City of Woodland’s Fleet and Facilities Manager, Troy Thompson, stated, “Deploying the first all-electric service truck for the city is a great accomplishment. Phoenix Motorcars and their team offered custom solutions to address our needs and coordinated with multiple agencies, including California Air Resources Board (CARB), Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (AQMD), and PG&E, for funding and support for our project.” 

The project underscores the various working groups and collaborations needed to complete such a deployment. PG&E Onboarding Specialist Tim O’Neill stated, “Our EV Fleet Program is designed to support cities, municipalities, and businesses as they transition their fleets to EVs. We are seeing success partnering with them along with manufacturers and other organizations toward a shared goal.”