At its annual Capital Markets Day event last month, Ford revealed a comprehensive new plan for the future, one that’s centered around electric vehicles and connected vehicle services. That includes its connected vehicle platform called Blue Oval Intelligence and a brand-new commercial-focused entity called Ford Pro, which aims to redefine the market for commercial vehicles and services. Now, Ford has acquired an upstart software company called Electriphi to add to Ford Pro’s comprehensive fleet management services.
Commercial customers that are interested in changing out their ICE-powered fleets to EVs have a couple of hurdles to overcome, including the need to install chargers. But on top of that, fleets must also factor in how much energy each vehicle is using, keep an eye on ever-changing electricity rates, and figure out ways to minimize costs. That’s precisely where Electriphi will come into play.
The software company’s integrated software as a service (Saas) platform is capable of monitoring every fleet vehicle’s state of charge, routing, maps, weather, driver behavior, and any other variable that might affect a vehicle’s energy usage. It then figures out the optimum charging schedule for each vehicle, also providing ways for businesses to avoid higher electricity rates by charging at off-peak times. The software also has a total cost of ownership tool to keep fleets informed of every penny that’s being spent on these vehicles.
With the Ford F-150 Lightning Pro and E-Transit aimed at commercial customers, Ford believes that the depot charging industry will also grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years. By 2030, the automaker estimates that Ford Pro will generate $1 billion in revenue from charging solutions for 600,000+ full-size electric vans and trucks. North American customers can sign up for Electriphi charge management services now, with a European launch planned for the near future.
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