XL Hybrids, a leader in fleet electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, announced in its blog its newest approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which assures California-based organizations confidence that XL-outfitted fleets will meet the Golden State's rigorous testing and restrictions for carbon emissions.
The latest CARB executive order approves XL-outfitted plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) Ford F-150 pickup trucks for the Golden State, an industry first.
The XL Hybrids team aims to make its vehicle electrification technology available to as many fleets as possible, says Clay Siegert, XL Hybrids COO. To that end, California fleets now have more product options from XL.
XL has the most approvals to sell into California – in the form of “executive orders,” or EO’s, issued by the California Air Resources Board, or CARB – for aftermarket vehicle electrification in the fleet industry, Siegert says.
In addition to PHEV F-150s, XL also offers hybrid-electric (HEV) systems for certain model year Ford Transit vans, GM vans and cutaways, and Ford E-Series cutaways.
Siegert explains:
"Any fleet operator who has looked into increasing MPG or saving on vehicle fuel costs is, no doubt, familiar with CARB, one of the most influential agencies in the sustainable energy field. Its mission, which has been chartered due to California’s history of regional air quality problems, is to protect 'the public from the harmful effects of air pollution,' and to develop 'programs and actions to fight climate change.' CARB’s mandate covers many industries, and is particularly influential in the fleet vehicle space.
"Among the many things the Board does is issue executive orders that allow for alternative vehicle technologies – many of which can increase fuel economy – to be legally sold in California. For example, before HEV, PHEV, compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquid propane (LPG) vehicles can be sold and operated in California, these technologies must be tested in laboratories and verified by CARB. CARB is driving the electrified and alternative fuel vehicle market forward by issuing regulations that require large OEMs like Ford and GM, as well as aftermarket technology companies like XL Hybrids, to meet rigorous testing requirements for impacting emissions. Because California is such a big market, these regulations push automakers to develop technology and vehicles that end up being sold throughout the country – and the world.
"It should be noteworthy for fleet operators, then, that CARB may have even tougher standards coming. CARB board chair Mary Nichols recently told Bloomberg that there is a need to, 'pretty much replace all combustion with some form of renewable energy by 2040 or 2050,' in order to cut emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels. This means California may severely limit internal combustion engines over the next 20 to 30 years. This would have huge ramifications on just about everyone – consumers, fleet operators and especially automakers.
"An electrified vehicle future is something XL is preparing for now. We were the first company in the fleet industry to receive a CARB executive order for aftermarket electrification, when we secured it for our XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System for General Motors cargo vans and wagons a few years ago.
"Since then we have successfully CARB-tested more makes and models, including most recently PHEV F-150s. And fleets – in California and throughout the U.S. – find our solutions attractive for many reasons. Our technology makes financial sense. The technology is installed in less than a day. The OEM warranty stays intact. And the cost savings are very real, with fuel economy improvements of 25 percent for HEVs and 50 percent for PHEVs, on average."
