4 Key Takeaways from EUFMC 2022

 

With a small beginning in 1953 as a regional gathering of fleet managers, Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference is now regarded as an essential opportunity for learning and growing for not only fleet professionals, but manufacturers, suppliers and service providers alike. This year’s event saw record registration, with 157 attendees, including nine new companies.

Altec was proud to attend the conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, and connect with customers. Here are four key takeaways from the event.

As the focus on sustainability increases, so does the focus on electric vehicles.

As the world increases its focus on green initiatives, many companies are establishing aggressive sustainability practices to be better corporate citizens. For utility companies and others that require large fleets, finding ways to reduce or eliminate emissions has become a key part of those plans.

Consumer vehicles alone emit around 30 million tons of carbon dioxide annually just by idling. Fleet vehicles may spend anywhere from 60 to 70 percent of the day idling at the jobsite, and for every hour spent idling, 22.4 pounds of CO₂ are released into the atmosphere. To comply with anti-idling laws and meet corporate sustainability goals, fleets are turning toward electrification solutions, including electric vehicles.

At the event, Altec previewed International’s eMV work truck. The concept electric truck was outfitted with Altec’s TA60 aerial equipment, which offers 65 feet of working height and 1,000 pounds of material handling capacity. Altec positioned the equipment to maximize rear-axle workable capacity at 3,500 pounds. The electric truck does not currently feature a fully integrated ePTO. Altec expects to unveil a fully integrated ePTO system in 2023.

“The feedback from the field has been very clear,” said Shawn Brougham, Altec vice president of engineering, at the event’s drive-thru presentation. “Users don’t want a second system to manage, charge and operate, and they want the payload applied to weight and space.”

Altec’s JEMS product remains a valuable product in the electrification space.

Altec’s Jobsite Energy Management System, or JEMS, provides a method to eliminate idling and reduce noise at the jobsite while still offering customers the benefits of a traditional chassis. Without having to idle the engine, JEMS delivers battery power to auxiliary chassis applications such as cab comfort AC and heat, jobsite tools and electric power take-off (ePTO). When JEMS is activated, a vehicle produces zero jobsite emissions with zero reduction in performance.

While EVs certainly have a place in some applications, JEMS can provide the best of both worlds to help customers meet fleet electrification goals and reduce emissions while also offering traditional operation to meet the rigorous demands of utility work, where long days and extreme conditions can be the norm.

“Electric vehicles are clearly on their way, but we know that conversion to 100% electric vehicles will take time,” Brougham said. “That might be due to upfront costs, available chassis configurations or options, the investment customers have in their existing fleet, or the work needed to improve EV charging infrastructure. That’s why the Altec JEMS has been and will continue to be a great solution for many of your fleets.”

Supply chain challenges will persist for the near future.

The worldwide supply chain is still out of balance, with demand generally exceeding supply. This imbalance is expected to last at least through 2023, while shipping and transportation constraints continue to cause disruptions.

To help combat these challenges, Altec is redesigning where possible to help sourcing and ordering further ahead to manage lead times. In addition to adding safety stock to the pipeline, Altec is also evaluating alternatives with other suppliers.

Connected vehicles will play a large role in fleet management.

As technology in the equipment world continues to evolve, owners and fleet managers are increasingly looking to leverage connected vehicle information to optimize safety, performance, economics and compliance. Altec is actively developing and deploying products that provide customers with actionable insights into the operation and maintenance of their equipment. These products provide customers with configurable event notifications, analytics and insightful visualizations and trends through the Altec Connect portal. Altec service and engineering teams are also using advanced analytics to enhance service response and product design to meet the needs of customers.