Municipal Fleet Electrification: 80% Energy Savings Case Study

Government fleet electrification presents a unique challenge: public agencies must balance emission reduction mandates, tight procurement budgets, and 24/7 service requirements for essential functions like waste collection, street maintenance, and public safety. This case study examines how a municipal government in Southern California worked with FBK POWER to electrify 120 fleet vehicles across three departments, achieving 80% energy cost savings while maintaining 100% operational readiness.

Client Profile

• Municipality: Mid-sized city (pop. 350,000) in Southern California
• Total fleet vehicles: 120 across sanitation (45), public works (40), and administration (35)
• Annual fleet fuel cost: $520,000 (diesel + gasoline)
• Goal: 50% fleet electrification by 2028, 100% by 2035
• Funding: State VW settlement funds + federal CMAQ grants + municipal green bond

The Challenge: Diverse Vehicles, Limited Infrastructure

Government fleets are not uniform. A sanitation truck, a street sweeper, and a pool sedan have radically different charging requirements:

Key Challenges Identified

• Grid capacity: Municipal depot had only 500 kVA service — insufficient for 120 vehicles
• Diverse charging power needs: From 7 kW AC (sedans) to 150 kW DC (refuse trucks)
• Budget constraints: Public procurement rules required competitive bidding with lowest-cost compliance
• Operational continuity: Zero tolerance for service disruption during transition
• Grant compliance: VW settlement and CMAG funds required Buy America compliance, data reporting, and workforce training

The FBK POWER Solution

FBK POWER designed a multi-layer charging architecture that scaled with the city's electrification timeline:

Phase 1: Baseline Infrastructure (Months 1-4)

Phase 2: Renewable Integration (Months 5-8)

Phase 3: Full Coverage (Months 9-12)

Total System Power: 900 kW (solar + grid) supporting 120 vehicles

Intelligent Charging Strategy

Unlike private fleets, government vehicles have predictable but inflexible schedules. FBK POWER's energy management system was programmed with three custom policies:

1. Priority-Based Scheduling

• Emergency vehicles (fire, police support): Charged first, always prioritized
• Fixed-schedule vehicles (sanitation routes, street sweeping): Charged to 100% by 2 hours before departure
• Flexible vehicles (administrative sedans): Charged during off-peak hours (11 PM - 5 AM)

2. Solar Self-Consumption Optimization

The 400 kW solar canopy generates peak power from 10 AM to 3 PM. The EMS:

• Routes solar output directly to chargers during daytime (reducing grid draw by 60%)
• Charges the BESS during high-solar, low-charging periods (12 PM - 3 PM)
• Discharges BESS during evening peak charging (6 PM - 10 PM), avoiding peak demand charges

3. Demand Charge Mitigation

The city's utility rate included demand charges of $18/kW. FBK POWER's load management reduced peak grid draw from 720 kW (unmanaged) to 480 kW, saving $4,320/month in demand charges alone.

Implementation Timeline

Results & Impact

After 12 months of operation:

Annualized Savings Breakdown

Key Success Factors

• Phased approach allowed the city to deploy chargers incrementally as vehicles were replaced, avoiding a large upfront capital shock
• Solar + BESS integration was the single largest cost-saving factor, reducing grid electricity purchases by 62%
• Grant funding covered 65% of total project cost ($1.2M of $1.85M), reducing the city's out-of-pocket investment
• Centralized procurement through collective purchasing (Cox Municipal Fleet Consortium) achieved 15% volume discount on equipment
• OCPP 2.0.1 remote monitoring allowed the small municipal fleet team to manage 120 vehicles with only one additional staff member

Lessons Learned

• Right-size the transformer early: The initial 500 kVA service could not support even Phase 1. Upgrading to 1.2 MVA during the first month would have saved 6 weeks. Future projects should order utility upgrades before equipment procurement.
• Vehicle procurement delays cascade: The city's EV delivery timeline slipped by 3 months, leaving charging infrastructure idle. A more flexible site design allows phased charger energization as vehicles arrive.
• Scheduling flexibility matters: Traditional government fleet scheduling (fixed route, fixed time) is incompatible with smart charging. The city had to introduce 30-minute flexible windows in sanitation routes to accommodate charging optimization.

Testimonial

"FBK POWER's integrated solution transformed our fleet electrification from a compliance exercise into a cost-saving initiative. The solar canopy alone generates enough power to offset our administrative fleet's entire charging demand. We're already planning Phase 4 for our police department's EV transition."

— Maria Hernandez, Fleet Operations Director, City of Santa Clarita

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Planning to electrify your municipal or government fleet? FBK POWER provides turnkey solutions from planning through grant documentation. Request a free fleet assessment.

Contact our Government Fleet Team or Request a Quote today.

You may also find Mining Fleet Charging: 1,610 kW Hub Case Study and Warehouse EV Charging: 150-Truck DC Hub with BESS relevant to your project.

For more case studies, browse the complete collection at /blog/category/case-studies.