Cintas' EV Pilot Program Lifts Off

Cintas Corporation is making moves toward a greener future. With a fleet of around 14,000 vehicles in use throughout North America, its goal is to lower greenhouse gas emissions with its Path to Net Zero.

To achieve this goal, it launched an electric pilot program. As of now, it includes 20 electric vehicles (EVs) from different manufacturers.

The goal of the pilot program is to evaluate the performance, durability, and reliability of various EVs in a variety of business, weather, and road conditions.

With the data and knowledge learned from the program, the company can understand the expectations, challenges, and benefits of fully transitioning to an EV fleet.

The Path to Electrification

The pilot program was originally launched in early 2022 with the first EV deployed near Los Angeles, California.

Now, Cintas has EVs throughout the U.S. in:

• Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Detroit, Michigan.
• Los Angeles, California.
• Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• San Francisco, California.
• San Jose, California.
• Seattle, Washington.

“Our ability to remove vehicles powered by fossil fuels from our fleet and introduce vehicles that run on renewable or alternative fuels will be an important factor in our ability to achieve our Net Zero ambition and reduce our carbon emissions intensity,” said Christy Nageleisen, Cintas Vice President of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and Chief Compliance Officer.

Looking Ahead to 2023

The number of EVs and cities don’t stop there. Cintas stated in a press release that it plans on adding more EVs in 2023.

Cinta’s has acquired grant funding from different government officials to help lowers the company’s footprint with more EVs. Plus, Cintas stated it’s interested in testing new technologies when they become available.

“We have a unique business and our fleet has unique use cases, and we expect our fleet will continue to include different vehicle models, including various light-, medium-, and heavy-duty units to meet the needs of our business.” Bolen said. “As more options and technologies are developed, and more OEMs enter the commercial EV and alt-fuel markets, we expect to grow the pilot program in both quantity and scope.”

For more info on its pilot program, you can watch the video below.