Published May 18, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Coda Automotive, manufacturer of the all-electric Coda, delivered its first fleet vehicle yesterday.
The sale of the first fleet-destined Coda sedan was made to AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power. The utility, which delivers electricity to more than 5 million people in 11 states, is incorporating the 2012 Coda into its fleet as a part of a demonstration project to learn more about electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
In the U.S., fleets account for roughly 22 percent of all vehicle sales and with increasing fuel prices and decreasing budgets, EV adoption among fleets is on the rise. The Bay Area Climate Collaborative estimated in its Benefits of Electrifying Your Fleet study that one EV can save fleets more than $2000 annually in maintenance and fuel cost; and fleets can take advantage of charging during off-peak hours. In the near future, companies may also be able to leverage their EVs as energy storage devices, providing power generation back into the grid.
AEP Ohio purchased the 2012 Coda after the utility tested the performance, suitability and technology of a demonstration vehicle in 2011. AEP Ohio serves nearly 1.5 million customers in Ohio and the northern panhandle of West Virginia.
“We’re proud to incorporate the all-electric CODA into our fleet and to be Coda’s first fleet customer,” said Karen Sloneker, project director, AEP Ohio gridSMART Demonstration Project. “We chose the Coda because its active thermal management system helps to provide a dependable range for our cars. We’re excited to learn more about how the Coda and other electric vehicles perform in a variety of applications through our gridSMART® Demonstration Project, located in the northeastern part of Central Ohio. ”
