Permian Basin oil and natural gas operators and oil service companies curious about fleet electrification can try out all-electric pickup trucks under a pilot program launched by Merge Electric Fleet Solutions.
“Replacing 100% of the trucks in a corporate fleet immediately is not realistic, especially in a geographic area as large as the Permian Basin,” said CEO Glen Stancil. “However, a pilot program like this will help oil and gas companies focus on routes, drivers and vehicles in their fleets that are fully electric ready.”
According to the International Energy Agency, 10% of electric vehicle sales worldwide in 2021 were in the United States.
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Under the Midland pilot program that began in late September, qualified companies can lease two Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks for 31 days. The West Texas rental program, which would be the first pilot of its kind in the region, also includes access to a charging center in the Midland-Odessa region.
For the week ending September 23, Baker Hughes Co. reported that 54% of Lower 48 drilling rigs were operating in the Permian.
“With the oil and gas industry actively reaping the benefits of electrifying many of its fleet operations, we believe now is the right time to help these same companies assess their corporate fleets,” said Stancil. “Electric pickups like the F-150 Lightning offer impressive performance that we believe will resonate with drivers.”
Management says Midland Pilot participants will receive a summary of their existing fleet telematics data generated by a proprietary Merge analytics program.
“Customers will quickly see the results of the pilot program and gain insight into current fleet utilization and potential emission reduction opportunities,” management said. gas emissions in 2020.
