An Alliance That Shows How The EV Industry Is Evolving

Just as electric vehicles thrive on improved power and telematics connectivity, the industry behind them depends on a growing network of organic connections among manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers.

In the latest example, E Squared Energy Advisors on March 9 announced an alliance partnership with DASH Auto Logistics to provide vehicle delivery in North America.

E Squared also recently signed a letter of intent to acquire 14,000 all-electric Endurance 4WD, 600 hp, 75e-mpg, pickup trucks with a 250-mile range over the next three-years from Lordstown Motors. DASH will manage the logistics process for E Squared, transporting the Endurance trucks to leading fleets.

DASH is pursuing the electric vehicle market as it sees an upswing in orders and the need for OEMs to get vehicles to their fleet customers, said Mark Brincat, director of business development for DASH, in a recent interview with Charged Fleet.

E Squared is slated to take possession of 2,000 Endurance pick-ups this year, Brincat said. Once production ramps up across the EV manufacturing industry this year, DASH anticipates more EV deliveries that could reach thousands of vehicles per month.

Overall, DASH moves about 4,000 vehicles per week, and ships for many clients with various needs such as Enterprise, ACV, ADESA/Cars, Manheim, Copart/IAA, Budget, Victory Auto Group, Fox, Canadian wholesalers, as well as smaller independent dealers and auctions. It has about 7,000 vetted carriers that meet its quality standards.

On the electric front, for example, it’s working with fleet management companies that are buying electric last-mile delivery vans, said Bryan Esterline, chief operating officer and owner of DASH, which he formed in 2013.

“We would see EVs as a big portion of the business going forward,” Esterline told Charged Fleet. “It’s only going to grow. Our footprint will help us as we go forward. The EV market is new and taking off quite quickly related to what people have seen and what they want to purchase. It’s a matter of how fast we can get them to market.”

DASH also distributes vehicles to fleets and dealerships nationwide, he said. “Some of those larger dealerships have put in orders for the EVs, and we will be managing transport for them.”

In addition to the Lordstown Motors deliveries, E Squared Energy Advisors is providing all types of zero-emission vehicle brands including Rivian, Tesla, Lucid, Workhorse, Proterra, Thomas Built, Lightning eMotors, Hyzon Motors, and others to provide large zero-emission fleets to cities, municipalities, and private corporations with its no-upfront CapEx budget expenditure “pay-as-you-go” transportation program, according to a news release.

E Squared’s zero-emission fleet program is a complete turnkey package that offers fleet operators smart mobility fleet solutions including advanced AI analytics, onboard edge computing devices with predictive maintenance and Telematics 4.0, smart V2G charging station infrastructure, on-site 100% renewable smart microgrids and storage, zero-emission vehicles, and the maintenance over the life of the contract if requested.

“DASH Auto Logistics is a strong alliance partner that will help advance zero-emission fleet technology throughout North America,” said Tim Grosse, CEO of E Squared Energy Advisors, in the release. “By creating a sustainable partnership with DASH Auto Logistics and the latest in smart-tracking delivery systems, we are offering exponential value to our customers. Which allows us to do what we do best — save fleet owners money, energy, and save the planet at the same time.”

DASH, one of the fastest growing logistics companies in the U.S., has changed the traditional methods of vehicle logistics. It uses a team focused on transparency and keeping the client up to date, in real time. The DASH team will take ownership of the process from vehicle pick-up to client delivery. Its extensive network and partnerships provide coast to coast complete logistics programs.

DASH provides customers with a tracking portal, so they can see where vehicle orders are at any given time, Esterline said in the Charged Fleet interview. “We ask customers be in the process through our tracking system, so they feel like they are part of the team.” The DASH dispatch staff regularly updates vehicle movements in real time.

Alleviating the transportation workload from E Squared will provide them more time to provide capital and engineered services to help large fleet owners move to zero-emission vehicles, while minimizing their costs and emissions.

Esterline added, “We have seen tremendous growth the past couple of years. Partnering with E Squared Energy Advisors has provided an incredibly positive outlook for 2021 and beyond. The alliance partnership will further define our footprint in the auto logistics and transportation industry.”

Originally posted on Charged Fleet