Merge Electric Fleet Solutions Launches Electric Vehicle Pilot Program for Solace Pediatric Healthcare

Fleet electrification services firm and home healthcare company partner to test electric vehicles on daily patient visits.

HOUSTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merge Electric Fleet Solutions has kicked off a pilot program with Solace Pediatric Healthcare to deploy four fully electric vehicles in Solace's fleet. The Electric Vehicle Pilot Program (EVPP) is the first of its kind for Solace and will enable the home healthcare company to determine whether fully electric vehicles will meet the daily driving needs of their clinicians. Solace will apply lessons learned to optimize future fleet electrification plans.

Solace Pediatric Healthcare is the leading provider of pediatric nursing, family caregiver, occupational, physical, speech, and feeding therapy services based in the Denver metro area and beyond. Solace's current fleet includes nearly 180 vehicles, which clinicians drive to pediatric patient's homes for appointments. Merge's pilot will run for six months and offer a data-driven approach to testing electric vehicles in their fleet.

Glen Stancil, CEO of Merge, notes, "Solace is an innovative partner for Merge. They are interested not only in a more sustainable fleet, but also in the driver experience. Our analytics capabilities will give Solace real-world data on how drivers are navigating the change to electric driving and charging. We'll also discover how EVs can meet the daily driving needs of more Solace employees."

Merge provided Solace with four all-wheel drive Volkswagen ID.4s, all of which are capable of travelling approximately 240-250 miles when the battery is fully charged. Each clinician in the pilot program will be able to charge at home on a Merge-installed Level 2 or Level 1 charger, and at public DC fast charging stations. Participants were chosen to capture a representative variety of daily routes, their access to home charging options, and their enthusiasm for participating in an electric pilot program.

"For years we have been monitoring the electric vehicle market for the right time to start transitioning the fleet of over 180 vehicles. We have been waiting for the battery range, charging infrastructure and options for AWD or 4WD to be available before making the leap. It is an exciting time to be able to participate in this pilot program and learn how to best move forward with transitioning our most popular benefit, the car program, to an electric fleet. While we have been waiting for the right electric vehicles to hit the market, we have been participating in carbon offsetting for every mile driven by our fleet," said Darcie Peacock, CEO at Solace Pediatric Healthcare.

Merge uses telematics data from each vehicle to analyze utilization, charging, and use cases. Solace pilot participants will also participate in surveys to gauge their satisfaction and learnings from the EV driving experience.

As a part of the EVPP service deployment, Merge conducted in-person deliveries and training sessions with each pilot driver to ensure they are prepared to drive and charge the vehicles as they go about their daily routines. One participating clinician shared, "I'm most excited about never having to stop at a gas station during my work day. I don't know if I can ever drive another gas car. I'll never go back!"

Merge will provide Solace with data insights on vehicle utilization, charging habits, and environmental impact after the six-month EVPP service concludes. This data will enable the Solace fleet management team to build an informed, actionable, and confident plan for fleet electrification that maximizes emissions reduction and cost savings while minimizing operational risk.

For more information on how Merge is helping fleets prepare for an electric future, visit www.mergefleet.com.

Merge Electric Fleet Solutions is a fleet electrification service and finance company. Our mission is to deliver the economic, environmental, and experiential benefits of fleet electrification in comprehensive solutions that are simple, affordable, and scalable. The Merge team brings decades of EV experience from designing, delivering, and operating integrated charging solutions for commercial and residential applications on L2 and DC platforms at thousands of sites all around the U.S. To learn more about Merge and its fleet electrification capabilities, please visit www.mergefleet.com, follow us on LinkedIn, or email [email protected]

Solace Pediatric Healthcare is the leading provider of pediatric nursing, family caregiver, occupational, physical, speech and feeding therapy services. Since 2005, our clinicians have provided pediatric care to children from birth to 21 years of age. At Solace, we've instilled a culture built on trust, communication, teamwork and accountability. Our mission is to provide pediatric healthcare services to help children and families live their best lives. To learn more about Solace Pediatric Healthcare, visit www.solacepediatrichealthcare.com.

SOURCE Merge Electric Fleet Solutions

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