United Rentals Invests in Ford Electric Trucks for North American Fleet
United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental company, announced a new agreement with Ford Pro to purchase all-electric vehicles for its North American rental and company fleets. The agreement initially includes orders for 500 F-150 Lightning trucks and 30 E-Transit vans, with 120 trucks. All 30 vans are to be delivered in 2022. The vehicles will be used by United Rentals customers on construction and industrial jobsites, and by the company’s sales, service and delivery personnel.
United Rentals has selected the Ford F-150 Lightning model with a maximum target range of 320 miles and a maximum towing capacity of 10,000 pounds. The E-Transit is an all-electric commercial cargo van with a target range of 126 miles. Both models are equipped with Pro Power On-board and an array of connectivity features, including F-150 Lightning’s technology – Intelligent Back-Up Power. The company expects to deploy the vehicles in the second half of 2022.
“We’re pleased to demonstrate leadership in the use of 100 percent electric vehicles in the construction and industrial rental sectors,” said Matthew Flannery, United Rentals CEO. “We’re committed to helping our rental customers meet their greenhouse gas reduction goals by integrating more sustainable solutions into our fleet. This investment expands our strategic partnership with Ford and reflects our dual commitment to alternative energy solutions for our customers and operations.”
United Rentals will partner with Ford Pro Solution experts to provide charging options for customers that include home, worksite and Ford’s BlueOval Charge Network. Additionally, Ford Pro Solution experts will assist United Rentals with the optimal placement and use of the new vehicles in the company’s electrification plan and installation of charging infrastructure.
United Rentals has set a goal of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of its business by 35 percent by 2030, from 2018. More information about the company’s environmental management strategy can be found in its Corporate Responsibility Report at unitedrentals.com.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.