Tesla Fleet Option For Businesses Launched
Tesla recently launched a fleet option for businesses that showcases the benefits of running a fleet of Tesla vehicles. Business owners can contact Tesla via the form and input information such as the company name and the size of the fleet. There’s also a box for additional comments. There are several benefits for companies making the switch to electric vehicles, and Tesla pointed them out in three categories: Driver Benefits, Company Benefits, and Community Benefits.
Driver benefits include mobile service, remote diagnostics, access to carpool lanes and priority parking, convenient charging with access to the Tesla Supercharger network, and 5-Star NHTSA ratings.
Company benefits include never having to pay for gas again, low cost of ownership, no regularly required maintenance, low charging costs, and over-the-air software updates.
Community benefits include safer roads with a lower probability of injury (according to tests conducted by the NHTSA), active safety features of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, supporting local charging network expansion, and reducing smog and pollution.
Tesla also touched upon its safety-first design. On the website, it stated:
“We engineer our vehicles to be the safest in the world. With 5-star NHTSA safety ratings overall and in every category, every Tesla features exceptionally low probabilities of occupant injury and rollover risk. Active safety features and Autopilot come standard — helping reduce impact severity and prevent accidents from happening altogether.”
Tesla Fleet Benefits From Low Lifecycle Emissions
Tesla pointed out that a company using its vehicles for a fleet would reduce the company’s environmental impact with an all-electric fleet. For those interested in the lifecycle emissions, there’s a bit of information in Tesla’s Impact Report.
First, a vehicle’s environmental impact is determined by its entire lifecycle, which includes both the manufacturing and usage emissions. The average internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle emits 69 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime through the use phase. This doesn’t count the carbon dioxide emitted during the oil refining phase. However, Tesla vehicles are powered fully by electricity which, makes their lifetime emissions much lower than those of an ICE vehicle.
In Tesla’s Impact Report, the company analyzed the lifecycle of its vehicles. Its analysis, referred to as LCA, combines Scope 1 and 2 emissions and material Scope 3 emissions for a Fremont-made Model 3. In the report, Tesla further explained:
“While we are implementing processes to be able to measure and report Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions on an enterprise-level starting with our 2021 report, for the purpose of this report, we have conducted an LCA which includes the vast majority of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, including the vehicle manufacturing phase, emissions from our supply chain, vehicle use, and end-of-life for a Fremont-made Model 3.
“While not a perfect measure, given the importance of the Model 3 and its high volume of deliveries since 2018, it is a good proxy for understanding the emissions impact of our vehicle business. The details and boundaries of this LCA analysis are described on page 90.”
Tesla added that its goal is to produce an LCA for each of its products along with reporting its Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
“EVs undeniably generate less lifetime greenhouse gas emissions than ICE vehicles We are often asked if electric vehicles (EVs) are more sustainable than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The environmental impact of zero-emission transport and energy products, like the products that Tesla produces and sells, is undeniably more positive than the GHG-emitting alternatives.
“This becomes more pronounced when determining the lifetime impact of EVs versus ICE vehicles, which requires looking at the entire lifecycle — from raw materials to use phase emissions to disposal — and not just at vehicle usage emissions.”
The report also goes over variables that are often overlooked by other lifecycle studies. These are as follows:
- Using Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel/energy consumption data (both of which overestimate fuel-economy and underestimate emissions) rather than real-world data.
- Not considering the higher energy efficiency of Tesla’s powertrains.
- Assuming the average EV needs a battery replacement at some point in its life.
- Not considering emissions generated through the oil refining and the transportation process.
- Using outdated data for the carbon impact of cell manufacturing. We try to address these considerations and complexities in deriving a more accurate calculation in the following lifecycle analysis.
You can access Tesla’s full Impact Report here.
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