Verizon electrifying Rhode Island fleet of service vehicles

• Smithfield, Rhode Island, garage to deploy electric fleet and charging infrastructure for Fios vehicles.

• Deployment part of Verizon’s goal to achieve net-zero operational emissions by 2035.

• Verizon operates one of the largest private fleets in the United States.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Verizon is powering its sustainability commitments by rolling out its first electric fleet in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

The Smithfield Garage Work Center (GWC) is the first Verizon garage in the nation to transition to a nearly fully electric fleet. The $4.4 million deployment includes 40 Ford eTransit vans and 5 Ford Lightning trucks accompanied by 25 two-port level 2 charging stations and 2 DC Fast Charging Stations, which will be used by Fios technicians serving Verizon customers in the northern Providence region.

“We are thrilled to be leading the charge in electrifying our fleet,” said Jerry Karnick, SVP Corporate Assets, Environment, Health & Safety at Verizon. “Verizon’s green fleet will play a pivotal role in achieving our sustainability goals, aiming to achieve a 53% reduction in our operational emissions by 2030 and operational net-zero emissions by 2035.”

"This is a tremendous win for our state and a major step forward in the future of transportation. Verizon's decision to invest in electric vehicle technology in Rhode Island is a testament to both of our commitments to clean energy," said Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee. "This deployment will help us reduce emissions on our roads and communities, and we are proud to be partners with Verizon in building a cleaner, brighter future."

Verizon is planning additional electric vehicle (EV) rollouts this year in GWCs across the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Verizon started its EV fleet implementation planning in 2021 by evaluating data and analytics from the Verizon Connect fleet management software platform that runs on nearly all Verizon vehicles and assets. The data derived from Verizon Connect regarding miles driven, vehicle wear and tear, and vehicle tracking, location, and utilization informed Verizon’s EV planning decisions, including: the number of EVs to be deployed in each rollout; the type, extent and location of charging infrastructure; EV maintenance and storage, and more.

EVs are becoming a significant component of vehicle fleets and are expected to grow to 31 percent of the market, or about 672 million vehicles, by 2050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.