Quick Intro: Who's In The Room?

• Please list the primary stakeholders for this electrification effort (name, title, role).
• Which single person is the formal decision owner for vehicle acquisition? Options: Fleet Director, CFO / Finance Lead, Procurement Lead, Sustainability / ESG Director, CEO / General Manager, Board Committee, Other (please specify)
• Which functions must approve the pilot (select all that apply)? Options: Fleet Operations, Sustainability / ESG, Finance / CFO, Procurement, Legal / Compliance, Facilities / Engineering, IT / Telematics, Union / HR, External landlord, Other (please specify)
• Who will be our day-to-day program manager and preferred contact details?
• Do you already have an internal steering committee or an executive sponsor for electrification? Options: Yes — formal steering committee, Yes — single executive sponsor, In formation, No, not yet

Who Gets Blamed If the Pilot Fails?

• If the pilot failed to meet expectations, which team or leader would face the biggest consequences—operationally, financially, or politically? Options: Fleet Operations, Finance / CFO, Sustainability / ESG, Procurement, CEO / Board, Facilities / Engineering, Other (please specify)
• What concrete consequences would follow a failed pilot (e.g., pause of program, budget reallocation, reputational impact)?
• Have you recently paused or cancelled a fleet or infrastructure program? If so, what were the deciding factors and who made the call?
• How much schedule slippage (in months) would be considered a critical failure versus a manageable delay? Options: Less than 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, More than 12 months, No set tolerance / depends on context
• Which metrics would the Board or executive leadership ask for first if they challenged the program? Options: Real-world range validation, Five-year TCO breakeven, Vehicle uptime / availability, Pilot route utilization, Energy cost vs projection, Safety / incident metrics, Other (please specify)

What Does 'Good' Actually Look Like?

• Tell me how leaders across Fleet, Sustainability, and Finance would know this program is a clear win—what outcomes would make each role breathe easier and report success?
• For Fleet leadership, which single operational metric matters most for accepting EVs into regular service? Options: Real-world range on representative routes, Vehicle uptime / availability, Charging turnaround between shifts, Reduced maintenance downtime, Driver acceptance / satisfaction, Other (please specify)
• For Sustainability/ESG leadership, which outcome would satisfy board or regulatory mandates? Options: % of fleet electrified by target date, Total CO2 reduction (tons), Demonstrable compliance with state mandates, Public ESG reporting milestones, Access to incentive funding tied to electrification, Other (please specify)
• For Finance, what TCO breakeven timeframe would be required to greenlight expansion beyond the pilot? Options: Under 3 years, 3–5 years, 5–7 years, Longer than 7 years, Unsure / depends on incentives
• Select up to three proofs that most accelerate cross-functional confidence in a pilot: Options: Cold-weather real-world range validation, Five-year TCO modeling with sensitivity analysis, Published uptime and service SLAs, Complete depot charging design and cost estimate, Clear warranty & battery degradation guarantees, Pilot performance on representative routes
• Describe a pilot or deployment that would make each stakeholder group celebrate—what specific results or stories would they cite?

Where Are The Invisible Roadblocks?

• What is the single hidden constraint inside your operations or facilities that could stop this pilot before it even starts?
• What is your typical site electrical service capacity at candidate depots (select the best single answer per site you plan to pilot from)? Options: Less than 250 kW, 250–500 kW, 500–1,000 kW, Greater than 1,000 kW, Unsure / requires assessment
• Have you previously experienced delays with utility interconnection or local permitting for electrical projects? Options: Yes — major delays (>6 months), Yes — moderate delays (1–6 months), Minor or no delays, Never attempted such a project
• Which internal constraints exist today that will affect deployment (select all that apply)? Options: Limited electrical capacity, Long procurement cycles, Lack of route telemetry/data access, Driver resistance or union constraints, Maintenance staffing gaps, Landlord / site control issues, Capital budget limitations, None of the above
• Who owns facilities and permitting approvals for your depots—an internal team, a landlord, or a third-party? Please explain ownership and any known approval lead times.

Timeline & Decision Points: Are We on a Countdown?

• What immovable deadline is driving this project—board resolution, state/federal mandate, contract renewal, or an incentive application window? Options: Board resolution date, State or federal ZEV mandate, Expiring diesel fleet contract / vehicle retirements, Grant / incentive application deadline, Capital budget cycle, Other (please specify)
• By when do you need to make a procurement decision to stay on track with that deadline? Options: Within 30 days, 30–90 days, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months, Unsure
• What procurement cadence governs vehicle and infrastructure buys at your organization? Options: Annual budget & RFP, Rolling procurement as vehicles retire, Lease / financing schedule, Sole-source or preferred vendor, Other (please specify)
• Which milestones must be achieved before pilot procurement can be approved (select all that apply)? Options: Board approval, Capital budget allocation, Utility commitment / interconnection, Permits in hand, Vendor contracts executed, Pilot route selection & data validation, Other (please specify)
• Who has the authority to pause or accelerate the timeline without full Board involvement? Options: CFO, Fleet Director, CEO / GM, Steering Committee, Procurement Lead, Other (please specify)
• If an incentive or grant window is the driver, what is the exact application or award deadline?

Risk Tolerances & Escapes: How Will You Protect the Program?

• If vehicles or chargers underperform on day one, what would count as an acceptable workaround versus a program breaker?
• What maximum percentage shortfall in expected range on pilot routes would you tolerate before pausing the program? Options: Less than 5%, 5–10%, 10–20%, More than 20%, Zero tolerance
• How much additional TCO (as a percentage above model) would you accept while still progressing to wider deployment? Options: Less than 5%, 5–10%, 10–20%, More than 20%, No additional TCO acceptable
• Would you accept short-term mitigations such as route re-sequencing, off-peak charging, or temporary payload limits? Options: Yes — route re-sequencing acceptable, Yes — off-peak charging acceptable, Yes — temporary payload limits acceptable, Only specific mitigations acceptable (explain), No — these are not acceptable
• Which contractual protections are non-negotiable for you (select all that apply)? Options: Battery degradation guarantees, Uptime / availability SLAs, Performance-based credits / penalties, Flexible pilot exit or scale clauses, Comprehensive warranty & service coverage, Guaranteed parts & technician response times, Other (please specify)
• Describe the escalation or exit path you'd expect if acceptance criteria are not met during the pilot.

Data, Communication & Next Moves

• If we could only get one dataset from you that would most improve design accuracy, which would it be and why?
• Which of the following route and telemetry data can you provide for analysis (select all that apply)? Options: GPS route traces, Vehicle odometer & duty cycles, Payload / load factor logs, Timestamped dwell and shift data, Ambient temperature / cold-weather logs, Fuel/energy consumption history, None currently available
• What access controls, NDAs, or data-sharing agreements are required before we ingest operational data? Options: Standard mutual NDA, Data sharing agreement with limited use, Restricted access with aggregated exports, Platform-to-platform API integration only, No special agreements required
• What cadence and format of status updates would your stakeholders prefer during discovery and pilot (select up to two)? Options: Weekly written status, Weekly 30-minute call, Biweekly update, Monthly executive summary, Real-time dashboard access, Ad hoc as issues arise
• Who should receive executive summaries and how often (list roles and cadence)?
• What would a successful immediate next step look like after this discovery conversation? Options: Schedule site electrical assessment, Handoff route telemetry for analysis, Internal stakeholder alignment meeting, Draft pilot proposal with scope & costs, Confirm NDA and data exchange, Other (please specify)

Let's Paint a Quick Picture of Your Fleet

• Roughly how many vehicles are in your overall operating fleet today? Options: 1–10, 11–25, 26–100, 101–500, 500+
• Which vehicle types make up your fleet and roughly how many of each (select all that apply)? Options: Light-duty cargo vans (Class 2–3), Medium-duty box/delivery trucks (Class 4–6), Heavy-duty trucks (Class 7–8), Shuttles / transit buses, School buses, Specialty vehicles (e.g., refrigerated), Other — please specify in next answer
• If you chose 'Other' or want to add counts, list the specific vehicle types and estimated counts.
• Which of these best describes how your fleet is owned and financed? Options: Company-owned (capex), Leased / finance, Mixed ownership, Third‑party fleet management / rental, Other — describe
• Which regions or depots represent the majority of your operations (city names, states, or facility IDs)?

If Your Fleet Could Talk, What Would the Data Tell Us?

• Do you currently capture route and vehicle telemetry (GPS, duty cycles, energy/fuel use) in a way we can analyze? Options: Yes — full telematics on all vehicles, Partial — telematics on subset of vehicles, Limited — spot checks or manual logs, No telematics available
• How many months of representative telemetry or route history can you provide for analysis? Options: <1 month, 1–3 months, 4–6 months, 7–12 months, >12 months
• What telemetry detail level do you have (select all that apply)? Options: Start/stop times & odometer, GPS traces per minute, Idle time and PTO usage, Payload / weight proxies, Battery/fuel usage, Ambient temperature recorded, None of the above
• Who owns the telematics data and who would sign the data‑sharing agreement for an evaluation? Options: Fleet operations, IT/telemetry vendor, Procurement, Outside fleet manager, Unsure — need to check
• If telemetry is limited, describe the easiest way we could observe a representative route (ride-along, temporary GPS, driver logs, other).

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Duty Cycles and Edge Cases

• On the coldest, longest, or highest‑payload day you worry about — what single failure would be most damaging? Options: Range shortfall (can't finish route), Inability to recharge between shifts, Vehicle downtime / reliability, Driver refusal or low adoption, Regulatory or safety compliance issue, Other — describe
• What is the longest single route distance (miles) that must be completed without opportunity to recharge? Options: <20 miles, 20–50 miles, 51–100 miles, 101–200 miles, >200 miles
• Typical daily mileage per vehicle on your most common route type (provide average and peak if known).
• How predictable are route start/end times and dwell windows for charging? Options: Highly predictable (fixed schedules), Mostly predictable with occasional variance, Highly variable day-to-day, Seasonally variable
• What percent of routes require full payloads or significant auxiliary loads (e.g., refrigeration, lift gates)? Options: 0–10%, 11–30%, 31–60%, 61–90%, 91–100%
• When routes exceed expected range, how do you currently resolve them? Options: Route split/reassign, Refueling mid-route, Use ICE vehicle backup, Reschedule deliveries, Other — explain

Your Buildings and Power: The Unsung Decision-Maker

• If your facility electrical service constrained your electrification plan overnight, how quickly could you secure upgrades? Options: Weeks, 1–3 months, 4–9 months, 9+ months, Unsure / no experience
• What is the typical main service size at your primary depots or hubs? Options: <400A single-phase, 400A–800A three-phase, 801A–1200A three-phase, >1200A three-phase, Don't know — meter data available
• Do you have recent utility meter interval data (monthly kW demand, kWh) for the sites you want to electrify? Options: Yes — whole building interval data, Partial meter data available, No, but can request, No and difficult to obtain
• What on-site electrical assets already exist (select all that apply)? Options: Level 2 chargers, DC fast chargers, On-site generation (solar), Battery energy storage, EV load management / EMS, None
• Who is our best contact at the utility for interconnection and demand‑charge questions?
• Have you previously budgeted or completed site electrical upgrades? If yes, what was the typical cost and timeline per site?

Charging Today — What You Have and What You’re Tolerating

• What charging or fueling infrastructure do you currently operate at depots (select all that apply)? Options: No electric chargers — ICE fueling only, Level 2 (AC) chargers, DC fast / DCFC, Proprietary depot chargers provided by OEM, Third‑party public charging used, On-site genset for backup, Other — describe
• Who owns and maintains existing chargers (internal team, third‑party installer, vendor)? Options: Internal facilities team, Third-party installer/maintainer, Vehicle OEM provides service, We have no chargers, Other — specify
• What are your average commercial energy costs and any demand/peak charge notes we should know? Options: <$0.08/kWh, $0.08–0.12/kWh, $0.13–0.20/kWh, >$0.20/kWh, Complex TOU / demand charges — explain in next answer
• If your energy tariff involves time‑of‑use or demand charges, briefly describe how that affects charging windows and cost predictability.
• How do you currently track uptime and availability for fueling or charging assets (manual logs, software, vendor reports)? Options: Dedicated energy/fleet software, Manual logs, Vendor reports, Not tracked systematically, Other — describe

How You Buy Things (and Who Actually Signs the Check)

• If leadership demanded a 5‑year TCO breakeven tomorrow, how flexible is your procurement process to prioritize long‑term OPEX over short‑term CAPEX? Options: Very flexible — we can shift criteria quickly, Somewhat flexible — needs leadership buy‑in, Rigid — procurement driven by lowest upfront cost, Depends on contract type / funding source
• How long does a typical vehicle procurement cycle take from request to purchase? Options: <1 month, 1–3 months, 4–6 months, 7–12 months, >12 months
• Who are the key approvers for vehicle and infrastructure purchases (select all that apply)? Options: Fleet Director/Manager, CFO / Finance, Director of Sustainability, Procurement / Purchasing, Facilities / Ops Manager, Board or elected official, Other — list in next answer
• Are there mandated procurement rules (e.g., competitive bids, vendor pre-qualification, union agreements) that would affect an EV+charger purchase? Options: Yes — competitive bid required, Yes — union/vendor restrictions, No formal constraints, Unsure — need to check
• Describe typical approval hurdles that slow projects (budget windows, lease terms, vendor onboarding, legal contracting).

Past Experiments and Close Calls — What We Learned the Hard Way

• Have you run EV pilots or trials before? If yes, what scale and vehicle type was used? Options: No prior pilots, Small (1–4 vehicles), Pilot (5–20 vehicles), Large pilot (21+ vehicles)
• If you ran a pilot, what went better than expected and what surprised you in a negative way?
• What single pilot problem caused the most political or operational pain? Options: Range shortfalls, Charger installation delays, Data gaps / telemetry failures, Service downtime / maintenance, Driver resistance, Other — explain
• How are warranty, service, and spare-part needs handled today; do you have local service coverage that meets your SLA expectations? Options: In-house maintenance meets needs, Third‑party service contracts, OEM-managed service, Service coverage gaps exist, Unsure
• What would have to happen in a future pilot for you to feel politically safe to expand electrification?

Hidden Constraints, Mandates, and Timeline Pressure

• Which of these external drivers are shaping your timeline today (select all that apply)? Options: Board electrification resolution, State/federal ZEV mandate, Incentive/grant application deadlines, Corporate sustainability targets, Regulatory compliance, Customer contracts/requirements, None of the above / internal decision
• Do you have firm replacement schedules or vehicle retirement rules that create hard dates for purchasing EVs? Options: Yes — fixed replacement schedule, Partially — recommended windows, No — replace ad hoc, Unsure
• Are there grant or incentive deadlines we must align to for funding to be available? Options: Yes — specific upcoming deadlines, Potential future incentives — flexible, No applicable incentives, Unsure — need to confirm
• What governance or regulatory approvals (board, council, state agency) could veto or delay a pilot?
• If we had to prioritize one depot or route for initial electrification based on ease and impact, which would it be and why?

If We Had to Prove Feasibility in One Week, What Would Win You Over?

• If a one‑week observation could convince you to proceed, which single metric would make you confident (pick one)? Options: Real-world route completion without range failure, Sustained vehicle uptime > target, Charging turnaround within dwell windows, Energy cost per mile ≤ target, Driver acceptance / positive feedback, Other — specify
• What minimum threshold on that metric would you accept to greenlight a larger pilot (e.g., % uptime, miles completed, cost target)?
• How many representative vehicles and routes would you expect in an initial pilot to feel statistically comfortable? Options: 1–4, 5–10, 11–20, 21–50, 50+
• Who needs to receive the pilot results (reporting stakeholders) and how often should we report during the pilot? Options: Fleet operations, CFO / Finance, Director of Sustainability, Board or elected official, Maintenance team, All of the above — weekly, Custom cadence
• What would be an unacceptable outcome that would immediately stop a pilot? Options: Safety incident, Major unrecoverable range failure, Uncontrollable energy cost spike, Complete vendor delivery failure, Regulatory non-compliance, Other — explain

Quick Snapshot: Your Pilot on a Postcard

• What month and year are you targeting to turn the first charger and vehicle on for the pilot? Options: Q2 2026, Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Later / TBD
• How important is this pilot to your organization’s board or regulatory commitments? Options: Critical — tied to board mandate, High — supports executive goals, Moderate — exploratory, Low — informational
• Who is your executive sponsor for electrification (title or role)?
• If you had to name one single metric the CFO will watch during the pilot, what would it be? Options: Five-year breakeven TCO, Total pilot cost vs budget, Vehicle uptime (%), Energy cost per mile, Other
• On a scale from 1–10, how confident do you feel about your internal readiness to support a build (permits, site access, facilities)? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

If This Pilot Fails, What Breaks?

• If the pilot doesn’t validate within your timeline, what is the single biggest consequence for your program? Options: Two-year delay in rollout, Loss of board confidence, Funding reallocation, Regulatory non-compliance risk, Other
• How would a visible pilot failure feel to your operations team and drivers—embarrassing, manageable, or program-ending? Tell us a short example if you can.
• Which failure modes worry you most: range shortfall, charging downtime, permit delays, higher-than-expected energy costs, or driver adoption? Options: Range shortfall, Charging downtime, Permit delays, High energy costs, Driver adoption, Other
• If we agreed a conservative abort/rollback threshold today, what metric would you pick to protect program momentum? Options: % uptime below threshold, TCO variance > X%, Unresolved safety/permitting issue, Driver acceptance < threshold, Other

Where the Power Really Lives (Capacity, Upgrades, and Incentives)

• What’s the single electrical surprise at your site that could stop construction in its tracks?
• Which of these best describes your current knowledge of the site service capacity? Options: Single-line diagrams & kVA known, Estimated service size (approx), We only know meter billing demand, Unknown / needs assessment
• Do you currently have an interconnection application submitted to the utility for additional capacity? Options: Yes — submitted, Planned — not submitted, No — not required/unknown
• What funding or incentive sources do you expect will offset interconnection or upgrade costs? Options: Utility rebate / incentive, State grant, Federal tax credit, Internal CapEx budget, None / unknown
• Who at the utility is your primary contact (name/role) and how responsive have they been historically?

Permits, Timelines, and the Unseen Roadblocks

• Which permitting step tends to create the longest delay for your facilities projects? Options: Electrical permit / inspection, Site civil / grading permit, Utility interconnection approval, Environmental review, Local planning / zoning
• How long have similar permits taken in the past at this site—typical range in weeks or months? Options: <4 weeks, 4–8 weeks, 2–4 months, 4+ months, Unknown
• Have you encountered municipal requirements (noise, lighting, curb cuts) that forced design changes on past projects? If so, describe the most impactful one.
• Are there local inspectors or authorities-of-record we should plan to engage early? Provide names/roles if available.
• How much internal bandwidth does your facilities team have to shepherd permitting and inspections for this pilot? Options: Dedicated full-time resource, Shared part-time resource, Ad-hoc support only, None / will need vendor to lead

Who's Doing What? Ownership, Risk, and Build-Day Reality

• If responsibilities aren’t clear, whose credibility is most at risk when a milestone slips? Options: Fleet Director, Facilities Director, CFO, Operations Manager, Third‑party contractor, Other
• Which team will own utility coordination and interconnection paperwork? Options: Facilities, Procurement, Fleet, External consultant (vendor), Utility (direct)
• Who will sign off on acceptance testing (range/uptime/TCO checkpoints)? Please list titles/roles.
• For the physical build day, which of these will you be able to provide: site access windows, staging area, security clearance, and onsite point person? Options: Site access windows, Staging area, Security clearance, Onsite point person, None / to be arranged
• If work runs into overtime or unexpected trades are required, who has the final budget authority to approve stop-gap spend? Options: Facilities/Operations Manager, CFO/Finance, Project Sponsor, Vendor/Contractor (pre-approved cap), No single approver

Data Access: Can We See the Truth?

• If you handed us your route telemetry and facility single-line diagrams today, how confident are you they’d be complete and usable? Options: Highly confident, Mostly complete, Partial — gaps we know about, Not confident / no data
• Which data sets can you provide directly or via API? (select all that apply) Options: Telematics / route traces, Vehicle duty cycles, Historical fuel consumption, Meter-level electrical usage, Single-line diagram / as-built drawings, None
• How many months of telematics or energy usage history do you have available? Options: <1 month, 1–3 months, 3–12 months, >12 months, None
• Are there contractual or privacy constraints (third‑party telematics, unions, or school policies) that limit sharing data with vendors? Options: Yes — significant constraints, Some constraints — need NDA, No constraints, Unsure
• Who will be our technical contact to provision API access or share raw files? (name, role, best contact method)

Constraints That Will Force Design Choices

• What constraint would force us to fundamentally change the depot design (e.g., limited hours, parking footprint, overhead obstructions)?
• Which of these constraints apply at this site and must be designed around? (select all that apply) Options: Limited operating hours, Tight parking bay sizes, Low ceiling / canopies, Noise or night-work restrictions, Shared site with public access, None of the above
• Is there a maximum acceptable capital spend (charger + site upgrades) per vehicle for this pilot? Options: <$10k, $10–20k, $20–40k, >$40k, No fixed cap / TBD
• Are there route or scheduling constraints (short dwell times, quick turnarounds) that require high‑power charging or split-shift designs? Options: Yes — require high power, Yes — require distributed chargers, No — overnight charging ok, Unsure
• What operational flexibility exists to shift routes or schedules if the initial design requires it? Options: Full flexibility, Partial (some routes), Minimal (must keep routes), None

Acceptance & Success Signals Before We Build

• What single metric would make your team say ‘this pilot is a success’ when the deck is closed? Options: Five-year TCO breakeven, Vehicle uptime ≥ X%, Real-world range validation, Energy cost per mile target, Driver satisfaction threshold
• Which acceptance criteria do you want included in the pilot statement of work? (select up to three) Options: Range validation at X temp/payload, Average uptime ≥ X%, Charge turnaround ≤ X minutes, TCO within X% of model, Driver training completion / satisfaction
• Who on your team will sign pilot acceptance and what sign-off process must we follow?
• How long after commissioning do you want the acceptance test window to be (days/weeks)? Options: 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days
• If acceptance criteria are not met, what remedy do you expect: redesign, additional equipment, extended trial, financial concession, or pilot termination? Options: Redesign / additional equipment, Extended trial period, Financial concession, Pilot termination, Other

Money, Meters, and Who Pays for What

• If incentives or utility funds do not cover expected upgrades, who will own the overage? Options: Fleet / Ops, Facilities CapEx, Corporate (Sustainability budget), Shared cost / split, Will cancel project
• Do you have an approved CapEx envelope for site upgrades for this pilot? Options: Yes — approved amount, Planned — needs approval, No — must secure funding, Unknown
• What is your estimated acceptable payback window on infrastructure investments tied to this pilot? Options: <2 years, 2–3 years, 3–5 years, >5 years, Not applicable
• Who will manage incentive applications and utility cost recovery (internal team, external consultant, vendor)? Options: Internal team, External consultant, Vendor will manage, Not planning to apply
• Are there grant or procurement rules (public agency, school district, transit) that constrain vendor selection or financing options? Options: Yes — strict procurement rules, Some constraints — preferred vendors, No — flexible procurement, Unsure

What Would Perfect Deployment Actually Feel Like?

• Imagine the pilot concludes and everyone is celebrating—what happened during the project to make that moment possible?
• Which outcome would feel like an unfair win for your team: flawless uptime, immediate TCO savings, zero permitting issues, or driver adoption? Options: Flawless uptime, Immediate TCO savings, Zero permitting issues, High driver adoption, Other
• What organizational change would make scaling beyond the pilot significantly easier? Options: Dedicated electrification program office, Committed multi-year budget, Standardized sites & specs, Executive mandate with KPIs, Other
• What concerns would you want us to proactively own so your team can focus on operations during the pilot? Options: Utility coordination, Permitting and inspections, Installer management, Data analysis and reporting, Driver training
• If you could eliminate one risk today, which would it be and why?

Next Steps: What We Need From You to Start the Build

• What is the single most important document or access we need to start detailed engineering (e.g., single-line diagram, telematics export, site survey window)? Options: Single-line diagram / as-built, Telematics export (CSV/API), Confirmed site survey window, Utility account & contact info, Other
• When can your team provide that item or grant access? Options: Within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, More than a month, TBD
• Who should be our single point of contact for scheduling site surveys, permitting submissions, and daily build coordination? (name, role)
• Realistically, which of the following next milestones can we commit to in the next 30 days? Options: Confirm SOW & budget, Deliver site data / drawings, Submit utility interconnection, Schedule site survey, Start permit submissions
• What would you need from us right now to feel comfortable moving forward (e.g., risk register, draft SOW, utility outreach email, pilot acceptance template)? Options: Risk register, Draft SOW, Utility outreach, Acceptance criteria template, Other

What Sparked This Electrification Move?

• What prompted your organization to commit to a fleet electrification target or to respond to a regulatory mandate today? Options: Board resolution, State/federal mandate, CFO cost mandate, Sustainability/ESG goal, Customer or contract requirement, Executive sponsorship, Other (please specify)
• Who is the executive sponsor or decision owner for this initiative, and how would you describe their level of urgency? Options: CEO/President — urgent, CFO — urgent, Fleet Director — high priority, Director of Sustainability — high priority, Working group/no clear sponsor, Other
• What percentage of your fleet and what deadline are you targeting (or required to meet)? If 'other,' specify exact target and date. Options: 25% by 2026, 50% by 2030, 100% phased by 2035, All new purchases electric starting in year X, Other (specify)
• How would you describe the emotional stakes for your team if a pilot fails (e.g., setback to program, reputational hit, budget cuts)? Options: Severe — could pause program, Significant — delays and scrutiny, Manageable — learn and iterate, Low — pilot is exploratory, Unsure
• Have prior pilots or technology rollouts in your fleet influenced how you approach new pilots today? Please share a brief example.

Are We Underestimating Real-World Range?

• How confident are you that manufacturer range specs will translate to your cold-weather, full-payload routes? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Neutral/unsure, Skeptical — we expect gaps, Not confident at all
• Do you currently capture route telemetry (GPS, duty cycles, speed profiles, idle time) that can be used to validate range? Options: Full route GPS + telematics, Partial telematics coverage, Only odometer and runtime, No telematics data available, We can get data but not yet
• Describe your longest single-shift distance, average payload, and any seasonal extremes (cold, elevation) that routinely affect range.
• How often do routes include predictable heavy-load conditions (e.g., uphill climbs, repeated stops, rooftop HVAC loads) that reduce range? Options: Daily, Several times/week, Occasionally, Rarely, Unsure
• If we ran range modeling with your route and payload data, what worst-case condition would you insist we validate (e.g., 10°F, full payload, long idle time)? Options: Extreme cold (≤10°F), Full payload & hills, Extended idling and HVAC, High-speed highway routes, Multiple combined stressors, Other (specify)
• Who on your team can provide the most representative route datasets and point us to any known outlier routes?

What Breaks When Schedules Get Tight?

• If a vehicle misses its next delivery because charging took too long, what operational and political consequences usually follow?
• How long are typical turnaround windows between shifts at your depots/terminals? Options: <30 minutes, 30–60 minutes, 1–2 hours, 2–4 hours, >4 hours
• How many vehicles will need to share chargers during peak turnaround, and where will bottlenecks be most likely? Options: 1–2 vehicles, 3–5 vehicles, 6–10 vehicles, 10+ vehicles, Unsure / varies by site
• When delays occur today (fueling, maintenance, loading), what are the typical root causes and how long do they add to a route?
• Which operational metric matters most when a turnaround slips—on-time delivery %, overtime cost, customer SLA penalties, or driver satisfaction? Options: On-time delivery %, Overtime & labor costs, Customer SLA penalties, Driver retention/satisfaction, Other (specify)
• Share a recent day where scheduling pressure exposed a critical weakness—what happened and how was it resolved?

Where the Money Hides (and Why CFOs Care)

• Which part of the TCO calculation makes your finance team most uncomfortable—upfront capex, ongoing energy volatility, battery degradation/residual value, or service/warranty uncertainty? Options: Upfront capex, Energy cost volatility, Residual value uncertainty, Battery degradation risk, Service/warranty costs, All of the above
• What is your current annual spend for fuel (diesel/gas) and maintenance for the vehicle group you're considering for the pilot? Options: <$50k, $50–$150k, $150–$500k, $500k–$1M, >$1M, Unsure / need to calculate
• What breakeven horizon would make procurement leadership and the CFO comfortable with electrification for this fleet segment? Options: <3 years, 3–5 years, 5–7 years, 7–10 years, Cost-neutral never accepted
• Are federal, state, and utility incentives being applied in your current TCO assumptions? If partially, which are missing? Options: All included, Some included — specify below, Not included — need help, Unsure
• How do you prefer to treat infrastructure costs—capitalize as capex, recover via O&M, third-party financed, or split across line items? Options: Capitalized (capex), Recovered via O&M, Third-party financed/lease, Mixed approach, Undecided
• If energy price spikes 20% during the pilot year, how would that affect your willingness to scale? Options: Would pause scaling, Would monitor but proceed, Would hedge with contracts, No major impact, Unsure

What Would Success Actually Look Like?

• If this pilot is an unqualified success, list the top three measurable outcomes you would include in the board report (e.g., range margin, uptime, TCO breakeven year).
• Which single metric would most convince leadership to move from pilot to fleet scale? Options: Five‑year TCO breakeven, Operational uptime %, Range validation margin, Driver acceptance score, Utility/incentive capture %, Other (specify)
• What minimum uptime percentage and maximum acceptable average downtime per vehicle would you set as pilot acceptance criteria? Options: Uptime ≥ 99% / downtime ≤ 1 day/month, Uptime ≥ 97% / downtime ≤ 2 days/month, Uptime ≥ 95% / downtime ≤ 3 days/month, Will set after pilot begins, Other (specify)
• What level of battery degradation after 2–3 years would be acceptable in your residual‑value assumptions? Options: ≤5%/year, 5–10%/year, 10–15%/year, >15%/year, Unsure / need manufacturer guidance
• Who must sign off when the pilot is complete (titles or functions), and what evidence will each require?

Who or What Might Stop This Before It Starts?

• Which non-technical obstacle do you see as most likely to derail the pilot—executive approval, procurement timing, utility interconnection, permitting, or change resistance? Options: Executive approval delay, Procurement window/mismatched cycles, Utility interconnection timeline, Permitting/backlog, Driver or union resistance, Other (specify)
• Do you have an estimate of your depot(s) electrical capacity and whether a service upgrade will be required? Options: Sufficient capacity already, Minor upgrades likely, Major upgrades required, Unknown — need site assessment
• Have you engaged with the local utility or are there existing interconnection queue dates we should know about? Options: Utility contact & timeline confirmed, Initial contact made, No contact yet — need assistance, Utility historically slow/difficult
• How predictable are your procurement cycles—can you place vehicle orders now or are you constrained by a fixed replacement schedule? Options: Can order now, Some flexibility within 3–6 months, Locked to scheduled procurements, Procurement requires board/committee approval
• Which internal teams must be mobilized to avoid a stall, and who is the nominated owner for coordinating them? Options: Fleet operations, Facilities/engineering, Procurement, Finance, IT/telemetry, HR/Training, Other (specify)
• What past permitting or utility experiences should we be aware of so we can proactively mitigate delays?

Can We Measure It, Prove It, and Trust the Data?

• If telemetry shows a 10% gap between projected and actual energy use, would you pause, adjust, or continue the pilot? Options: Pause and investigate, Adjust assumptions and continue, Continue and monitor closely, Escalate to leadership, Unsure
• Can you grant access to vehicle-level telematics and energy meters for the pilot, or will data-sharing require separate approvals? Options: Full access available, Partial access available, Access requires approvals, No access available — need workaround
• Which KPIs must be included in the validation checklist and acceptance report? Options: Real-world range vs. projection, Charging turnaround time, Energy cost per mile, Vehicle uptime/availability, Driver acceptance/satisfaction, Warranty/service incidents
• How frequently do stakeholders want performance reports—real-time alerts, daily summaries, weekly dashboards, or monthly executive briefs? Options: Real-time alerts + weekly dashboard, Daily summaries, Weekly dashboard, Monthly executive brief, Custom cadence
• Who will be the single owner of the validation checklist and final acceptance sign-off for the pilot?
• What format and level of detail does your board expect for pilot reporting (e.g., executive summary with key charts, raw datasets, financial models)? Options: Executive summary + key charts, Detailed report with data annex, Raw datasets + analyst review, Financial model + sensitivity analysis, Other (specify)

Ready to Move — What's Our First Step Together?

• If we could remove one risk in the next 30 days, which would most increase your likelihood to run the pilot—vehicle availability, charger permitting, utility interconnection, or budget approval? Options: Vehicle availability, Charger permitting, Utility interconnection, Budget/finance approval, Driver training readiness, Other (specify)
• How soon would you want pilot vehicles to be in service once contracts and site work are approved? Options: <30 days, 30–60 days, 60–120 days, 120+ days, Dependent on utility timelines
• What pilot size and route mix would you consider sufficiently representative (vehicle count, route types, and shift profiles)? Options: 5 vehicles — single depot, 10 vehicles — mixed routes, 20 vehicles — multi-depot, Other (specify)
• Which resources are you ready to commit now (data access, site owner, partial budget, training lead)? Please select all that apply. Options: Route/telematics data access, Site/facilities owner, Partial capex budget, Driver/training lead, Utility contact, None yet — need assistance
• What specific deliverable from us in the next 7 days would make it easiest for you to say 'yes' to a pilot (e.g., site assessment, modeled TCO with incentives, test-vehicle demo)? Options: Site electrical assessment, Modeled TCO + incentives, Test-vehicle demo on a representative route, Draft pilot scope & acceptance criteria, Utility outreach plan, Other (specify)