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Put a Charge in Your Fleets: How to Write a Great RFP for Electric Vehicles

July 18, 2025

Hosted by: Jamie Green, Plug-In KC
Panelists:

  • Adam Seifert, Inspiration Fleet

  • Sandra Gonzalez, Olathe Fleet

  • Julie Dietrich, Evergy

 

Jamie Green: Good morning, everybody, and welcome to this exciting webinar: Put a Charge Into Your Fleets – How to Write a Great RFP for Electric Vehicles. I’m Jamie Green with Plug-In KC, an initiative of Climate Action KC, where we focus on scaling up electric vehicles and EV infrastructure in Kansas City.

We’ve brought together a great group of panelists today to guide you through building a strong RFP for EVs. Our speakers are Adam Seifert from Inspiration Mobility, Sandra Gonzalez from Olathe Fleet, and Julie Dietrich from Evergy. We’ll leave time for questions at the end—just drop them into the chat and I’ll moderate.

To kick things off, I’m turning it over to Adam. Take it away!

 

Adam Seifert: Thank you, Jamie. Good morning, everyone. I’m Adam Seifert, Head of Fleet Advisory and Analytics at Inspiration Mobility. We’re an electric fleet management company offering support from EV transition strategy to procurement, services, and data tools.

Today’s topic is RFPs—how to structure them and apply best practices as you shift your fleet toward electrification.

We’ll start by looking at what works today before diving into new trends in procurement. There are a few timeless principles:

  1. Strategic Framing:
    Focus on the problem you’re trying to solve—not just a checklist of features. Give bidders the freedom to propose better solutions, even ones you may not have considered.

  2. Dialogue Over Forms:
    RFPs shouldn’t be just a form. Use them as a discovery process. Include opportunities for interaction—meetings, Q&A sessions, clarification phases—so you and your potential partners can learn together.

  3. Right-Sizing:
    Your RFP should reflect the importance of the decision. A well-structured 10–15-page RFP usually beats a bloated 30-page one. Keep it lean and focused to reduce noise and vendor fatigue.

Now, let’s talk about current trends shaping modern EV fleet RFPs:

  • Automation & AI:
    Ask your partners how they incorporate AI to reduce your team’s workload, improve decision-making, or increase data reliability. This is especially relevant in areas like maintenance forecasting or route optimization.

  • EV-Specific Questions:
    Don’t just ask “Can you support EVs?”—go deeper. Ask how they will help you succeed with EVs. Topics to explore include data integration, driver training, and program evaluation.

  • Contract Flexibility:
    Build in adaptability. The past few years have shown how quickly things can change. Include shared risk models or opt-out clauses that let you scale, adapt, or evolve with innovation.

  • Multi-Vendor Strategies:
    While a single-vendor approach is simpler, mixing vendors can give you domain expertise, increase resilience, and foster innovation. Consider it.

Tips to Wrap Up:

  • Define the business challenge clearly before you start.

  • Engage cross-functional teams early.

  • Match the complexity of your RFP to the scale of the decision.

  • Keep it collaborative, and don’t be afraid to update your process with each cycle.

 

Jamie Green: Thanks, Adam! That was a great foundation. We’ve already got a question:

“How do you know it’s time to switch to EVs if you don’t have any in your fleet yet? And how can you reflect that in funding proposals?”

Adam Seifert: Great question. The first step is an EV transition analysis, often done through fleet consulting. Most providers—ourselves included—can help with this. So can utilities or other EV partners.

Before buying a single EV, assess your current vehicle usage, charging needs, and operational patterns. That will tell you how and when to transition, and you can use that information in your funding proposals. It’s all about getting informed first.


Jamie Green: Excellent. Now let’s hear from Sandra Gonzalez of Olathe Fleet. Sandra?


Sandra Gonzalez: Thanks, Jamie. I’m Sandra, Government Sales Manager at Olathe Ford in Kansas City. 

Benefits of EVs in Your Fleet:

  • Lower Total Cost of Ownership: EVs have fewer moving parts, which means less maintenance. No oil changes, spark plugs, or emissions-related repairs.

  • Fuel Savings: No more fluctuating gas costs. You plug in instead of fueling up.

  • Free OEM Telematics: Most manufacturers now include telematics systems that help you monitor performance, optimize routes, and even coach drivers in real time.

  • Winter Range Tips: Precondition vehicles while plugged in to preserve battery range in cold weather.

Key Considerations:

  • Regenerative Braking: Teach drivers how to use it properly. Braking recovers energy and can significantly extend range.

  • Home Charging Reimbursement: Many OEMs offer VIN-based billing, so if employees charge at home, you can reimburse them accurately.

  • Monetizing Charging Stations: Public access to your charging infrastructure means you can recoup some of those upfront installation costs.

Upfitting & EV Suitability:

  • Know Your Use Case: Match the vehicle and battery capacity to the job. Heavy upfits like liftgates may require auxiliary batteries.

  • Integrated Upfitting Tools: Ford offers onboard interfaces that connect upfits directly to the vehicle’s dashboard.

  • Generator Capability: Pickup trucks like the Ford Lightning can act as power sources for equipment in the field.

Vehicle Availability:

EV availability is improving. Lead times are now 12–16 weeks, and in-stock inventory is growing. For police departments, the Ford Police Interceptor hybrid is back, and the Chevy Blazer EV is now the only all-electric pursuit-rated vehicle.

Jamie Green: Thanks, Sandra. Next up is Julie Dietrich from Evergy.


Julie Dietrich: Thanks, Jamie—and great job Adam and Sandra. I’m Julie Dietrich with Evergy. I help customers plan for and implement electric fleet vehicle infrastructure.

Things to Think About in Your RFP:

  • Knowledge Transfer: Often the people writing the RFP are not the people operating the EVs. Make sure change management and education are part of the plan.

  • Rate Planning: Understand how your utility rates affect your charging costs. For example, off-peak rates (like midnight–6 a.m.) are often much cheaper.

Our Programs:

We offer rebates and support for both residential and commercial EV charging:

  • Residential:

    • Up to $500 in Kansas and Missouri for installing charging plugs.

  • Commercial:

    • $2,500 per Level 2 port

    • $20,000 per DC fast charger

    • Up to $65,000 total per location

 

Jamie Green: Thank you, Julie! That’s extremely helpful. We’ve had some great questions come in.


Q: What are the biggest misconceptions about EVs?
Sandra Gonzalez:

  • Range anxiety and upfront cost are common concerns.

  • But average fleets drive under 75 miles a day—well within EV capabilities.

  • People also overlook long-term savings in maintenance and fuel.

Q: Where can we find funding support?
Adam Seifert:

  • Look at dealer financing, commercial lenders, and fleet management companies.

  • Leverage Evergy rebates and federal/state incentives.

  • Bring your finance team in early—they can help make the case through accounting models.

Q: What if we’re still a couple of years out from switching to EVs?
Sandra Gonzalez:

  • Start with a fleet analysis and infrastructure check.

  • Talk to nearby fleets using EVs. Learn from their data.

  • Don’t wait to plan—even if implementation is down the road.

Adam Seifert:

  • Start collecting your own operational data now.

  • Understand vehicle usage, charging patterns, and downtime.

  • This will help when you’re ready to act.


Jamie Green: Thank you to our panelists for sharing their time and knowledge. This webinar will be available on our website and YouTube channel soon. Visit plug-in kc.org to learn more. Thanks again, and have a great day!