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XL Fleet Launches Pilot Program with Essential Utilities, Inc. to Electrify its Utility Fleet

Originally posted as an XL Fleet press release | Original Article

Leading Water/Wastewater/Natural Gas Corporation Serving 5 Million People Across 10 States is Deploying XL Fleet’s Hybrid Electric Drive System on its Most Popular GM Fleet Vehicles After Successful Trial

BOSTON, December 11, 2020 – XL Fleet (the “Company”), a leader in vehicle electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, today announced that Essential Utilities, Inc. (“Essential”) (NYSE: WTRG), one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S., serving approximately 5 million people across 10 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands, is launching a pilot program to electrify its two most popular commercial GM vehicle platforms with the XLH™ hybrid electric drive system.

The initial pilot will include installing an XL Fleet hybrid system onto a GMC Sierra 2500 HD pickup truck and GMC Savanna Express van, two of Essential’s most widely deployed vehicles in its water and natural gas divisions for applications including Customer Service, Field Service, and Distribution. Essential, headquartered in Bryn Mawr, PA, deploys a fleet of approximately 2,500 of these vehicles across 10 states. If the pilot is successful on the first two platforms, Essential plans on electrifying a larger percentage of its fleet with XL Fleet’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric drive systems beginning in 2021.

“Essential has a strong and growing commitment to sustainability, and XL Fleet’s hybrid system provides an innovative way for us to reduce emissions without sacrificing the mission-critical performance of our fleet vehicles,” said Charles Stevenson, Vice President of Fleet Operations at Essential. “I personally drove XL Fleet’s hybrid-equipped Silverado 3500 HD demo unit during our preliminary trial and recorded a fuel economy improvement of well over 30%, which is impressive for a vehicle of that size and weight. If this pilot program is successful, we will be able to substantially reduce our fuel costs and lower emissions by scaling our deployment of these vehicles starting next year.”

“XL Fleet’s electrified powertrain technology is a perfect fit for companies like Essential, who are looking to immediately electrify their fleet vehicles, but also have demanding drive cycles and performance requirements that need to be met,” said Brian Piern, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at XL Fleet. “We are excited to be partnering with Essential as they begin their journey toward a more sustainable fleet.”

About XL Fleet

XL Fleet is a leading provider of vehicle electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets in North America, with more than 140 million miles driven by customers such as The Coca-Cola Company, Verizon, Yale University and the City of Boston. XL Fleet’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric drive systems can increase fuel economy up to 25-50 percent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions up to 20-33 percent, decreasing operating costs and meeting sustainability goals while enhancing fleet operations. XL Fleet's electric drive system was named one of TIME magazine's best inventions of 2019. For additional information, please visit www.xlfleet.com.

About Essential

Essential is one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S., serving approximately 5 million people across 10 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands. Essential is committed to excellence in proactive infrastructure investment, regulatory expertise, operational efficiency and environmental stewardship. Essential recognizes the importance water and natural gas play in everyday life and is proud to deliver safe, reliable services that contribute to the quality of life in the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.essential.co.

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