Chris Ernst: Sparking Change in the Electrical Industry
In Sandy, Oregon, in the foothills of Mt. Hood and the Cascade Range, Chris Ernst, who works for EC Electric, has been providing commercial and industrial electrical contracting solutions to clients for decades. In the early 2010s, a client hired EC to install extension cord pedestals at truck stops so that tired truck drivers could run their electronics, HVAC systems, and refrigerated loads without idling on diesel all night. That first transportation electrification job planted a seed, and now EC Electric installs EV supply equipment (EVSE) for its clients across the Northwest.
As EC Electric’s Client Solutions Director, Chris first started driving an EV in 2023, when his employer issued him a Ford Lightning with a range of about 200 miles. Asked to evaluate it as a company vehicle and provide feedback, he drove it for about a year to client meetings, work sites, home, and back again. Recently they upgraded him to a new, higher trim, longer range Lightning Lariat. “The standard Lightning was good, but this new Lariat is great. It lets me drive even farther and visit more job sites,” he says.
Chris and half a dozen other EC employees now work out of all-electric Ford F-150 Lighting trucks, and they’re turning heads and sparking conversations on job sites across the region. Where they once measured a work truck’s worth solely by its towing capacity and bed size, they now proudly breeze around in very efficient, clean, quiet EVs. “I’ve driven trucks my whole life,” Chris says, “This is a fabulous work vehicle. Everything in it is done well, and with a range approaching 300 miles, it works well for driving across the Northwest to meet with clients and field teams.”
EC Electric’s investment in electric vehicles is not just to “walk the talk” as an EV charging installer–it’s also about cold, hard cash. Chris chairs the company’s Fleet Committee, which is focused on responsible, safe, and efficient driving. “After thorough analysis, we found that the all-in cost of a Lightning, including purchase price, fuel, and maintenance, cuts our expenses dramatically when compared to internal combustion engine trucks,” says Chris.
Doing the Math: Gas vs. Electric
Chris logs about 30,000 miles a year for work, which is common for EC’s fleet of approximately 380 vehicles. His old truck averaged 15 miles per gallon, and with gas at about $3.80 per gallon, that is roughly $7,600 annually for fuel. Oil changes, brakes, and other regular wear-and-tear tacked on another $1,000 or so. That’s a total cost of $8,600 a year.
The new Lightning Lariat, by contrast, uses 10,200 kWh to go the same 30,000 miles. Chris charges mostly at home using a company-provided charger that communicates with HQ through the cloud so that EC Electric can easily reimburse him. He also makes occasional fast charging stops at $0.40 per kWh during long trips and the truck’s annual electricity costs about $1,200. With no oil or filter changes, maintenance is minimal—about $800 annually for tires, wipers, and wiper fluid. Insurance is about the same as a gas truck. So each of EC’s electric trucks costs only about $2,000 a year to operate, and yields about $6,600 in annual savings.
Convenience is another advantage. “For me, not having to stop for gas is one of the coolest things about driving an EV. I wake up, the battery is at my target capacity, and the truck is pre-conditioned, either warmed up in the winter or cooled in the summer,” Chris says. And range anxiety is simply not a thing – 80% of his charging happens at home or at one of EC’s charging stations at their corporate headquarters. “Fast chargers are out there if I go on a long road trip, but I need them only occasionally. And even a $0.40/kWh fast charger easily beats $3.80 a gallon.”
But as Chris is quick to clarify, electric trucks aren’t yet always the best tool for every job. “Our electricians haul a lot of heavy tools and material for their projects. The Ford Lightning carries a lot, but we are keeping an eye out for even longer-range options before we commit to shifting our vans and heavy-duty trucks to electric.”
The Ripple Effect
Chris’s new Ford Lightning is also a great conversation starter. Many of his friends and clients ask him about his electric truck, and his influence is spreading at work, too. On Chris’ recommendation, EC Electric’s CEO Andrew Beyer just bought his first personal all-electric Ford Lightning, and EC’s President Jon Orrell also owns a F-150 hybrid.
EC Electric’s company fleet is evolving, and these first few trucks are just the start. EC plans to add more EVs as ranges climb and sticker prices drop. “We’re not ditching gas and diesel entirely,” Chris says. “Sometimes you still just need a diesel for big jobs, or for jobs that are remote with no charging infrastructure, but that is rare. These electric trucks are saving us a lot of money, and they are also really great to drive.”