How Southern California Edison Transformed Fleet Decision-Making
Navigating complex rate structures, rising fleet electrification demand, and limited internal tech resources...
Southern California Edison partnered with Bellawatt to:
Transform a basic fuel calculator into a full-featured, mobile-optimized TCO tool for fleet operators
Visualize demand charge holidays and rate assignments with a custom-built UX
Incorporate SCE-specific incentives and LCFS calculations for real-world decision support
Empower business development reps to conduct faster, clearer customer consultations
Deliver the entire project on schedule and under budget, with rave reviews from stakeholders
Bellawatt first collaborated with Southern California Edison (SCE) in 2019 to build a simple fleet fuel calculator. It was the first of its kind, and at the time, the tool served a basic purpose – helping fleet operators compare fuel costs between traditional and electric vehicles. The single-page calculator did its job, but as electric vehicle technology advanced and more fleets began considering electrification, both SCE and Bellawatt knew something more powerful was needed. Meanwhile, Bellawatt had gone on to create a more comprehensive fleet electrification tool for other utilities. Given the changes both in SCE’s needs and the broader industry, SCE sought to expand their product from a simple site to a full-featured platform.
TCO required the addition of Grants / Incentives, Resale value, Maintenance, Insurance, Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and Construction costs. We were also able to account for SCE's specific commercial EV rate structures, and made the entire tool mobile-optimized to align with how most people access digital experiences.
Along the way, we worked closely with SCE staff. We conducted Discovery with key stakeholders, demo’d early iterations at multiple points to solicit and incorporate feedback, and minimized the burden on SCE’s IT team by collaborating with their sales-minded counterparts.
A templated solution would have been a disservice to SCE's customers. Crucially, SCE fleet customers do not have many rate options – their rates are selected based on their power level. Further complicating the calculations is a demand charge holiday, meaning future year demand charges are quite different from today’s.
Testimonial
Dave Corderman, Lead Developer @ Bellawatt
Working closely with the SCE team, Sky, Bellawatt’s design lead, created high-fidelity wireframes that incorporated SCE's distinctive color palette, typography, and copy while ensuring the interface would be intuitive for fleet operators. The design included several key components:
A comprehensive total cost of ownership calculator that factored in vehicles, chargers, construction costs, maintenance, insurance, and available incentives
Detailed fuel savings comparisons that showed both financial and environmental benefits
A grants and incentives tool that highlighted SCE's ChargeReady Transport program
Advanced charger options covering both Level 2 and DC Fast Charge configurations
Each feature was designed with SCE's specific needs in mind, creating a tailored solution that would genuinely serve their customers rather than the one-size-fits-all approach too often attempted in the industry.
With designs approved, Dave and the development team embarked on an ambitious timeline to bring the tool to life, following Bellawatt’s four-phase delivery process. Throughout the process, Jessica maintained close communication with the SCE team, providing updates on a weekly basis and promptly addressing questions and concerns. This responsive approach helped alleviate Dana's initial anxieties about the project. (Read more about Bellawatt’s client management principles and processes.)
Testimonial
Dana R, Product Manager @SCE
When the new tool launched, the reaction from SCE stakeholders was immediate and enthusiastic. The modernized Fleet Fueling Calculator delivered transformative capabilities that went far beyond the original vision.
Fleet operators could now see how switching to electric vehicles would impact their operations from every angle:
The financial picture became crystal clear with detailed total cost of ownership calculations
Environmental benefits were vividly illustrated, showing the dramatic carbon reduction potential
SCE's complex rate structures became understandable and predictable
Available incentives and grants were easy to discover and apply to calculations
For SCE's business development team, the tool became an invaluable asset for customer consultations. Rather than spending hours explaining concepts and running calculations manually, they could now walk customers through various scenarios in real-time, saving significant time and resources. The tool doesn’t just help SCE customers make better decisions; it fundamentally changes the conversation around fleet electrification, moving it from theoretical to practical.
Perhaps most remarkably, the entire project was delivered not just on schedule but under budget – a rare achievement for complex software implementations.
Testimonial
Jason P. , Product Manager @SCE
This wasn't our first fleet electrification rodeo. Having built similar tools for PG&E, Con Edison, and other utilities through our partnership with JD Power, we brought extensive industry experience to SCE's challenge. Our team's expertise with rate cases and electricity cost calculations meant we could focus immediately on creating value rather than learning basics.
SCE now has a high-impact tool that’s helping drive real fleet conversions. And for Bellawatt, it once again demonstrated our ability to create and iteratively improve software that meaningfully accelerates electrification in the energy sector.
Ready to transform your utility's digital strategy with a partner who understands your unique challenges? Learn more about Bellawatt's approach or connect with our team of experts today. The energy transition is too important for subpar digital tools – let's build something better together.
