Adoption of Electric Vehicles Slow in Pest Control Industry

CLEVELAND – While the use of electric vehicles has great potential in a route-based industry like pest control, PMP adoption has been slow. Most respondents (96 percent) to a recent PCT Reader Poll said that less than 25 percent of their vehicle fleet is electric.

When PCT interviewed Bobby Leon, owner of Akita Pest Control, Lancaster, Pa., in May 2021, he had just purchased his first electric vehicle (a Chevrolet Volt) and he said his goal was to replace existing service vehicles (when they were ready to be retired) with electric ones.

“Unfortunately, we only have three on our fleet of 19,” he said. “I hoped by this time to have 60 percent of the fleet electric but things didn't work out as planned due to a supply and demand issue. At the time when we obtained our electrics there were many available and they also had some rebate deals that made them more attractive. Currently we are running into really long waiting lists for new electric cars. We are also finding them selling over MSRP and used ones have also increased in price.”