Solar Installer Rents Vans
for Emerging Markets
Sunrun is one of the largest solar installers in the nation. From 2021–2023, they mixed the perfect cocktail of timing and growth. Low interest rates and tax incentives, combined with the pandemic-fueled craze of making home improvements, meant that customers were running to Sunrun in droves. Despite already having an expansive fleet, Sunrun was growing rapidly and they needed additional vehicles to help them expand into new markets and cycle out aging units.
Got 99 Problems and the Supply Chain is One
COVID-induced supply chain problems meant that vehicle procurement was extremely limited, and businesses like Sunrun that rely on vans to generate revenue were experiencing a world of hurt. Not being able to receive vehicles in a timely manner can be crippling for a home service business that’s looking to scale quickly. Jobs get delayed, customers are left waiting, and fleet managers are popping antacids.
For Sunrun, supply chain disruptions not only stifled fleet expansion, it prevented them from being able to cycle their aging units, resulting in mounting maintenance costs and lost revenue. If a vehicle goes down even for a day, a business can lose hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in revenue. Being able to cycle aging units with new vehicles helps fleets prevent costly downtime by ensuring that jobs are completed on schedule.
Powered by Kingbee
Kingbee solved two major issues for Sunrun.
- Kingbee’s hundreds of available vans helped Sunrun sustain new market growth by ensuring their contracts could be fulfilled in the required timeframe.
- Each Kingbee vehicle came upfitted with speciality equipment designed to add efficiency in the field.
Kingbee rose to the occasion and helped Sunrun continue their enormous growth. Our available inventory, combined with our in-house upfitting and wrap shop, enabled us to deliver work-ready vans faster than any other commercial vehicle provider in the nation.
Results
Since Sunrun’s first order in 2021, they have continued to use Kingbee as a reliable source for vehicles. Our short-term rental contracts helped them expand while mitigating the financial risk that new markets can bring. Sunrun’s fleet manager found Kingbee to be an “easy button” to procure the vehicles they needed in a timely manner without much oversight required, helping him to focus on more critical parts of the job and increase efficiency across the board.
523
Vehicles delivered
30-40 days
Avg. time to deliver 100 units
Countless
Ulcers avoided
