As a tech company, we enjoy being early adopters. That’s especially true when it comes to electric vehicles. Integris (under our previous company name Domain) began building its fleet of electric company cars in 2012 when we invested in the vehicles to support service staff as they made onsite calls. With staff putting as much as 150,000 miles a year on each of these vehicles, the electric cars were a big hit. They’ve saved the company money, too.
Since then, we’ve invested in 11 electric cars for our staff, installed our own electric charging stations, and begun giving away Tesla S-class cars as sales incentives. In fact, electric vehicles have become a bit of a cultural touchstone for the company.
Electric Vehicles Are Good for Strategy, Recruitment, and the Bottom Line, CEO Says
“I tell people all the time, I feel like how Model T owners must have felt in 1908 when everyone else was still riding around in a horse and buggy,” said Rashaad Bajwa, CEO of Integris. “I have seen the future, and it’s only a matter of time. When other leaders start to see the lowered costs and overall benefits of going electric, you’ll see many more electric company cars on the road.”
Many of the vehicles are part of the company’s New Jersey fleet, but they are quickly starting to spread nationally as the company gives away Teslas for company incentives. “We’ve told employees that if they can refer a new client that signs a qualifying contract, they’ll earn the car. It doesn’t matter if they’re in sales or not. We want all our employees to be part of our new customer prospecting. Electric cars are powerful motivators and have definitely moved the needle for our sales. People like the idea of cutting emissions and reducing their daily gas expenses. It’s a win-win.”
At the company’s New Jersey offices, Integris has five electric vehicle chargers and participates in New Jersey’s It Pay$ to Plug-In, a charging station grants program. The company has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 348,000 pounds since replacing its gasoline-powered fleet with electric vehicles. “I can’t say how many more EVs we’re buying at this point,” Bajwa said, “but I look forward to seeing more employees qualify. Every electric car we put on the road is good for the company and good for the employee.”
A Strong History With Electric Vehicles
Integris was among the first participants in the Drive Green NJ campaign when it launched in 2016, earning it recognition as a NJ Smart Workplace. This award honors employers for their outstanding achievements in implementing programs that provide and promote commuting alternatives for their employees, thus reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality. In 2019, Integris (as Domain) won the NJ Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award in the area of Climate Change & Clean at the 20th Annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards are presented to New Jersey leaders aiming to reduce their ecological footprint, protect the environment, and combat climate change.
Rashaad has served as a Board Member of Keep Middlesex Moving, a nonprofit transportation management association affiliated with the Middlesex County Improvement Authority. Since 1988, KMM has partnered with commuters, employers, and local, county, and state governments to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
