Connecticut State Department of Administrative Services

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DAS Transitioning State Vehicle Fleet to Electric Vehicles

Posted 2/18/2020
By Department of Administrative Services
State Vehicles

The electric vehicle market continues to grow and improve.  Electric vehicle (EV) technology has continued to extend the range of vehicles so they can go further on a one-day charge than ever before.

The Department of Administrative Services is on board with Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 1 which outlines the goal of lowering greenhouse gases.  DAS Fleet can make a real impact on the environment by, over time, converting its fleet of gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles.

The business argument for moving to EV’s is a solid one. Electric vehicle technology is predicted to grow substantially, increasing the efficiency of these vehicles while the savings are realized in fuel purchases, oil changes and engine maintenance.  Additionally, there will be more variety of EV products on the market to choose from in the future like trucks and vans.

How does this benefit state agencies and Connecticut as a whole?

  • Productivity Return – average $130 a month per driver of time savings by staff not having to fuel their vehicles. No more end-of-day or beginning-of-day fueling trips.

  • Lower Monthly Maintenance Costs – With far fewer moving parts, and no oil changes required, the costs to maintain an EV are on average $16/month less.

  • High Reliability – With their superior engineering and fewer components to maintain, EV’s will spend more time in service and on the road, meeting the needs of the agency, than in the shop being maintained and repaired.

  • Increased Efficiency – An EV uses 59%-62% of the electrical energy from the grid to power the wheels. Conventional gasoline only converts 17%-21% of the energy stored in the gasoline to power the wheels.

     

  • All of this means lower total cost to the agency, as the purchase price of EVs continues to decline.

Beyond state vehicles, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection has issued an Electric Vehicle (EV) Roadmap for Connecticut.  The draft Electric Vehicle Roadmap for Connecticut identifies a number of policies, programs, and strategies to help Connecticut accelerate customer adoption of EVs and expand the associated charging infrastructure.  EVs are crucial to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and transitioning away from fossil fuels. The state projects it will need approximately 500,000 vehicles converted from internal combustion engines to electric by 2030 to meet its GHG reduction targets and to improve long-term air quality for our state and the region.

“It’s an exciting time,” said DAS Fleet Director Stephen McGirr.  “The vehicle market is changing, and DAS is keeping up with these changes by incorporating EVs, learning about the technology, and staying at the forefront instead of being left behind.  We can both reduce greenhouse gases for our state while continuing to be innovative and responsive to the future of the vehicle industry.”