Indianapolis Will Be First Major US City with Electrified Fleet

Indianapolis, Indiana, will become the first major US city to switch all of its city vehicles to either pure electric or hybrid vehicles after City Mayor Greg Ballard signed an executive order on Tuesday, December 11, mandating the change. The project has a 2025 deadline. In addition to switching city vehicles to electrified powertrains, it will provide incentives for snowplows, fire trucks and other vehicles that provide city services to switch to alternative fuels, including compressed natural gas. 

"The United States' current transportation energy model, driven by oil, exacts an enormous cost financially and in terms of strategic leverage. Our oil dependence in some cases places the fruits of our labor into the hands of dictators united against the people of the United States," said Ballard during the announcement. 

The switch will affect 500 non-police city vehicles and is estimated to save $10 million a year in fuel costs. The hybrid and electric vehicles will be purchased when current city vehicles' lifespans come to an end. The city said that it purchases an average of 50 such vehicles a year. 

The city is working with vehicle fleet companies to determine which electrified vehicles would fit its needs the best. It already has 200 electric car chargers with plans to install more. 

While some small municipalities and villages have made the switch to electrified vehicles, Indianapolis will be the first major city to make the transition. Indianapolis has a population of 829,718 and was ranked as America's 12th largest city during the 2010 census.

Source: Detroit News