City of New Bedford Going Green; New Fleet Of Electric Vehicles Unveiled

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Mayor Jon Mitchell, state officials, and other leaders came together today to unveil the City’s new fleet of electric vehicles (EV’s) at an event on the steps of New Bedford City Hall.

Under the Initiative, the City is replacing 15% of the cars in its municipal passenger car fleet of 70 vehicles with new Nissan LEAF models. With the addition of ten electric vehicles, New Bedford now has more EV’s in its passenger car fleet than any other municipality in Massachusetts.

The cars are being assigned to New Bedford Health Department inspectors that operate in city neighborhoods. The super efficient vehicles achieve the equivalent of 126 miles per gallon on city roads. The move will also allow the City to retire ten older models that long ago exceeded their useful life, having been purchased in the early/mid 1990s.

Financial incentives from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s EVIP program and the state Department Energy Resources made the acquisition of the vehicles (and charging stations) extremely financial attractive to the City.

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New Bedford mayor Jon Mitchell inspecting one of the new electric vehicles.

At a cost of just $73 per vehicle per month, the $26,150 total cost of leasing the ten EV’s is many times less expensive than purchasing or leasing conventional vehicles. When the 3-year lease term expires, the City intends to continue its commitment to EV’s with next-generation technology EV models that are now in development.

Mayor Mitchell applauded the state and local team who collaborated on the Initiative, “What is not to love about a move that saves money, modernizes an aging city fleet, and is good for the environment? When we set out to modernize and professionalize city government four years ago, we knew there were great opportunities if we just found the right partners and developed a good team that could get the job done. I can’t say enough about our partners in the Baker Administration at MassDEP and the state Department of Energy Resources, at Nissan, and our own local financial and management team from CFO Ari Sky, to Fleet Director Ken Blanchard, to Energy Office Director Scott Durkee.”

The Mayor added, “The City’s effort to replace its aging municipal fleet with more fuel efficient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly technology is one element of our overall push to be a leader in the Green Economy. New Bedford boasts the most installed solar capacity per capita of any community in the continental United States as the result of our aggressive move in the past two years to purchase more than 16 megawatts of electricity annually from solar and wind sources. And our efforts to position ourselves for the offshore wind energy projects being planned for federal ocean areas off the coast are well known.”

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector is a key goal of the Commonwealth, and the increased use of electric vehicles is one way to help us reach that goal,” said Commissioner Martin Suuberg of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). “I’m happy that MassDEP has been able to work with the City of New Bedford on promoting EVs and incorporating EV technology in the city fleet.”

“The addition of these ten Nissan LEAF electric vehicles, coupled with New Bedford’s use of renewable energy, makes this city among the most progressive in the country in terms of sustainability,” said Andrew Speaker, director, Nissan Electric Vehicle Sales and Marketing. “This shared passion for the environment makes the partnership between Nissan and New Bedford a natural one as we work together to further promote the benefits of driving electric.”

“Municipalities across the Commonwealth are investing in clean energy and electric vehicles that not only reduce emissions but reduce costs for their community,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson. “New Bedford is a leader on these clean energy initiatives and this fleet will inspire residents to take advantage of existing clean energy incentives such as the MOR-EV rebates for their own electric vehicle purchase or lease.”

Under the Initiative announced today the City is also expanding the number of electric car charging stations to 17 total stations throughout the City. 8 of the 17 are available to the public free of charge in city parking garages and International Marketplace.

About the Nissan LEAF:

Nissan is the global leader in EVs with more than 180,000 LEAF sales globally and more than 80,000 in the U.S. LEAF boasts an EPA-estimated* driving range of 84 miles on a fully-charged battery and MPGe ratings of 126 city, 101 highway and 114 combined. With comfortable seating for up to five passengers, LEAF starts at about $22,000** after the available maximum $7,500 federal tax credit, while providing the benefits of lower running costs and less scheduled maintenance.

LEAF is powered by an advanced lithium-ion battery and an 80kW motor that provides a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience. The all-electric Nissan LEAF is offered in three trim levels, and shoppers can choose from a variety of available premium features such as leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, 7-speaker BOSE(r) energy efficient audio system and an available 6.6kW onboard charger that significantly reduces charging times on a 240V charging dock.

Summary of Benefits of City Use of Nissan LEAFs:

Fuel savings from conversion to ten EV’s are estimated at $10,202 annually based on 12,000 miles driven per vehicle and gasoline prices at $2.75/gal. Environmental benefits from the 10 LEAFs include a decreases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and significantly reduction in smog forming emissions; 110 barrels of oil saved annually and reduction of approx 114,700 lbs of CO2 from the atmosphere annually. Electricity as a fuel source is also more reliable and less expensive than oil. Maintenance needs are low due to the absence of combustion and no oil changes.

About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

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