Philadelphia joins national network of cities to further electrify its fleet
PHILADELPHIA – During the second-annual Climate Mayors Summit, Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative (“the Collaborative”) announced that 127 cities and 15 counties, including Philadelphia, have committed to purchasing more than 2100 electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2020. Philadelphia has committed to purchase 20 EVs by the end of 2020 — helping to improve citywide air quality and public health.
“Philadelphia is once again leading by example on climate change,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “I am proud to join with other cities to grow our EV fleet as we work to meet our climate goals. A greener fleet helps us reduce emissions and moves Philadelphia further along the path to a clean energy future.”
With the purchase of an additional 20 EVs, the City’s total number of EVs in the municipal fleet will hit 50. The City’s Office of Fleet Management and Office of Sustainability are working to develop a clean fleet plan to determine the best approach to increasing the number of low- and no-emissions vehicles in the City fleet. The Office of Fleet Management is also in the process of developing the infrastructure to further support EVs and hope to increase the number purchased each year after 2020.
Additionally, the City is looking to purchase solar powered charging stations that can charge several vehicles at once using no or minimal power from the grid. While the City has been primarily purchasing the Chevrolet Bolt, a wider variety of offerings from other manufacturers is anticipated in the future, including an EV trash truck.
By transitioning to EVs, cities like Philadelphia are leading by example: helping to cut greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, saving taxpayer money, improving public health, and reducing our nation’s dependency on oil. With 127 cities committing to the Collaborative by the end of 2020, the EV commitments have the potential to:
- Cut gas usage by up to 1 million gallons each year;
- Transition to 25 million electric miles driven each year; and
- Add more than $75 million in purchasing power to the electric vehicle market.
“The clean transportation revolution is not a distant vision for the far-off future — it’s a reality hitting the streets of Los Angeles and cities around the world,” said Climate Mayors’ Founder and Co-Chair Eric Garcetti. “By expanding this innovative platform with zero-emission school buses and thousands of new commitments for electric vehicles, Climate Mayors are sending a powerful message to the global car market: if you build electric vehicles, we will buy them.”
In agreeing to purchase electric vehicles through the Collaborative, public agencies gain access to competitively solicited EVs and charging infrastructure, as well as innovative leasing options that allow cities to reduce EV costs by accessing state and federal tax credits. The Collaborative also provides support with analysis and best practices for fleet electrification to cities as they consider switching to electric.
With support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Collaborative is working with the American Cities Climate Challenge, a group of 25 of the largest U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, who are pursuing ambitious goals to cut emissions and fight climate change from the bottom-up. American Cities Climate Challenge cities represent about 700 vehicles of the total commitment.
About Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative
Launched in September 2018, the Collaborative is a partnership between Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell. The program works with cities and other public agencies to accelerate the electrification of public fleets. The Collaborative provides technical expertise to purchasers and a program that reduces the costs and barriers to electrifying fleets.