As part of its continued commitment to sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the City of Seattle celebrated a milestone and placed the 500th electric vehicle (EV) into its Citywide fleet.
The vehicle, a Ford Lightning electric truck, will be used by Seattle Center to support operations along the City’s expansive Waterfront, a 20-acre public space that’s been transformed as part of a multi-year effort and is expected to be complete next year.
“Seattle has been a national leader in climate action and sustainability and that extends across everything from our policies, to how we build and manage our facilities and the vehicles we utilize for our Citywide workforce,” Mayor Bruce Harrell said. “This is a milestone for our electrification efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a greener, healthier city for residents, workers, and visitors.”
The City has long been recognized as a leader in the green fleet space, including being recognized as one of the top 20 cities in North America making strides to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their fleet by adopting the use of electric and hybrid vehicles and utilizing alternative fuels.
Of the City’s 3,600 motorized-vehicle fleet, more than 28 percent are now electric or hybrid vehicles.
“Seattle is doing its part to reduce the impacts of climate change, which disproportionally impacts communities of color in our city,” said Kiersten Grove, Acting Director of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS), which oversees the City’s fleet program.
FAS created the City’s Green Fleet Action Plan, which sets aggressive goals for reducing fleet emissions. As part of this work, departments across the City have moved fast to electrify their fleets resulting in:
- Over 80 percent of Seattle Police Department’s patrol fleet being fully hybrid
- Seattle Fire Department deploying the first hybrid electric ambulance in the nation
- Seattle Public Library launching the first all-electric vans in the City fleet
- Seattle Parks and Recreation being the first in the City to adopt Chevy Bolts as their standard cars and using electric forklifts and e-transit cargo vans
- Seattle Department of Transportation launching a fully electric street sweeper pilot program this year
- The City has also cut its emissions from diesel in half by utilizing renewable diesel
Transportation accounts for 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Seattle, which means the City’s efforts within its own fleet can make a difference.