The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, a coalition of public and private partners, called Drive Electric PA, recently awarded Pittsburgh more than $200,000 to support its electric-vehicle fleet.
The city was awarded $135,160 for eight additional electric-vehicle charging stations in its fleet parking lot and $67,500 for the purchase of nine electric vehicles, nearly double the city’s fleet.
The vehicles are used by the city’s departments including the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections.
By 2030, the entire city fleet will be fossil-fuel-free vehicles, Mayor William Peduto vows.
Last year, the city purchased five solar charging stations and four battery-operated Chevrolet Bolts. Six more have been ordered.
The vehicles run for 180 to 200 miles on a full charge and take approximately nine hours to fully recharge.
The department awarded more than $1 million to nine clean energy-vehicle projects in southwest Pennsylvania. These projects are forecasted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5,745 metric tons annually.
The grants are part of the department’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap plan to boost electric-vehicle use over the next two years. The U.S. Department of Energy funded the plan.
Of the state’s 8 million registered vehicles, only 15,000 are electric vehicles.