T3.10 Convert to EV fleets *
Set policies and timetable for electrification of municipal and other governmental fleets. Require replacement of public fleets with cleaner, energy-efficient vehicles to reduce long term fuel costs, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Executive Order 18-01 requires directors of State agencies to prioritize battery electric vehicles (or better emerging technology) for each lease or purchase of new vehicles, and to ensure they’re used for every trip for which they’re feasible. (If they aren’t yet available for some needs, agencies are to prioritize the most cost-effective low-emission options.)
RCW 43.19.648 requires state agencies (starting June 2015) and local governments (starting June 2018) to fuel publicly owned vehicles, vessels and construction equipment with electricity or biofuels to the extent practicable. The Department of Commerce created rules for implementing the law, including reporting requirements, and has a website about them. According to WAC 194-28-070 buying one of these vehicles is “practicable” for state agencies if a vehicle is due for replacement, its routine use would not require charging in the field, and its lifecycle cost is within 5% of the conventional alternatives. Local governments are only required to buy vehicles with costs equal to or less than the conventional alternatives; WAC 194-29-070 has additional more detailed rules about what’s “practicable” for them.
A 2020 study for the Legislature, using scenarios based on an inventory of current public fleets in the state, provides comprehensive, vehicle-specific current and future cost estimates for electrification, along with actionable information on how to move forward with fleet electrification efficiently.
In April 2018, Seattle’s mayor signed an executive order phasing out fossil fuel use in city vehicles by 2030. The city’s Green Fleet Action Plan targets a 50% GHG reduction from 2013 by 2025.
The eSchoolBus4Kids website has news and resources about electrifying school buses. The Rocky Mountain Institute’s piece on electrifying buses includes several ideas on financing the transition. Over the next five years, Midwest Transit plans to convert 10,000 school buses in the Midwest to fully electric vehicles with vehicle to grid capabilities; the company says it can deliver two to three converted buses for the price of a new one. HB1644, which just passed the House in the 2022 session, would allow using the transportation vehicle fund to plan for clean student transportation vehicles, and to develop charging and fueling infrastructure for them.