Public Fleet Electrification

Background

State law requires electrification of municipal fleets but allows them to be phased in and allows waivers. The State released a plan for public fleet electrification in Nov 2020 detailing how Washington’s state, county, city, and public transit agencies can convert to electric  vehicles by 2035. 

Early action by Seattle and King County area agencies would provide significant leadership and evidence for other public agencies and for private vehicle fleets. Using information being developed by the State, the plans should detail when vehicles will be replaced, what charging infrastructure will be needed and when it can be installed, and what funding and revenue sources will be required. Although electric vehicles cost more upfront, there are huge savings in refueling because electricity is so much cheaper than fossil fuels, and in maintenance because the engines have fewer moving parts.

Seattle Public Schools has passed a resolution calling for clean energy in all operations, including transportation. This is complicated by the fact that SPS does not own its own buses, but contracts with First Student. These buses are part of a private fleet, and not directly under the school's control. The contract is put up for bid, but historically there has been only one bidder. Moreover, SPS does own a fleet of vehicles for operating its system, and that fleet should have a plan for electrification.

The State report on public fleets finds that about 3% of the State's public fleets are electrified; of the light duty vehicles in the fleets, it's about 7%. This is based on incomplete inventory, but the study notes that it is "low relative to targets already established." About 8% of the vehicles can be electrified cost effectively today; electrifying these vehicles would result in a savings about $38 million, not including the savings from reducing climate warming and improved health outcomes.

The State recently commissioned a study on how municipalities and local jurisdictions can convert their fleets to electric. The study is due to be released in Sept., but a preliminary report is available here. In addition, the State recently purchased 40 electric school buses, using funds from the VW diesel settlement — this is a great start, but the State estimates there are 10,000 school buses in Washington.

Current Programs Elsewhere

• San Francisco is electrifying its non-emergency sedans by 2022, and transit buses by 2035.

• Sacramento requires all new fleet purchases be zero emission or electric unless there is no feasible option.

• Los Angeles has established an EV purchasing collaborative to lower the cost of EVs for cities. LA also has a roadmap for electrifying all vehicles in the LA area.

• City of Berkeley Electric Mobility Roadmap.

In the Media

• The Long Road to Safer School Buses. NRDC Study of air quality inside California school buses: "Levels of diesel exhaust inside the school buses were up to four times higher than those found in passenger cars just ahead of them, and more than eight times what you'd find in the average sample of California air. Scariest of all: The authors estimated that 23 to 46 of every one million children may eventually develop cancer from the diesel exhaust they inhale just while traveling to and from school."

• Clean School Bus Act of 2019. Proposed federal legislation.

• First Student Parent Starts Process for Sale of North American Transportation Companies. First Student, Seattle's school bus contractor is for sale.