Part 3: Seattle Moving Toward a 100% Electrified Municipal Fleet

This is part 3 of a three-part series covering initiatives and programs that the City of Seattle has undertaken to advance clean transportation. Also see part 1 and part 2.

The City of Seattle has set aggressive municipal fleet emissions reduction strategies through their Green Fleet Program. The municipal fleet today boasts more than 500 conventional hybrid vehicles and over 300 electric vehicles (EVs), including battery electric (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Approximately 80% of the light-duty vehicle pool is fully electrified, including vehicles from the police, fire, and parks departments and both municipal utilities. In order to make vehicle charging as smooth as possible, every BEV and PHEV has its own parking spot with a Level 2 charger. The city has also installed a 24-hour-access DC fast charger at the main maintenance facility to provide faster charging when needed. For more information about charging levels and times, see the Alternative Fuels Data Center.

City employee enthusiasm for the vehicles was one of the key motivators to extend vehicle electrification initiatives across the fleet. "Once they get in the vehicle, they love it," said Philip Saunders, Seattle’s Green Fleet Program manager.

Throughout the fleet electrification process, the city has greatly benefited from the collaboration with the Western Washington Clean Cities (WWCC) team. "WWCC works in tandem with the City of Seattle, coordinating outreach and education activities," said Angela Song, former clean air resource specialist for Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and WWCC coordinator, now at SCL. WWCC has hosted vehicle demos, written fleet electrification success stories, organized a tour of the municipal facility EV stations, and continues to be engaged in all the city’s EV programs and activities.

Seattle’s goal is to eventually electrify all its 4,100 vehicles as more EV models come to market in the coming years, particularly its medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. In the meantime, the fleet team is thinking creatively about how to handle vehicles that cannot yet be electrified. For example, Class 8 trucks are now outfitted with auxiliary battery power to eliminate emissions from idling.

Several elements have contributed to the success of the fleet electrification program, according to Saunders. The list below summarizes some of the recommendations and best practices that any municipality can adopt:

• Create a comprehensive plan with clear goals and commitments that are broadly agreed upon. Getting buy-in from municipal executives, city council, and city employees is critical. To do so, consider a ride-and-drive so staff can try EVs and understand the advantages.
• Consider the cleanest vehicle option first when making purchasing decisions and use total cost of ownership (TCO) over the lifetime of the vehicle to guide the procurement process. "TCO is the holy grail," said Saunders. Seattle’s fleet has found that the TCO of light-duty EVs is lower than regular combustion engine vehicles, particularly when including the cost of carbon. For heavy-duty EVs, such as buses, the upfront costs are still high, but incentives can help.
• Get infrastructure ready in advance and install chargers before receiving vehicles. In Seattle, collaboration with the Office of Planning and Community Development and the Department of Construction and Inspection was key to streamlining the infrastructure installation process and ensuring chargers were available once vehicles arrived.
• Connect with the local Clean Cities coalition to learn about funding opportunities and get support with outreach, education, and stakeholder engagement activities.