Greenbelt council accepts 10-year plan to electrify city fleet, seeks phased pilots for heavy-duty uses

Greenbelt — The City Council accepted a fleet and equipment electrification plan that lays out a 10-year, phased pathway to reduce the city’s reliance on internal combustion vehicles and handheld gas-powered equipment.

The plan, developed with input from Public Works staff and a consultant working through Pepco’s municipal program, inventories the city’s vehicles and equipment, prioritizes light-duty vehicle conversions, identifies site locations for charging infrastructure and recommends staged investments tied to normal replacement cycles. Staff and the consultant said 46 of Greenbelt’s vehicles looked cost-beneficial for conversion under current assumptions, but they emphasized that technology and pricing are evolving and that heavier vehicles remain challenging to electrify today.

Why it matters: The plan aligns with Greenbelt’s adopted environmental goals and with earlier public-facing EV infrastructure work. The council’s acceptance authorizes staff to pursue grants, install chargers on city property in phases and test pilot conversions where operational risk is low.

Key points and direction: The plan identifies three categories — administrative and light-duty vehicles, heavier on-road apparatus (for which few electric equivalents exist today), and handheld/grounds equipment (mowers, blowers). Staff said they will (1) prioritize electrifying vehicles at natural replacement points, (2) pursue available grants and tax rebates, and (3) install charging infrastructure in prioritized city lots (library, community center, municipal building, Buddy Attick Park) with a combination of public- and city-facing chargers.

Council asked staff to proceed cautiously with heavy vehicles and police patrol cars until several departments can test and validate field performance; staff recommended a single police EV pilot with an officer who has home charging access to evaluate real-world patrol use. Council also discussed workforce training for maintenance staff and certification for charging equipment installers; staff reported mechanics have begun EV safety training and that some technicians are ChargePoint-certified for station maintenance.

Formal action: Council moved to accept the fleet electrification plan; the motion passed by voice vote.