Madison’s Fleet Service acquired its 100th electric vehicle in efforts to make the city’s transportation functions more sustainable Oct. 27, according to the City of Madison Fleet Service X account.
In the past few years, the city of Madison’s vehicle fleet has become more environmentally conscious than ever due to the Fleet Service launching a sustainability program in 2018 to follow Madison’s plan for 100% renewable energy and zero net carbon emissions in city functions, according to the 2018 100% Renewable Madison report.
Madison has 100 electric vehicles in operation, 150 hybrid electric cars in operation and nearly 500 other vehicles running on biodiesel blends. These efforts have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 15 million pounds since the sustainability program launched in 2018, Madison Fleet Services Superintendent Mahanth Joishy said in an email statement to The Badger Herald.
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According to Joishy, this reduction of carbon dioxide is needed as Madison has poor air quality metrics when it comes to lung disease rates in comparison to statewide and nationwide statistics. The transportation sector makes up 38% of greenhouse emissions in Wisconsin, a numbger the Fleet Service is working to reduce, according to the City of Madison Fleet Service website.
EVs are not only environmentally sound, but they make economical sense as well, Joishy said. They cost far less to maintain and fuel up than gasoline powered vehicles. Joishy said not having to worry about the unpredictable fluctuations in gasoline prices is an added plus. EVs also experience far less downtime in city of Madison shops, Joishy said.
City of Madison Sustainability and Resilience Manager Jessica Price said it’s important all Madisonians buy into renewable energy. Price said EV’s are the best option for our environment, health and wallet.
“EVs are a triple win,” Price said. “Light duty EVs, like the cars and trucks most people drive, have a lower total cost of ownership compared to similar fossil fueled models, and they produce far less air and climate pollution … EVs are good for our wallets, our health and our environment.”
Price said the City of Madison is supporting greater EV use through working with partners across the region to ensure the area has enough charging stations. Starting in 2021, Madison required that new multifamily residential buildings with six or more parking stalls and some new commercial developments must offer EV chargers at parking stalls and have the space to make more EV stalls available. Additionally, all new Madison public parking facilities will have EV chargers.
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There are numerous new federal programs supported through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that are aimed at growing the network of EV charging infrastructure, Price said. She added that there are plenty of signs charging infrastructure will be able to keep up with growing EV adoption.
Joishy hopes a revolution in transportation he calls the “Roaring ’20s” will take hold. He believes Madison has a role in leading an EV effort.
“I do not believe that our fleet operation will make a damn difference in the world unless other fleets and the Madison public follow our lead and purchase EVs,” Joishy said.
All of Madison Fleet Service’s sustainability initiatives can be found on their website.
