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Ferndale staff outline fleet-replacement policy, note slow EV uptake and potential savings
Summary
Public works staff reviewed the city's 2020 fleet management policy and replacement schedules, saying Ferndale has 95 vehicles, only three hybrids in service, and potential savings of roughly $42,000 a year by replacing vehicles on an ideal schedule; public commenters urged a stronger EV transition and asked about charger logistics.
City staff reviewed Ferndale's fleet-management policy and replacement schedule during Monday's council meeting, showing the city operates about 95 vehicles across police, fire, public works, community development, parks and recreation, and parking and that the 2020 policy needs updating.
The presenter said the policy prioritizes eliminating unnecessary vehicles, purchasing lower-emission vehicles that meet operational needs and pursuing electrification where feasible. Staff reported only three hybrids in service and said the current replacement practice deviates from the industry ideal. Using maintenance logs and depreciation tables, staff presented examples showing that replacing some vehicles earlier can lower total annual costs: for Ferndale's mix of police SUVs, ambulances and dump trucks, following the replacement schedule could save about $42,000 a year and about $200,000 over five years.
Staff walked through three scenario examples: patrol vehicle replacement at a 3-year versus a 6-year service life, ambulances at 10 versus 15 years, and DPW dump trucks at 10 versus 15 years. They showed how higher maintenance and lower resale values raise total cost of ownership when vehicles are kept beyond their recommended service life.
On electrification, staff ran a seven-year illustration comparing EV and gas passenger vehicles and found an estimated extra cost of roughly $8,600 over seven years for four passenger vehicles, not counting EV grants or charger infrastructure. The presenter said EV costs have fallen since 2020 and that some fleet vehicles coming up for replacement could be candidates for electrification.
Public comment included an electrical engineer who urged a target of about 15 EVs in the city fleet to match a municipal climate-action goal and noted Michigan State Police use Ford Mach-E vehicles for some duties. Another resident raised questions about charger charging times and who would monitor vehicle charge status; staff explained typical Level 2 charging takes 4–10 hours to reach roughly 80 percent depending on the vehicle and charger, while DC fast chargers can recharge much faster but cost more and require different infrastructure.
Staff recommended updating the 2020 policy, building a replacement scoring matrix that factors mission criticality and lead time, evaluating financing strategies (loan, lease-to-own, or cash purchase), and exploring a vehicle replacement fund and grant opportunities for EVs.
No council action was taken; the presentation was informational.
