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Fleet managers warn EV mandates are unaffordable and cite funding and market constraints; workforce pipeline efforts underway
Summary
Fleet staff told supervisors the county faces major barriers to electrifying its fleet — funding for chargers, regulatory mismatches and limited vehicle availability — and described workforce development steps including internships and community‑college partnerships to staff maintenance needs.
Santa Clara County fleet managers told the Finance and Government Operations Committee that transitioning to zero‑emission vehicles faces three major barriers — infrastructure funding, regulatory misalignment, and limited availability of vehicles that meet county duty‑cycle needs — and that the county is building workforce pipelines to respond.
Fleet Manager David Worthington said the largest barrier is funding: the county must electrify more than 55 locations with varied infrastructure needs and no single standard cost, and the county is preparing a forecast of those costs. Worthington and others pointed to market uncertainty after recent legal and policy changes affecting California Air Resources Board regulations (Advanced Clean Fleets), saying that private‑sector purchases were removed from some regulatory requirements, shrinking the available market and leaving public entities with an unfunded obligation.
Worthington gave examples of manufacturer shifts and cancellations that constrain procurement options: he referenced the recent decision by Ford to stop production of an F‑150 EV model (as discussed in the meeting) and argued that narrowing manufacturer participation increases vehicle costs and availability problems for public fleets. County staff said the regulation requires public agencies to meet minimum EV procurement thresholds or request exemptions when vehicle types are unavailable for duty‑cycle needs.
On workforce development, Worthington described internships, apprenticeships and partnerships with community colleges (Evergreen) and regional training programs. Fleet has run an internship program since 2021 (12 interns reported), conducts shop tours for students, and is coordinating community college curriculum development focused on zero‑emission vehicle maintenance needs.
Supervisors discussed possible intergovernmental advocacy and legislative engagement to address the funding/market mismatch; staff said sustainability priorities include EV support but that current fiscal realities require prioritization of hospital and Medi‑Cal related funding items.
The committee received the fleet report.
