Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sterling Heights council debates speed and scope of EV fleet transition after DPW pilot shows fuel savings
Summary
DPW presented an EV pilot showing fuel/cost savings (example: $614 annual energy cost for a Ford F‑150 Lightning vs $1,033 for a gas F‑150) and recommended a phased electrification; council members debated pace of adoption for police and other high‑use vehicles and asked for telematics and charging roadmaps.
The Sterling Heights Department of Public Works presented results from an EV fleet pilot and a recommended path toward fleet electrification, prompting a robust council discussion about pace, costs and operational limits.
DPW Director Mike Moore and fleet supervisor Nick Colas summarized pilot findings: a 2023 Ford F‑150 Lightning in the analysis had an estimated energy cost of about $614 per year (using 16¢/kWh), compared with about $1,033 per year for a comparable gasoline F‑150 — translating to roughly $2,000 fuel savings over five years for that vehicle. Moore said the proposed 2026–27 budget requests five new EVs (one van for facilities, two Equinoxes for city development and two Blazers for police) and new chargers at several city locations.
Colas and Moore noted charging and winter range are operational constraints; Colas said the pilot demonstrated limited charging capacity at some facilities and that higher‑capacity Level‑2 chargers (approximately 19.2 kW) behind the police department should allow police EVs to complete shifts in most conditions. "With these new chargers, hopefully, that's not a problem anymore," Colas said, while acknowledging winter range reductions and the need for backup ICE vehicles when required.
Councilmembers were split. Some, including Councilmember Radke, argued that many municipal vehicles have short daily mileage and are strong EV candidates given operating‑cost savings and lower maintenance. Others, including Councilmember Schmidt, urged caution about investing heavily now in vehicles and infrastructure that may have long‑term service unknowns, especially for high‑use emergency vehicles.
Council generally supported continued pilot work, telematics demonstrations to identify suitable EV candidates, and a roadmap to guide phased adoption rather than blanket near‑term purchases for police and heavy apparatus.
Next steps: DPW will continue the telematics pilot, install higher‑capacity chargers in targeted locations, bring a recommended EV roadmap and report back on grant opportunities to offset capital costs.
