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Pittsboro leans toward hybrids for near-term fleet purchases, raises safety and infrastructure concerns about EVs
Summary
Town staff told commissioners hybrids are the most practical near-term choice because of availability and service continuity; staff said EVs may be appropriate for administrative use but have operational limits for police and public-works vehicles until charging and upfit issues are resolved.
Town staff and commissioners discussed hybrid and battery-electric vehicles for Pittsboro’s municipal fleet on Oct. 14, and the board signaled support for prioritizing hybrids for current purchases while continuing to explore electric-vehicle infrastructure for future adoption.
Staff described persistent supply-chain constraints for hybrids and plug-in vehicles but said hybrids are currently more obtainable and generally better matched to the town’s operational needs. A staff representative said electric vehicles pose operational questions for police and public-works uses: concerns included vehicle downtime during charging in extreme-weather responses, the lack of a conventional engine block for certain protective upfits used in patrol vehicles, and the need for fast chargers at the police station to avoid multislot charging delays.
Town staff noted warranty and battery-replacement trends: federal rules require automakers to warranty EV batteries for at least eight years or 100,000 miles, and battery costs per kilowatt-hour have fallen substantially in recent years, but upfitting (cages, weapon and equipment storage, ballistic considerations) and available range for patrol duty remain unresolved issues.
The staff update reported two hybrid F-150s were recently placed in Public Works and that the town continues to seek VIN confirmations for additional hybrid Explorers. Commissioners and staff agreed that hybrids currently offer fuel- and cost-savings over older gasoline vehicles and that hybrids are a sensible interim choice until the town can install chargers it controls (the town leases its town-hall property and is investigating charging at Main Street Station and other town-owned locations).
No ordinance or formal fleet policy was adopted; the discussion produced direction to continue pursuing hybrids for imminent purchases, to work on town-owned charging infrastructure, and to collect more information on upfitting and lifecycle costs for EVs so the board can revisit the question later.
