The City of San Diego is taking a major leap into the future of transportation, adding cutting-edge electric vehicles (EVs) to its municipal fleet in a move aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and contributing to a greener environment. In line with the City's Climate Action Plan (CAP), San Diego has recently bolstered its fleet with 22 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles and three Ford Lightning trucks that are set to serve various departmental needs, according to a report published on the City of San Diego's official website.
The electric revolution in San Diego doesn't stop there, the city has laid out ambitious goals to convert 100% of its light-duty vehicles and 75% of medium/heavy-duty vehicles to zero emissions by 2035. The new Ford Mach-Es, primarily designated for use by the San Diego Police Department and the Development Services Department, mark the first time this type of vehicle has been introduced to the city's fleet. Furthermore, according to the same report, the all-electric Lightning trucks, which are the EV counterpart to the famed Ford F-150, are prepping for deployment within the Parks and Recreation Department.
San Diego's fleet is not merely growing in numbers but also in diversity—more EV arrivals are in the pipeline. The city’s Fleet Operations Division (FOD), which oversees around 4,000 light and medium/heavy-duty vehicles, is expecting an additional shipment of nine Mach-Es, 35 Lightning trucks, two EV street sweepers and an electric fire truck by the end of 2024. Such an acquisition demonstrates the City's commitment to not only reach, but perhaps, exceed the CAP targets.
A current infrastructure supporting the shift includes 30 dual-port chargers across seven locations, with a strategy in place to expand this capacity to cover a wider range of sites in the near future. The city of San Diego states, "These recent EV purchases showcase how we strive to meet CAP goals while simultaneously, meeting operational needs required to serve the San Diego community every day," as said by Musheerah Little, Director of the Department of General Services.
This drive toward a sustainable fleet has already earned the City of San Diego accolades from the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA), nabbing awards for “Best Policies and Procedures” for five years running. The city also moved up the ranks in NAFA's annual Green Fleet Awards, coming in at 26th place nationwide, a significant jump from its 38th spot back in 2021.
