Study Finds State, Local Governments Not Electrifying Fleets Fast Enough, As Per State Law

A survey has found that many public agencies have fallen short of a 2007 goal to run all state and local government vehicles on electricity or biofuels. The state legislature asked public agencies 11 years ago to electrify their fleets as much as possible under an effort to reduce emissions and air pollution.

A report by Coltura, a nonprofit that supports the reduction of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles, found that less than 6 percent of the passenger and sport-utility fleets owned by 24 counties and cities operate on electricity. The survey found that nine cities and counties have yet to buy any electric cars for their passenger fleet.

The Legislature passed a bill to further push fleet vehicles away from fossil fuels. But as Marcus Bellissimo reports, it all comes down to funding, as well as tracking rapidly evolving technologies.