By 2035, Los Angeles is planning to replace more than 10,000 vehicles for a green, zero-carbon vehicle fleet. As part of the plan, the L.A. Sanitation Department in collaboration with City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield recently unveiled the city’s Chevrolet Silverado EV — electric vehicle — fleet.
The effort is part of L.A.’ s plan, known as “LA100,” to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2035, nearly a decade ahead of what city officials had previously envisioned.
“Leveraging the purchasing power of the city as a major customer can drive and support electrification and innovation, and it’s exciting to be part of this transition to electric vehicles throughout our City fleet,” said Blumenfield in a statement on Nov. 21.
But it won’t come cheap. The purchase price is about $90,000 per vehicle, according to Kristine Cajulis, a spokeswoman for Blumenfield. The Chevrolet Silverado EV has an estimated 450-mile range, 1,440-pound payload capacity and can add 100 miles of charge in just 10 minutes.
Blumenfield explained, “These new EV trucks are built for hardcore city work — they go 450 miles on a charge, have crazy torque, carry bigger payloads, require little maintenance, and they’re good for the environment.”
The L.A. City Council voted last year to transition to 100% clean energy in about 10 years, and EV cars and trucks produce less pollutants than gas vehicles. As part of the plan, the council directed the city departments to create an electric vehicle master plan to transition about 10,000 vehicles into a green zero-carbon fleet.
Cajulis said, “Seven new Chevrolet Silverado vehicles will go to L.A. Sanitation. There are a few more coming to the city but there’s no timeline on which department will be getting them.”
The city’s General Service Department, which maintains all the city’s cars except the vehicles used by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department, oversees 6,000 vehicles ranging from heavy duty to light duty vehicles and is aiming for 100% EV vehicles, Cajulis added.
In August the city unveiled its first all-electric street sweepers, making Los Angeles the first city in the nation to purchase all-electric street sweepers.
Los Angeles Sanitation Chief Operating Officer Traci J. Minamide said in a statement that “reducing the climate impact of our services by utilizing electric vehicles like this new Chevrolet Silverado is a critical component of our environmental program.”