Polk County plans to transition to an EV-based fleet

Catch up fast: County Supervisors passed a resolution in 2021 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations.

• The goal is a 90% reduction by 2040.

Zoom in: The advertised price of the vans start at around $46,000 each, which is similar to some gasoline models.

• They can save thousands of dollars in operation costs based on a 100K-mile lifespan, according to estimates published by Merchants Fleet.

State of play: The electric fleet transition will occur in coming years as older vehicles are retired.

• The county is also installing solar panels on some of its buildings, converting heating and cooling systems to electric and transitioning all its lighting to LED.

Fun fact: DSM is simultaneously working on a similar plan.