Detroit converts entire parking department fleet to EVs, continuing push to reduce emissions

The city invested $3 million to roll out 48 EVs and 25 charging stations.
Electric Vehicles at Detroit Municipal Parking Department
Photo credit Ryan Marshall/WWJ

DETROIT (WWJ) – Detroit’s push towards a significant reduction in carbon emissions continues, as the city on Wednesday rolled out an all-electric fleet of vehicles for its Municipal Parking Department.

With an investment of $3 million, the department is the first in the city to convert to all electric, unveiling 48 new Chevy Bolt EVs and 25 on-site charging stations with two charging ports each.

Mayor Mike Duggan said this is the first of what will be a larger movement to convert to electric and hybrid vehicles as part of the city’s shift toward greater sustainability. The city has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 75% by 2034.

While DDOT unveiled four electric buses last year and the city now has more than 250 EVs in its fleet across all departments, Duggan said at a press conference Wednesday this is a big step, as all parking officers will be driving them.

“This is new for us, to be going on this kind of scale, but I’m reliably told that the charge lasts 200-250 miles,” he said.

The new fleet was deployed this week and residents can spot the new vehicles by the decals outfitted to illustrate the fleet’s 100% electric, zero emissions capacity.

Municipal Parking Department and Director Keith Hutchings said the department’s shift to electric will have “some immediate benefits,” including operation efficiencies and fewer moving parts when it comes to maintenance and fueling, meaning less down time.

In the long term, it will save the city money on fuel costs, officials said.

Detroit City Councilmember Scott Benson, at the forefront of the city’s movement to reduce emissions and leader of the city's Green Task Force, said Detroit is “leading the way.”

“We have now, I believe, created the largest municipal fleet of EV vehicles in the state of Michigan. That’s just how Detroit leads, how we’re at the tip of the spear and how the city of Detroit leads the way when it comes to resiliency and sustainability,” Benson said.

There will not be any operational changes to the parking enforcement service and the entire staff has been trained to operate the electric vehicles. Hutchings said that his department did a “great deal of research” to determine the best EV for its operation, ultimately settling on the Bolt, which Kelley Blue Book ranked No. 1 in its list of Best Electric Cars of 2023.

He said that some MPD officers drive up to 150 miles per day and a fully charged Bolt has a range of more than 200 miles. He added, however, that officers are instructed to return the vehicles to the charging stations upon a thirty-percent charge to ensure the staff’s safety and efficiency.

Funding for the new fleet and infrastructure came from the city’s general fund:

• Vehicle Cost: $26,211.00 per vehicle capitalized in a monthly lease payment of $501.02 per vehicle.
• EV Infrastructure: $429,500.35 / 25 EV charging stations = $17,180.01 per charging station
• Vehicle Technology and Upfitting: $1,348,830.00 / 48 vehicles = $28,100.62 per vehicle

WWJ's Ryan Marshall reports the city will auction off the old gas-powered vehicles used by the MPD. The city has not released any further information about that process.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Ryan Marshall/WWJ