CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Governmental departments in Chesterfield have some of the most environment-friendly vehicles in the United States, and it’s all thanks to the county’s Fleet Services Division, which was just named the 42nd best Green Fleet in the country by the National Association of Fleet Administrators.
The Chesterfield County Fleet Services Division supports every county department that requires vehicles, such as police units, fire stations, school buses and more.
According to a release from Chesterfield, this year’s Green Fleet ranking is the county’s highest ever, and the third time in four years that the Fleet Services Division has made the top 50 nationwide in vehicular sustainability.
“It’s an honor for our organization to be recognized as a leader in the public fleet industry,” Craig Willingham, a fleet manager in the Fleet Services Division, said in a statement on Monday, Sept. 26. “We would not be successful in expanding our footprint of alternate-fueled vehicles and sustainability efforts without the support of our staff, customers, and county leadership.”
According to the county’s release, Green Fleet rankings are given based on a number of criteria, including the types of alternate-fueled and fuel-efficient vehicles deployed, business practices and use of information and technology, as well as environmental stewardship.
“Our operations and administrative team do a fantastic job working in a field that continues to evolve with new technology while navigating through unique supply-chain challenges,” Willingham said.
Since 2018, Chesterfield has expanded the number of alternative-fueled vehicles by 70%, the county’s release read. This includes converting light-duty gasoline vehicles to also operate on liquid propane, adding electric school buses and increasing the number of propane-powered buses.
The release also said the Fleet Services Division has plans to open a new 35,000-square-foot heavy vehicle maintenance and administrative facility that will feature approximately 9,000 square feet of solar panels later this year.