COLUMBIA — The city of Columbia is working to transition more maintenance and administrative vehicles to electric alternatives.
The Office of Sustainability announced another rollout of electric vehicles through a Facebook post on Nov. 17. The city has been working to replace the older, gas-powered models with cleaner alternatives since 2023 as a part of its long-term sustainability goals.
The fleet now includes 18 electric vehicles and 10 electric buses.
Eric Hempel, the sustainability manager for the Office of Sustainability, said the vehicles make up some of the total light duty vehicle fleet.
Hempel said light duty vehicles are the focus for replacements right now because of their cost efficiency, in comparison to other vehicles that involve a more significant investment.
Hempel said the changes have lowered fuel costs, maintenance needs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Hempel said the city has saved about one metric ton of carbon dioxide in the past month by using the vehicles.
He said the move to electric vehicles is a part of the city’s Fleet Electrification Policy first introduced in 2023. The policy states that the city will reduce 50% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and 100% by 2050.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Hempel said that when the city introduces more electric vehicles, it has to take into consideration the added electricity to the power grid.
“I think there’s an idea that electric vehicles are going to crash the grid and certainly if they’re not done thoughtfully and correctly, there is a risk of that,” Hempel said. “What we do is working with our electric utility to make sure there’s sufficient capacity wherever we go to install the chargers.”
The city is also offering rebates to incentivize the community to make the electric vehicle switch.
The Columbia Water and Light Utility offers 50% rebates that can total up to $500 to install a Level 2 charger. Todd McVicker, the utility services manager for the city of Columbia, said Level 2 chargers are not built for a typical outlet.
The utility will also provide a $100 incentive to install a 240V NEMA 14-50 outlet, according to the Facebook post.
McVicker said that one of the reasons for the rebate options is to help identify where the systems are located around the city to ensure they can provide enough electricity coverage.
Hempel said that as long as purchasing the vehicles makes sense economically, the city plans to continue the upgrades to electric vehicles.
