Yorba Linda will transition its city vehicles from petroleum gas to all-electric. Photo: GM
Going electric is a sentiment many communities are familiar with right about now, as the world scrambles to find its footing in the world of zero-emission vehicles. And as they do,
Yorba Linda, California has announced plans to switch from the city’s gas-powered vehicle fleet to an entire fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) this year, as reported by the Orange County Register. If approved, the switch will begin officially on July 1 when City Council approves its next two-year operating budget for the new fiscal year.
#YorbaLinda budget update:
✅ balanced budget
📈 projected budget surplus
💰 over 50% in reserves
⬇️ cut costs by over $2M
♻️ transitioning our 🚗 to electric
📉 reducing our pension liabilities
💼 awarded $1.7M in grants to over 200 small businessesGovernment done right!👍🏼
— Tara Campbell (@tarapcampbell) October 22, 2020
The council already voted last year to fund the installation of building charging infrastructure at City Hall, costing a total of $115,000 USD with the addition of a 15% contingency allowance.
If the new budget is approved, the council hopes it will lead by example in the community, allowing average consumers to follow suit in the years to come.
City Finance Director Scott Catlett said, “The vehicle fleet based out of City Hall is proposed as the first phase as a broader transition to an electrified fleet over the next several years as a wider variety of electric vehicles become available, including light- and medium-duty trucks.”
As Yorba Linda transitions to EVs, hopefully other communities will continue to do so too. The less emissions we can produce as a species, the better off our planet will be.
