2026-0224 PWETC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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electric vehicles. Electric vehicles do not use fuel codes or pumps, which changes how fleet infrastructure is planned and tracked. With six or seven fully electric vehicles now in service, future facility planning must include adequate electrical capacity to accommodate continued electrification. He emphasized that proactively sizing electrical systems is important, as retrofitting undersized infrastructure, like replacing the transformer in the lower garage, can be more complicated and costly later. Ms. Bakken clarified that the City currently has four fully electric vehicles, the Rivian command vehicle, the electric fire engine, and two Ford F-150 Lightnings, along with two plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlanders. She noted that she tends to stay informed about new electric vehicle purchases because information about them usually reaches her as they are added to the fleet. Mr. Freihammer said the City should be able to run a report estimating fuel savings, particularly for the first Ford F-150 Lightning, which has been in service for over a year. By comparing it to the gasoline vehicle it replaced, staff can calculate how many gallons of fuel would have been used and estimate savings. However, he noted that it may be more difficult to quantify electricity usage because the vehicles do not have a separate electrical meter or breaker dedicated to charging. Even so, the City should at least be able to estimate the gallons of gasoline avoided. Ms. Bakken shared that, anecdotally, she has heard the vehicles only need to be charged about once every 1.5 to 2 weeks, often using simple wall outlet trickle charging that can take about a day and a half to recharge the battery fully. She noted that the Ford F-150 Lightnings have large battery capacities with a range of over 300 miles, which she described as impressive for typical city use. Chair Ficek said he raised the question because residents often ask about the costs of transitioning to electric vehicles, since it represents an investment. He noted that demonstrating measurable fuel savings helps show that the City is seeing a return on that investment. Ms. Bakken agreed and added that electric vehicles also tend to have lower maintenance needs because they have fewer fluids and fewer moving parts than gasoline vehicles. She shared a personal example, noting that in the years they have owned their Chevy Bolt, the only routine maintenance has been tires and windshield wipers, aside from a one-time electrical system issue that was covered under warranty. Vice Chair Hodder asked whether the City has reviewed its rooftop solar installations to determine whether they are producing the energy savings projected in the original feasibility study. He noted that the question could be addressed later in the presentation if that information comes up, but said he was curious about current performance relative to expectations. Page 12 of 18