Public fleets — often managed by cities, counties or ports — are the invisible transportation infrastructure that keeps society running, from picking up our garbage to helping workers fix power outages. There are over 38,000 public fleets operating in the US, though you probably only think about these vehicles when you wheel out your garbage bins or get a parking ticket.
But here’s one reason why you should give them some more consideration: many of these vehicle fleets are helping lead the transformation to zero and low emission vehicle tech like electric, hybrid and natural gas.
How did city fleet managers become cleantech leaders? Oftentimes, they can tap into state and federal incentives, and are also being pushed by local and state mandates to meet emissions reductions goals. California’s city fleets in particular have been moving rapidly in recent years to much greener fleets.