FleetElectricVehicleAdoption

Progress To-Date:

• Public Sector Electric Vehicle Purchases:  158 / 60% of goal
• Private Sector Electric Vehicle Commitments: 220 / 49% of goal 
• Transportation Service Provider Electric Vehicle Rebates Awarded: 40 / 100% of goal

The transportation sector is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, converting vehicle fleets from traditional combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) presents a sweeping opportunity to reduce emissions in our region. 

We’re partnering with central Ohio public, private and academic organizations to place 755 EVs into operation in public and private fleets by the 2020. Among them, we’re seeking to deploy 265 vehicles in public sector fleets, 450 vehicles in private sector fleets and 40 vehicles into operation with transportation service providers, such as taxi and ridehailing companies. 

The City of Columbus is leading the way in the public sector effort, procuring more than 125 vehicles to date. City officials project that the cost of powering and operating the electric vehicles will be half the cost of operating conventional, internal combustion engine vehicles. The city has been joined by the cities of Dublin, Hilliard, Westerville, Whitehall and Worthington in procuring EVs for city fleets, as well as The Ohio State University, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and Franklin County.

Smart Columbus has also challenged participants in the private sector Acceleration Partners program to adopt electric vehicles in their fleets. Our team partners with these companies to understand how EVs can support their organizations’ sustainability goals and also help reduce fleet management costs. 

In 2018, we also introduced the Smart Columbus Transportation Service Provider Battery Electric Vehicle Rebate Program, which provided 40 incentives of $3,000 each to transportation service providers who purchased new, fully electric vehicles. Recipients included taxis, carsharing services and individual ridehailing drivers—high mileage vehicles that can also serve to educate our residents on EVs.