Maryland to add 40 electric vehicles as part of zero-emission conversion

The state of Maryland is converting its fleet of traditional fossil fuel vehicles to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), which includes electric vehicles (EVs).

The Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM) plans to purchase 40 fully electric vehicles through the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF), which is managed by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). This number reflects about 25% of all eligible vehicles purchased by the state in the 2021 fiscal year.

DBM, along with MEA, Maryland Department of Environment and Department of General Services, has established a working group whose primary focus is to ensure that state-purchased EVs are assigned to locations with charging infrastructure to support them. Further, the group has established purchase and charging infrastructure benchmarks that will ensure all mandates are met with minimal to no disruption of employee work routines.

Maryland adopted California’s stringent vehicle emissions standards in 2007 and joined with other states in 2013 to form the ZEV task force with a goal of 3.3 million ZEVs operating on their collective roadways by 2025. As part of this effort, Maryland established a goal of 300,000 ZEVs on its roadways by 2025.

Maryland currently has slightly more than 33,000 ZEVs registered. The total cost of ZEV ownership is lower due to lower maintenance cost and cheaper fuel options, making ZEVs a fiscally responsible transportation choice for the state and its taxpayers, state officials say.

Funding the fleet conversion was made possible with $2.25 million from the SEIF to DBM to purchase EVs. DBM is working with MEA, DGS and other state partners to develop a state facility EV infrastructure strategy for charging stations.