LEESBURG, Va. — A small city in Northern Virginia is doing its part to reduce its carbon footprint. The City of Leesburg welcomed its first all-electric government vehicle Aug. 2.
The Nissan Leaf S will be used for administrative work in the city government's utility department. In a statement from the city, it says this vehicle will replace a gasoline powered Ford Fusion.
The city has 201 cars, vehicle and SUVs. Up until now, all those vehicles have run off gas. According to the city, almost 122,000 gallon of fuel were used to provide government services to residents across town in 2022.
The city says replacing this one, gas vehicle with an electric one will save nearly half an acre of U.S. forests each year.
“This is an important first step as we right size our fleet and find alternative fuel vehicles that allow staff to continue to provide a high level of service to our residents and minimize our impact on the environment,” Leesburg Sustainability Manager Deb Moran said. “We plan to replace two additional ICE vehicles with EVs this year. As we continue to work through our alternative fuels planning process, we don’t want to miss any opportunity to start making positive changes now.”
The city also says that replacing the vehicle did not cost the government additional money. The electric car's price paired with monetary federal incentives made the vehicle less expensive than buying a traditional, gas-powered vehicle. The town took advantage of the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit Program which was updated in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The town expects to receive a $7,500 tax credit because of the car's charging capabilities.
The vehicle can travel up to 212 miles on a single charge and it will use a standard 110 outlet.
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