Presidio of Monterey 'goes green' with new electric vehicles

By Hiro Chang, Presidio of Monterey Public AffairsFebruary 22, 2010

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. Aca,!" The Presidio of Monterey Directorate of Logistics Transportation Division has added five Low Speed Electric Vehicles to its fleet.

"The vehicles are part of an Army-wide initiative to 'go green' by reducing carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels," said Jan Fittante, POM transportation operations specialist, adding that the initiative is "intended to save both energy and money."

The initiative is a part of Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, which is a mandate that encourages the acquisition of alternate-fueled vehicles to save energy, money and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

"LSEVs do not have any carbon emissions, making them very environmentally friendly," Fittante said. "Energy costs are (also) estimated to be less for these vehicles."

Although the Presidio is not new to having electric vehicles, these are the first to be assigned to the Presidio of Monterey from the Installation Management Command, Fittante said.

Each LSEV is equipped with basic accessories, such as a heater, windshield wipers, seat belts and a cargo area.

The vehicles are also fully enclosed with a top speed of about 30 miles per hour and can travel approximately 30 miles per charge.

They can be charged using a regular electric outlet and should be plugged in when they are not being used, Fittante said.

POM transportation is currently looking into which departments will be able to use the vehicles efficiently and other viable solutions for a greener post.

"If the LSEVs perform successfully and meet installation requirements, more electric vehicles will be added to the fleet. Transportation is also looking into exchanging some of the regular-fuel powered vehicles for hybrid gas/electric vehicles," Fittante said.

Related Links:

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