MCA earned a small, early win in its campaign to electrify the township fleet this month. Following comments by MCA president at the July 17th council meeting, and after questions from township councilors prior to the meeting, township manager Michael Lapolla agreed to withdraw a proposal to buy two hybrid cars for the township fleet and look into the possibility of buying electric vehicles instead.
“Hybrid cars were a great environmental technology…25 years ago,” said Korfhage in comments to the council. “Today, if you want to do what’s necessary to address the climate crisis, electric vehicles are what needs to be done. Towns all around us are buying EVs: Maplewood, Bloomfield, Hoboken, Jersey City, Paterson, Bergen County. So why is Montclair still going with a 25-year-old technology rather than doing what needs doing, electrifying the city fleet?”
While the withdrawal of the proposed purchase is a step in the right direction, much more needs to be done. In the near term, money needs to be made available in the upcoming budget cycle to install chargers. In addition, MCA believes a long-term plan to electrify the township fleet should be developed.
While the current council seems supportive of this initiative, citizens need to keep up the pressure on the council to do the right thing. If you are interested in speaking to the council about this issue, email MCA president David Korfhage at david@montclairclimateaction.org, or show up for public comment at the council meeting on July 30th. Public comment is expected to begin around 7 pm.
See below for Korfhage’s full comments to the council:
I am speaking today about the proposal to buy two hybrid cars for the township fleet. Hybrid cars were a great environmental technology…25 years ago. Today, you would be hard pressed to describe them as cutting edge. Today, if you want to do what’s necessary to address the climate crisis, electric vehicles are what needs to be done. Towns all around us are buying EVs: Maplewood, Bloomfield, Hoboken, Jersey City, Paterson, Bergen County. So why is Montclair still going with a 25 year old technology rather than doing what needs doing, electrifying the city fleet?
This is especially true given the proposed cost of the hybrids: $40,000 per car. I was able to find three electric vehicles on the market now with MSRPs lower than that. I don’t know the procurement rules for the township, or if the township can get that price, but it seems to me that if the township can get EVs for no more than they would pay for a gas-powered car, they should do that—especially given lower maintenance costs for EVs
This is especially the case because I believe that Lisa Johnson has obtained a grant to install chargers at township hall. These grants have an expiration date, and while they won’t cover the whole cost of the installation, the township would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to get money to do something which, frankly, we’re going to have to do sooner or later. So, postpone this purchase, get the chargers installed, buy electric cars. Get started on the transition we need to make.
The truth is that the climate crisis is upon us. You can see it in the headlines and we can feel it in the air, literally. And according to Montclair’s own climate action plan, nearly half of township greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. That means there’s no way that we can address our impact on climate without tackling transportation – and electrifying the city fleet is part of doing that.
Long term, what I would ask this council to do is pass a resolution to have the environmental commission, the sustainability coordinator, the manager, and the department heads develop a plan to electrify the city fleet as cars are retired—so that the default, when buying a new vehicle, is electric vehicles, rather than 25-year old hybrid technology.
But right now, please consider holding off on this, and seeing if we have a chance to take advantage of existing opportunities to start the process of electrification.
I was at a climate change rally in New York City recently, and I saw a sign that said “Think like an ancestor.” That what I want to encourage you to do. We are ancestors of all the people who come after us. What are we doing to leave them the world better than we found it? You, as city leaders, are in a place to be climate heroes, to make a real positive contribution. It is a privilege I hope that you will take advantage of. You can make Montclair a climate leader, and leave a legacy you can be proud of.
Image Credit: Ivan Radic, Flickr