LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg city leaders unveiled their first fleet of all-electric cars Thursday. The Chevy Bolt EUVs are meant to save the environment and save some money.
Chuck Cramer, director of fleet services for the City of Lynchburg, said the pilot program has been in the works for about a year-and-a-half and costed more than $222,000.
The seven new cars will be used across several city departments including administration, public works, and parking enforcement.
The vehicles do not have an engine and will not need as much maintenance.
“Right now, [the brakes are] anticipated to last possibly the entire life of the vehicle that we have it because they use regenerative braking going downhill, so it uses the motor to slow it down and to recharge at the same time. So, you’re not using the brakes as much,” said Cramer.
Cramer said there’s not enough data to tell how much money the city will save over the years, but the city will monitor how much money they’re using on charging and how much they’re saving on gas.