How Belmont Can Switch to Electric Vehicles

By Roger Wrubel and Brian Kopperl

If Belmont is to reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80% of 2007 levels by 2050, all sectors of the community must do their part. The Belmont Energy Committee has proposed an “EV First” policy requiring the town to consider electric vehicles (EVs) for all lightweight vehicle purchases. The policy allows for exemption requests by departments if EVs do not meet their needs or are too expensive. 

We collected data on the concerns of town staff in transitioning to EVs. We analyzed each of these concerns: lack of EV charging infrastructure, limited range, unsuitability of EVs for emergency use, and cost. We found that none prevent the town from initiating an EV First policy now. 

Belmont is serious about climate policies

For several years Belmont Town Meeting has been getting serious about our climate policies. In 2009, Town Meeting adopted Belmont’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for an 80% reduction in the town’s carbon emissions by 2050 (compared to 2007). In 2019, the Belmont Roadmap was adopted at Town Meeting and laid out a plan to reach that goal. For example, the roadmap asks for 50% of all new car purchases made in Belmont by 2030 to be EVs. The town can now set a great example by adopting a transition policy to advance the conversion of Belmont’s vehicle fleet conversion to EVs. 

Attempts to carry out these policies started in 2017 when the town used a grant to purchase two Nissan Leaf EVs for the facilities department and the health department. Both EVs are still in service. Belmont Light acquired a Chevy Bolt EV the same year, which was sold back to the manufacturer in 2022 after five years of service. The town has now started to purchase EVs again with the addition of a Ford Mach-E for the water department, a Ford Transit EV van on order for the facilities department, and two Ford Mach-Es for Belmont Light. 

In July 2022, the Energy Committee submitted a proposed EV Transition Policy to the Select Board. The policy calls for each town department that plans to buy a lightweight vehicle (under 8,500 lbs.) to prioritize buying battery EVs first, followed by plug-in hybrids, then standard non-plug-in hybrids, and finally gas engines (that is, internal combustion engines). The proposed policy would exempt heavy vehicles (over 8,500 pounds), such as ambulances, garbage trucks, bucket trucks, utility trucks, and heavy-duty pickup trucks because EV versions are not readily available. Critically, if a department decides that an EV or plug-in hybrid will not serve its needs or is too expensive, the policy allows for an exemption to be granted by the town administrator.  

At the Select Board’s urging, Energy Committee members met with the Department of Public Works (DPW), Long Term Capital Budget Committee, facilities department, and police department to hear their concerns about transitioning future town vehicles to electric. The town administrator also met with various departments that have vehicles and reported their concerns to the Energy Committee. 

While the town staff is generally supportive of the EV transition, they have reservations about how quickly it can be implemented in a way that would not hamper town services. The main concerns expressed by town staff are summarized below, together with our analysis. 

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Abbreviations and Definitions

EV/BEV

Battery electric vehicles, also known as BEVs, which have a rechargeable battery and rely on electricity as their sole source of energy powering at least one electric motor. All EVs utilize “regenerative braking,” which transfers braking energy back to the battery while the car is driven (think of it as akin to “engine braking”). Examples: Chevy Bolt, Ford Mach-E

PHEV 

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have a rechargeable battery which powers an electric motor. They also have a gasoline motor which takes over once the battery is depleted or during acceleration. Examples: Prius Prime, RAV4 Prime

HEV

Hybrid electric vehicles have gasoline-powered internal combustion engines and electric motors powered by batteries which cannot be plugged into an external source to charge. Instead, the battery is charged through regenerative braking and, in some models, by the internal combustion engine. Example: Ford Escape Hybrid

Internal combustion engine

A vehicle that runs solely on gasoline or diesel fuel. Example: Ford Explorer

EVSE

Electric vehicle service equipment, or simply “chargers,” to charge EVs.

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Charging infrastructure

Town staff feel there is insufficient charging infrastructure in Belmont to support the broad adoption of EVs. Today, several Level 2 chargers around town are open to the public as well as town vehicles (i.e., the Claflin lot with four chargers and the water department lot with  two chargers). The light department also has a Level 2 charger limited to their vehicles. 

 We recommend that the town choose several additional charging locations, such as the DPW lot, Town Hall, fire stations, and the police department, and install Level 2 chargers as soon as possible to alleviate this concern. Level 2 chargers and associated electrical wiring upgrades are relatively inexpensive; roughly $1,000 to $3,000 per installation depending on the choice of equipment and the extent of electrical work required. The state’s MassEVIP Workplace & Fleet Charging Incentives program provides 60% rebates for towns that install Level 2 chargers.

 Further, charging stations can be locked if the town prefers to limit their use to town vehicles. Vehicles plugged in overnight would be fully charged by morning. Since the transition to EVs will be gradual and coincide with internal combustion engine vehicles being replaced over time as they age out, the demand for charging infrastructure will likewise increase gradually, and the town staff will learn about additional charging needs and best locations through experience. 

Range

Town staff expressed concern that EVs do not have sufficient range to handle all municipal functions, especially in winter, and that recharging will interrupt their work. We found that EVs have more than sufficient range to accomplish town functions.

How many miles does a typical town vehicle travel in a day? Craig Spinale, Belmont Light’s general manager, found that light department vehicles driven by staff all day (7.5 hours/shift) average 61 miles per day, well below the 200-plus mile range of EVs. This is not surprising considering that Belmont only spans 4.7 square miles. Even in winter, the range of modern EVs when fully charged is at least 160 to 180 miles. 

Emergency use

Staff worry that EVs are not suitable for robust emergency use. For example, pickup trucks need to plow continuously for hours during snowstorms. For these classes of vehicles, it is relatively quick to add fuel to a gas tank, while charging EVs takes more time. 

EV pickup trucks that are now available on the market (e.g., the Ford F150 Lightning, Rivian, and the soon available Chevy Silverado) are all half-ton trucks. Trucks used by the town for snow plowing are usually larger, one-ton pickups. While EV pickups may not be appropriate for snow plowing today, larger EV pickups will become available in the not-so-distant future. At that point, the town could purchase one, see how it performs throughout winter, and go from there.

The second concern around emergency use is an EV having a depleted battery when an emergency arises, such as a police cruiser responding to a call. Again, the issue is the slow rate of charging compared to internal combustion or hybrid vehicles. As is the case now, all town vehicles must be kept fueled to be available when needed, regardless of whether they are an ICE, hybrid, or EV. 

This challenge can be solved by the town investing in one or more fast, so-called Level 3 chargers capable of charging EVs to 80% of capacity in 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the charge level when the vehicle is returned to the station. A Level 3 charger, available for public and town vehicles, is on order by Belmont Light for the Claflin Street parking lot. 

Expense

Right now, the cost to purchase an EV is likely less compared to buying an equivalent gas-powered or non-plug-in hybrid vehicle. The town also receives a $7,500 rebate for each EV purchased and $5,000 for each plug-in hybrid through the state MassEVIP incentive program. With the state’s MassEVIP rebate available to Belmont, the cost differences between  purchasing an EV or plug-in hybrid should be immaterial.

The cost of fueling and maintaining EVs over the life of the vehicles is significantly less than gas-powered vehicles, resulting in additional savings. For example, an EV requires about 75 kilowatt hours (kWh) to travel 300 miles. At the Belmont Light municipal rate of $0.14 per kWh, the cost to charge an EV would be $10.50. 

A traditional gas car getting 26 miles per gallon would need 11.5 gallons of gasoline to travel the same distance. At $3.25 per gallon, the comparative fuel cost to drive 300 miles would be $37, more than three times as much as the EV. Likewise, maintenance costs have proven surprisingly low, as we know firsthand. 

For the EVs we, the authors, have each owned over the last five years, we have had to rotate the tires, change the cabin air filter, fill up the window washer fluid, replace the tires when needed, and not much else. There are only about 20 moving parts in an EV motor compared to about 2,000 in an internal combustion engine, which means the town can expect its EVs will last longer and will need to be replaced less frequently than gas engines.  

A detailed 2021 study by the Argonne National Laboratory found that fully electric vehicles are 40% less expensive to maintain compared to gas-powered vehicles. By comparison, there was no difference in maintenance costs between internal combustion engines and electric hybrids since the hybrids have gasoline engines.  

The lithium-ion batteries that today power EVs are warrantied for at least eight years or 100,000 miles. Most manufacturers will replace batteries under warranty if they drop below 70% of EPA-rated range.  

By following best practices, such as not fully charging or discharging and using direct current fast chargers sparingly, EV batteries are expected to last the lifetime of the vehicle with only modest range reduction.

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List of selected BEV and PHEV available under state purchasing contract (VEH110), April 2022

Make/Model	Type	MPGe	Base Price
Ford Escape	PHEV	40	$ 29,785
Ford Mustang Mach-E	BEV	93	$ 40,932
Ford F-150 Lightning	BEV	N/A	$ 37,795
Ford E-Transit	BEV	NA	$ 45,459
Toyota Prius Prime	PHEV	54	$ 25,422
Toyota Rav4 Prime	PHEV	38	$ 41,652
Honda Clarity	PHEV	67	$ 33,043
Honda Insight	PHEV	52	$ 26,584
Honda CR-V Hybrid	PHEV	38	$ 31,560
Nissan Leaf	BEV	111	$ 22,756
Chevrolet Bolt EV	BEV	120	$ 30,122
Chevrolet Bolt EUV	BEV	115	$ 34,722
Hyundai Ioniq	PHEV	119	$ 30,802
Hyundai Ioniq	BEV	133	$ 34,202
Hyundai Kona	BEV	120	$ 43,612
Hyundai Santa Fe	PHEV	33	$ 46,442
Hyundai Tucson	PHEV	35	$ 43,622
Pacifica	PHEV	30	$ 42,052

MPGe is “Miles Per Gallon of Gasoline-equivalent,” or how many miles the vehicle can go using “a quantity of fuel with the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline.”See www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/text-version-electric-vehicle-label for more information.

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Comparison of models and prices of vehicles approved for purchase by 2022 Town Meeting and EV or plug-in hybrid equivalents listed on the state contract.

Department	Vehicle Recommended by Department	FY23 Capital Budget Approval	State PHEV and BEV Alternatives	Alternative Price after EVIP rebate
Facilities	Ford Explorer non-plug-in HEV	$55,666	Ford Mach-E EV	$35,975
			Toyota RAV4 AWD PHEV (MPG 38)	$36,652
Sewer	Ford Explorer HEV	$56,765	Ford Mach-E EV	$35,975
			Honda CRV PHEV	$26,560
Water	Ford Escape HEV	$31,575	Chevy Bolt EV	$22,622
			Ford Escape PHEV	$25,628

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Town vehicles taken home each night 

Finally, seven vehicles are authorized to be driven home by town employees at the end of each workday. One staff member we interviewed believed that, because they lived 25 miles from Belmont, they could not rely on an EV to get back to work during an emergency. This concern is addressed by the fact that EVs have a typical range of 200 miles. However, we recommend the town install a 240 volt outlet in the garage or beside the driveway of these employees’ houses so they can charge their EVs quickly right when they get home, eliminating range concerns. The cost would be about $600 per electrical installation and $329 for a Level 2 charging cable. In addition, these seven town employees could request reimbursement for electricity consumed at home to charge a town-owned EV. 

Where we stand 

In our judgment, none of the concerns expressed by town staff should prevent a steady transition of town vehicles to EVs. In all cases, department heads can request exemptions from the proposed EV First policy if no EV or plug-in hybrid meets their needs or budget. 

The town budget process for FY24 is already beginning. Soon, departments will be submitting their capital requests to the Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee. As of this writing, there is no EV transition policy in place for Belmont. A policy requiring EVs to be considered first for all lightweight vehicle purchases will provide a clear process for department heads to make decisions while supporting Belmont’s climate goals. 

We encourage the Select Board and the town administration to join in adopting an “EV First” transition policy now and help set the example to get Belmont on the road to cleaner transportation. As town staff become more familiar with the advantages of EVs, we believe they will become enthusiastic advocates of making the switch. 

For more information, see the Belmont’s Energy Committee’s website, belmontclimateaction.org/resources.

Roger Wrubel is a Town Meeting member and Energy Committee member, and Brian Kopperl is an Energy Committee member.