The Cambridge Police Department has added its first all-electric vehicle to its service fleet in support of the City's Clean Fleet Initiative and Climate Action Plan (CAP).
The new 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicle will be placed into service this week. The cruiser, which will replace a vehicle with a gas engine, will be used by the traffic unit. Two other unmarked Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles have also been deployed for the Criminal Investigations Unit and administrative assignments.
The Mustang Mach-E was selected after a thorough review of electric vehicle options. Department members spoke with law enforcement partners throughout the region and country about their electric vehicle fleets.
It is estimated that the Mustang Mach-E will reduce fuel usage by 2,800 gallons per year. Maintenance costs are expected to drop by a minimum of $1,500 per year.
On-road use and idling are major contributors to greenhouse emissions. Decommissioned marked cruisers with combustion engines have been replaced with hybrid vehicles. The department’s next step is to upgrade our current infrastructure to support an EV fleet of marked cruisers. These will replace the hybrid alternatives and move toward cleaner energy use in the coming years. The department is aligned with a clean fleet goal of 100% zero-emission police cruisers by June 30, 2035.
To help pay for the costs, the department obtained an electric vehicle rebate.