Politics, Sci-Tech

Olszewski requires all new, replacement government vehicles to be hybrid or electric

TOWSON, MD—County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Thursday announced an Executive Order to begin requiring all new and replacement passenger vehicles for the Baltimore County’s fleet to be hybrid or electric vehicles as local officials continue their efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.

“We recognize our obligation to a cleaner, greener and more sustainable Baltimore County for this and future generations, which is why I’m committed to ensuring Baltimore County remains a statewide sustainability leader,” Olszewski said. “In setting this new goal, Baltimore County will lead by example and increase the number electric vehicles on our roads and support long-term efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and combat climate change.”

Baltimore County has completed a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan to guide the County’s efforts to reduce emissions and fossil fuel consumption across three broad categories of County operations: Buildings and Energy, Transportation, and Waste.

According to these analyses, Baltimore County government’s on-road fleet of vehicles and equipment represent roughly 20 percent of the enterprise-wide greenhouse gas emissions.

Under Olszewski’s Executive Order, Baltimore County will:

  • Convert at least 10 percent of the County government’s passenger fleet to electric vehicles by 2030;
  • Install the charging infrastructure necessary to support these vehicles; and
  • Replace remaining passenger vehicles with fuel-efficient hybrid models.

In March 2021, Olszewski also partnered with BGE to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on public sites across Baltimore County.

Photo via Pixabay

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