Mayor Ballard also outlined steps to modernize the entire city fleet to electric or plug-in hybrid by 2025. Mayor Ballard’s proposal contains the following initiatives:

• Executive Order #6, 2012 requires the purchasing of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles for non-police fleet use.

• The city fleet of approximately 500 non-police fleet cars will be replaced, as needed, saving taxpayers approximately $12,000 per vehicle over the ten-year life cycle of each car.

• Conversion of heavy fleet vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The city is currently working with partner organizations including Energy Systems Network and finance experts to convert the city’s heavy fleet, including snow plows, trash trucks and fire apparatus to CNG.

• Developing the world’s first plug-in hybrid police vehicle. The city is seeking to partner with one or more automakers to develop a plug-in hybrid police vehicle that meets the safety, power, electronic and range needs of a modern urban police force. If a plug-in hybrid electric car could achieve just 40 MPG and meet the needs of police officers, city taxpayers would save up to $10 million per year. The city’s current police vehicles average 10 mpg.

Through the efforts of Energy Systems Network working with its industry partners through the Project Plug-IN initiative, Indianapolis has already been recognized by Toyota, Ford and the US Department of Energy as a one of the top communities for deployment of plug-in vehicles and charging stations with more than 200 charging stations installed across Central Indiana.