Buffalo Grove fleet getting its first all-electric vehicle

Buffalo Grove’s municipal fleet is entering the era of electric vehicles.

The village board last week voted to spend up to $53,209 to buy a Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck from Arlington Heights Ford. It will be the village’s first all-electric vehicle.

The new truck will replace a 2008 Ford F-350 pickup truck used by the forestry and grounds section of the public works department. The older vehicle as 78,000 miles on its odometer, is nearing the end of its useful life and has recently undergone extensive repairs, village officials said. It will be sold at auction.

The replacement cost of the F-350 would have been $70,000 according top the village, which plans to seek a federal tax credit for the purchase of an electric alternative.

Deputy Public Works Director James Warnstedt said the village could realize more than $17,000 in savings on fuel, oil and oil filter costs. The Lightning will be the only electric vehicle the village will purchase this year and provide information on which it can base future purchasing decisions, he added.

“The village has been contemplating the right opportunity to try an all-electric vehicle for our municipal fleet, and the Ford F-150 Lightning is a strategic move that aligns with the village’s commitment to sustainability,” Warnstedt said.

Public works has charging capability at its current building as well as its future home at 1650 Leider Lane.