Acton Police Department Acquires First All-Electric Vehicle

Chief Richard Burrows is pleased to announce that the Acton Police Department has added its first all-electric vehicle to its service fleet as it moves toward meeting the Town’s Climate Action Plan goals.

The new 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicle was placed into service in April. The cruiser, which will replace a vehicle with a gas engine, is used for administrative assignments and is displayed at community events. The Mustang Mach-E is not rated for patrol or pursuit use by the state of Massachusetts.

The Mustang Mach-E was selected after a thorough review of electric vehicle options. Department members spoke with law enforcement partners throughout the country about their electric vehicle fleets, including departments in Boulder, Colorado and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

It is estimated that the Mustang Mach-E will reduce fuel usage by 470 gallons per year. It is expected the vehicle will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or the impact of burning 3,319 pounds of coal. On-road use and idling are major contributors to greenhouse emissions.

Maintenance costs are expected to drop by $1,200 per year.

The Mach-E cost $56,400. The Department secured $31,000 in American Recovery Plan Act funding, and worked closely with the Town’s Sustainability Office and the Green Advisory Board to obtain a $7,500 grant from the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program. The remaining cost was covered by trade-in and Department funding.

The Department has moved toward cleaner energy use in recent years. Decommissioned patrol vehicles with gas engines are replaced with hybrid vehicles. Only one remaining patrol vehicle is solely gas-driven.

“Fleet electrification is an important strategy for reducing greenhouse emissions. We are proud to be leading by example,” Chief Burrows said. “As we bring the Mustang Mach-E around the community, we’re getting a lot of positive comments, and people want to know more about the vehicle and the Climate Action Plan.”

To see a full breakdown of the savings and costs for the new Police EV Cruiser, click here.

To learn more about the Town’s Climate Action Plan goals, click here.