2016 Nissan Leaf.  Photo courtesy of Nissan

2016 Nissan Leaf. Photo courtesy of Nissan

The State of California has increased its zero emission vehicle (ZEV) purchasing mandates for state agencies, bumping it up to 50% of light-duty replacement vehicles by 2025. This new goal, which would add approximately 1,500 new ZEVs to the state fleet, is part of the state’s 2016 ZEV Action Plan released Tuesday.

The 2016 plan provides an update to the 2013 plan and identifies new actions state agencies will take to achieve Governor Jerry Brown’s executive order B-16-12, which called for the acceleration of ZEV adoption in California. ZEVs are defined as hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, pure battery-electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

State agencies have already fulfilled the directive that ZEVs must comprise 10% of the state light-duty fleet purchases by 2015, achieving 11.74%. Agencies are on pace to meet the 25% goal for 2020.

In addition, the state will continue to expand on the number of ZEVs available on state contracts, evaluate the purchasing exemption for public safety vehicles to see if ZEVs can be integrated into public safety fleets, and install charging and fueling infrastructure.

The 2016 action plan lists these additional priorities: raising consumer awareness of ZEVs; ensuring ZEVs are accessible to a broad range of Californians; making ZEV technologies commercially viable in the medium-duty, heavy-duty, and freight sectors; and aiding ZEV growth beyond California.

Originally posted on Government Fleet

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