BRANDON, Vt. (WCAX) – Police departments across Vermont are looking to see if electric vehicles might be right for them.
With the help of a state $25,000 state grant and $7,500 in federal tax credits, the town of Brandon is hoping to add two new EVs to their fleet of cruisers.
Brandon Police Chief David Kachajian says many of their current cruisers are aging fast and the department is spending upwards of $2,000 a month on repairs. Combined with higher call volumes, he says his staff needs better vehicles.
“Get rid of the take-home cars. Reduce our fleet down to five. Replacing four of the cruisers that are extremely old. With two of the newer ones under a lease. we would at least start to segway into electric vehicles if possible, see how they are going to work for us,” he said.
In Windham County, Sheriff Mark Anderson says they tested a patrol Tesla and he believes electric is the way of the future. “If agency heads are not looking at these right now, they’re falling behind. Not to say that it will be end-all-be-all for all agencies. Our electric vehicle will last a full shift of ours, and then some,” Anderson said.
The cruisers in Brandon reflect an overall move towards EVs in the Rutland County town. Town officials say that they want their police department to feel supported with reliable vehicles and that the purchase matches up with the town’s sustainability goals.
“We have had some success with some equipment for the grounds crew. This police cruiser possibility of looking at an electric cruiser is kind of the next step,” said Brandon Town Manager Seth Hopkins.
If Brandon voters sign off on the plan, the new cruisers could come as soon as this summer.
