September 28, 2023 - To promote National Drive Electric Week, and the launch of GO Electric Vehicle Indiana (GOEVIN), Mayor Tom Henry and Public Works Division leaders today joined the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and Drive Clean Indiana (DCI) to highlight Fort Wayne’s electric vehicle (EV) charging station efforts in Fort Wayne for the public, and to share possible plans to add EV’s to the City’s fleet of vehicles in the future.
Fort Wayne’s EV charging station highlights:
- In 2021, the City partnered with Greater Indiana Clean Cities and received an IDEM grant to fund 10 L2 Electric Vehicle Chargers—more than any other community in the state. The City committed to installing additional chargers in conjunction with the VW Grant Settlement for L2 Chargers.
- The City currently owns 34 Level 2 chargers at 15 locations around Fort Wayne.
- The chargers are placed on both publicly-owned and privately-owned properties.
- Since installation, the 34 EV chargers have prevented the usage of approximately 43 tons of CO2, 4,400 gallons of gasoline, and 90 barrels of oil. This reduction is equivalent to having nearly 47 acres of forest, or planting nearly 650 trees to capture CO2.
Since 2020, the City has successfully installed and developed EV infrastructure and will continue to do so. The next step is to look at changing out the City’s fleet. We’ve been awarded another grant through IDEM’s VW emissions settlement funds to purchase a fully electric Zeus dump truck to replace a diesel dump truck for use by the Street Department. This truck is currently being built and is expected to be delivered later this fall. We have also received bids on the new Ford F-150 Lightning truck which will be available for departments to purchase through a vehicle lease.
Usage of EV & Gas Hybrid vehicles and all-electric vehicles in Indiana and Allen County:
- In 2022, Indiana had 108,888 registered EV & Gas Hybrid vehicles (1.68 % of total registered vehicles) and 15,949 all-electric vehicles (0.25% of total registered vehicles).
- Between 2018 and 2023, Allen County had the third largest number of registered Electric & Gas Hybrid vehicles in Indiana (behind Marion and Hamilton counties).
- Between 2018 and 2023, Indiana saw an increase in registered EV + Gas Hybrid vehicles, from 1.11% to 1.88%, and Allen County saw an increase from 1.24% to 2.14%.
- Between 2018 and 2023, Indiana saw an increase in all-electric vehicles from 0.05% to 0.34% and Allen County saw an increase from 0.05% to 0.35%
Earlier this year, Mayor Henry launched the initial phase of Sustaining Fort Wayne, an initiative dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of all its citizens in the face of climate change. The Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, which is at the core of Sustaining Fort Wayne, includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
GO Electric Vehicle INdiana (GOEVIN) is a collaborative, statewide initiative dedicated to advancing the adoption of electric vehicles across the state. The GOEVIN Team is comprised of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the Indiana Utility Group, and Drive Clean Indiana. GOEVIN aims to raise consumer awareness of electric vehicles (EV) by providing unbiased, educational information on the benefits of driving EVs in the Hoosier State.
Greater Indiana Clean Cities, Inc., a standalone non-profit focused on advancing communities with education and resources on alternative fuel vehicles, coordinated with the City of Fort Wayne to identify potential charging sites, assess identified site needs, and write the City's grant application.