This summer Carbondale Police Department and Public Works have made electrifying new strides in sustainability by adding several new electric vehicles (EVs) to their respective fleets in a bid to make Carbondale’s infrastructure safer and more sustainable.
Unveiled to the public during June’s First Friday festivities, Carbondale Public Works now owns a new purpose-built electric van for sewer inspections, and Carbondale P.D. now owns two new Chevy Silverado electric police vehicles. Three additional electric police vehicles are to be delivered to the police department in July. The police EVs currently in possession by Carbondale P.D. are in the midst of being outfitted with emergency lighting and other operational equipment and are therefore not currently in service. However, both Public Works and Carbondale P.D. are excited about the new equipment.
“Because the [new utilities] vehicle replaces equipment that is nearly three decades old, the improvements in reliability, safety, and technology are expected to be substantial,” Assistant Public Works Director Scott Wenning said.
The new inspection van is a replacement for an existing 27-year-old sewer camera van that has reached the end of its useful lifespan. The previous vehicle also required a gas generator for supplemental power, resulting in additional noise and greenhouse gases generated while the van was stationary and performing its inspection operations. The new van is instead silent during operations, reducing the amount of disturbance to the neighborhood and environment.
The Carbondale Utilities Department’s 2026 budget set aside approximately $350,000 for the replacement van. However, the procurement quote for the new van came from the outfitter at a much lower $248,382.
“The cost difference between a new gas-powered camera van and this EV was only about $6,700 [more], so it was easy to decide that the extra cost was worth any greenhouse gas emission and fuel cost reductions,” Wenning said.
The two new police vehicles currently in possession of the department were originally meant to be Ford F-150 Lightning trucks, but a fire at a Ford production plant prompted the Department to switch gears. Those two EVs currently possessed by Carbondale P.D. were purchased using 2025 budgeted funds.
One of those vehicles was present at June’s First Friday. Although it was far from operational (outfitting a new police vehicle can take up to six months according to Chief Kirk Wilson), it still caused a stir among the public and generated excitement from both Carbondale citizens and Town staff.
“Feedback [from Police De-
partment employees] has been very positive, with employees expressing satisfaction with the vehicles’ performance, comfort, technology and overall driving experience,” Wilson said. “We are looking forward to deploying them in operational service.”
The three additional EVs, which are expected to be delivered later this month, were purchased with 2026 budget funds. That purchase cost $254,755 out of a total fleet replacement budget of $701,036.
While all funds for the purchase of electric vehicles this year came out of Carbondale’s pocket, the Police Department was able to secure $75,000 in grant funding with the assistance of Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) for the purchase and installation of new electric charging stations at Carbondale Town Hall. The Town of Carbondale matched that grant amount for a total
of $150,000.
The new charging stations are currently operational for both municipal and public usage.
Carbondale Utilities is also making a push towards more sustainable infrastructure with other pieces of new equipment, including new blower equipment at the wastewater treatment plant installed in 2025 that is already saving 10-15 megawatt-hours of electricity per month. Utilities also plans to install a second micro-hydroelectric system on the Nettle Creek line to generate even more sustainable energy.
Although statistics are as yet unavailable for how much both departments stand to save in terms of fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions with their new EVs, both departments feel that the new vehicles contribute toward the Town of Carbondale’s consistent efforts to increase sustainability and modernize infrastructure.
“I’m very keen to continue showing the community how we can execute on sustainable capital investments such as this industrial duty inspection van,” Wenning said. “It’s a great opportunity to show that Town staff support both sustainability goals and responsible financial management.”