PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- All new vehicles purchased by state agencies will be electric plug-ins or electric hybrids "wherever possible," according to a directive from Governor Chafee announced Tuesday.
Chafee made the announcement at the unveiling of an electric vehicle charging station at Roger Williams University in Bristol. It is the first in a network of up to 50 charging stations that California-based ChargePoint will install statewide over the next three months through a $781,225 contract.
Chafee also said he had asked Richard Licht, state director of administration, to use Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars to pay for the difference in price between an electric or hybrid state vehicle and a comparable gas-powered vehicle.
Licht said the directive would mainly apply to the state's fleet of about 900 passenger vehicles, with new purchases focusing on hybrids, plug-in hybrids and plug-in all-electric vehicles. He said replacements would be made "wherever possible."
He said it would take a number of years for the fleet to make the changeover as the state would continue to work with existing vehicles until they needed to be replaced.