As part of the City of Richmond’s “green fleet” program, the Vancouver-area municipality is planning to purchase four Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks.
Richmond City Council approved the purchase this week, which also includes three F-150 hybrid trucks.
The Lightning electric pickup trucks will set the city back approximately $325,000, with the hybrid trucks accounting for nearly $155,000.
The total amount to be spent will be over $540,000, almost double what it would have cost the city to purchase seven internal combustion engine trucks.
Once again showing the difficulty of having to purchase cars through independent dealers, the city received one quote of almost $740,000 for the four Lightning trucks alone.
Despite the high price tag, the city is expecting to recoup that extra money through lower fuel and maintenance costs Councillor Andy Hobbs says it is government’s role to lead in buying electric vehicles (EVs), something which will eventually bring down the cost for everyone.
“I think everyone understands there’s a green premium to be paid for this kind of technology,” Hobbs told Richmond News.
The city is not expecting to take delivery of the trucks before the second quarter of 2022, a timeline which may be further extended due to market demand for the Lightning trucks.
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