Michigan State University (MSU) will place a massive electric vehicle (EV) order for their university fleet. Unsurprisingly MSU is going with their home-state automaker Ford, but the university is also buying two Tesla Model 3s.
As per MSU deputy spokesman Dan Olsen, the school is spending $1,720,000 to order the following vehicles:
- 18 Ford E-Transit vans
- 10 Chevy Bolts
- 6 Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks
- 5 Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs
- 2 Tesla Model 3s
Olsen says the Ford F-150 Lightnings, the E-Transit vans, and Chevy Bolts will be used by the Planning and Facilities teams who work on grounds keeping and building maintenance.
While the university police and public safety social workers will use the Mustang Mach-E’s
The university will make the Tesla Model 3s available for rent for faculty and staff for university business needs.
General Motors confirmed that the Chevy Bolts would arrive in June or July. However, the exact dates are still unknown. Ford and Tesla did not provide the university with a timeline for delivery.
The university is not committing to a complete EV transition, but they are moving towards a green commitment. As per MSU’s new release:
“The commitment also moves the institution closer to its strategic plan goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from its 2010 baseline. The conversion will decrease the university’s overall carbon footprint by 18,945 metric tons of carbon dioxide long-term – the equivalent of planting 312,584 trees.”
MSU will use the performance of these vehicles to determine future purchases for their more than 1,100 vehicle fleet, reports the Detroit Free Press.
The new electric vehicles to MSU’s campus is the latest in a series of environmental initiatives aimed at making the school greener. Other projects include:
- Installation of 100 square feet of transparent solar glass in the Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building
- Plans to add a 20-megawatt solar array on 110 acres south of MSU’s main campus to generate enough electricity to power 6,000 homes
- The 2017 construction of the largest solar carport array in North America, covering 5,000 parking spaces
