POUGHKEEPSIE – The City of Poughkeepsie has replaced two antiquated cars being used by the Parking Enforcement Department (PED) with two leased vehicles; 2020 Nissan Leaf electric cars.
The PED has been using surplus vehicles since the unit was been established. Of the four vehicles in use, a 2004 Chevrolet Impala and a 1997 Saturn ION are being replaced with the new vehicles. The Impala had more than 79,000 miles on the odometer while the ION had more than 74,000 miles.
Poughkeepsie’s Finance Commissioner, Dr. Brian Martinez, called the new vehicles “part of an overall plan to replace aging vehicles with an eye on long-term cost-savings.” Under the new lease program that will also replace vehicles in the police department and DPW, Martinez called the plan a “substantial savings to the taxpayers.”
The overall operational costs of the vehicles are much lower than the current vehicles according to the city’s analysis. The two new electric cars are leased for 60 months at $451 per month. Plans call for two more Nissan Leaf cars to be obtained next year.
Dan Vonknoblauch, the city’s Parking Enforcement administrator praised the new lease plan as a way to save fuel and maintenance costs while also keeping the employees safe and comfortable. “Employees deserve to have vehicles that are safe,” said the department head, adding that “the old cars were worn out and uncomfortable.”
The newest additions to the city’s fleet are electric but do not require a special charging station. Both vehicles are capable of being charged on traditional household 110-volt receptacles. The vehicles, normally parked at the Public Safety Building on Main Street are able to be recharged with an extension cord attached to a standard receptacle.
Vonknoblauch estimated the cost to operate the new vehicles at approximately 3.5 cents per mile. The Impala and ION averaged 15 miles per gallon and required substantial routine maintenance to keep the cars rolling.
Freshman Councilman Evan Menist praised the new vehicles. “These new electric parking enforcement vehicles represent the City of Poughkeepsie’s commitment to acting locally to address the climate crisis. Coupling these vehicles with the 100 percent renewable electricity that the city buys through our community choice aggregation program, this is a step in the right direction towards carbon neutrality.”
