ATHOL – A proposed replacement of the town’s vehicles with electric models is estimated to generate a quarter of a million dollars over three decades.

Athol’s Decarbonization Task Force was given an assessment of converting the town’s internal combustion engine vehicles to electric models at its Aug. 30 meeting. The assessment was provided by Hannah Pederson, a transportation electrification analyst with ICF International. This was done at no cost to the town due to Athol’s participation in National Grid’s Fleet Advisory Service Program.

Of the 72 vehicles owned and operated by the town, 51 were identified as having EV options available on the market. Of those 51 vehicles, the assessment recommends that 26 “would be beneficial to convert over the next 15 years.”

Most of those recommended for conversion by 2038 are police SUVs and non-patrol SUVs within the Police Department. ICF is also recommending conversion of the Public Works Department’ street sweeper.

According to the analysis done by ICF, conversion of the 26 vehicles identified would result in “TCO (total cost of operation) savings of $722,357 over the next 29 years. That would include a savings of nearly $460,000 in fuel costs over that period, as well as about $220,000 in maintenance costs. In addition, conversion would prevent more than 48-hundred metric tons of Carbon Dioxide from being spewed into the atmosphere.

Savings to Athol

The reduction of CO2 emissions, according to ICF, would be equivalent to eliminating the energy use of 553 homes, changing nearly 183,000 incandescent lamps to LEDs, recycling 16-hundred tons of waste instead of dumping it in landfills, or planting more than 79,000 trees.

On-road vehicles excluded from the analysis were those operated by the Fire Department, along with 12 identified as non-road equipment and operated by the Fire Department and/or DPW. These included four ATV/UTVs, one mower, four backhoes and three loaders.

As the town proceeds with converting much of its fleet to EVs, it will also need to expand the availability of electric charging stations. The report states the town will need “a maximum of 12 DC Fast Chargers (DCFC) and 14 Level 2 (L2) charger ports to support the recommended 26 EVs.” The report did say the number of chargers needed could be reduced “depending on the scheduled duty cycles of the vehicles…”

Task force response

Public Works Director Dick Kilhart—emphasizing he is not opposed to conversion—asked DiBenedittis about issues that could potentially cut into the cost savings of converting to EVs. First, he asked if the cost of extinguishing EV fires has been looked into. Kilhart said he had read a report indicating that it recently took approximately 11,000 gallons of water – and three hours – to extinguish a fire in a Tesla EV.

“On a regular gas vehicle,” he said, “it takes about 20 minutes.”

Kilhart also asked if the weight of batteries installed on DPW trucks would have an impact on the roads they travel. Most roads, he pointed out, are now paved with recycled asphalt, which tends to have a shorter lifespan than fresh pavement.

DeBenedittis said she didn’t believe the difference in weight between ICE vehicles and EVs would be that significant.

Task force member Lee Gersch, however, took exception to further studies being done in order to answer such questions. He said precious time would be wasted answering all the questions that might come up regarding EVs. Further delays, he argued, would likely result in failure to meet state deadlines for conversion, as well as continuing to cause damage to the environment.

Fellow task force members Tom Russo and Linda Oldach disagreed, saying it’s important that those who will be involved with the conversion to Evs—as well as community members—are given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered.

The big question is where the town will come up with the more than $777,000 to pay for the new vehicles. ICF provided the task force with several incentive and grant programs that could cover at least part of that amount. The list included programs administered by National Grid, the state Dept. of Environmental Protection, and the state Dept. of Energy Resources. The report noted that Green Communities Grant Program funding may be available in future years, but the amount may vary.

Athol Planning and Development Director Eric Smith said copies of the assessment will go to the Selectboard, Finance and Warrant Advisory, and the Capital Programs Committee to begin planning for a coordinated conversion strategy, including identifying funding sources.

Greg Vine can be reached gvineadn@gmail.com.

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