Electric police cars? Bill would require 75% of state-owned vehicles be battery powered

Three quarters of vehicles bought by the State of New Mexico would have to be electric, should a bill moving through the legislature be passed and signed into law.

Senate Bill 30, sponsored by Sen. William Soules (D-37) would require 75 percent of all state-purchased vehicles be propelled to a “significant extent” by a rechargeable electric motor, drawing power from a battery and able to reach speeds of at least 65 miles per hour, read the bill.

If passed, SB 30 would also require the purchases by Transportation Services Division of the New Mexico General Services Department and call on the Division to establish a plan to do so by the end of 2023.

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The bill defined electric vehicles as a motor vehicle or plug-in hybrid vehicle with four wheels, specifying a baseload weight between 2,000 and 8,500 pounds, with a capacity of at least 4 kilowatt-hours and can be recharged by an external electrical source.

It was given a “do pass” recommendation Jan. 31 by the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee on a 5-2, with Republican Sens. Gay Kernan and Ron Griggs, both representing portions of southeast New Mexico where most of the state’s oil and natural gas is produced.

SB 30 was sent to the Senate Finance Committee for further discussion and potential action.

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The proposal would impact 1,434 vehicles, 75 percent of the state’s fleet, according to an analysis from the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC).

At a base cost of $50,000 per vehicle, the LFC estimated the total cost of replacement by 2030 would be about $31.7 million.

While funding requests from state agencies were likely to increase “rapidly,” the LFC noted, the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department “believes a state government-wide conversion of fleet vehicles from gas-powered to electric-powered would be extremely beneficial,” the report read, in meeting federal requirements under the Alternative Fuels Act.

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But the LFC warned state agencies already struggled to source electric vehicles due to low inventory and lack of availability.

The bill would also result in a requirement that electric vehicle (EV) charging stations be installed throughout the state, the LFC report read, at about $20,000 a site.

“Savings over time would be realized, however, in the reduction of maintenance costs associated with operating EVs and less greenhouse gas emissions,” read the report.

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The New Mexico Department of Transportation reported 42 communities throughout rural New Mexico were receiving EV charging stations, using $10 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, with the state to receive another $38 million from National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program for a network on interstate highways.

During the committee hearing where SB 30 was advanced, Kernan, who opposed the bill, said requiring electric vehicles would present concerns for State Police officer responding to crimes in other incidents.

“These are our law enforcement that are out on the roads that don’t have time to stop and recharge,” Kernan said.

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But Kernan said EVs could also be a problem for New Mexico Department of Transportation workers responding to road issues, and might not work in, rural areas of New Mexico, especially for fossil fuel or agricultural activities that typically occur in remote areas.

“It seems like this is really more of an urban-rural issue,” Kernan said. “In rural New Mexico, it’s really difficult to be able to figure out how you would be able to utilize EV when you’re out in the country all the time, whether you’re in the oilfield or agriculture or whatever.”

In response, Soules said that provided with an adequate charging network, statewide EV use would effective enough for remote areas or even police.

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“If you’ve ever driven one of Teslas, for instance, they’ll beat just about any police car that we have on the road,” he said. “Electric vehicles are very, very fast if they need to be. I could see our police cars switching over to that.”

He said the bill included some exemptions for situations where charging is not available, to address concerns for availability in remote areas.

Kernan countered that EVs were not reliable enough for all state functions.

“There are other departments that need more reliability, more distance and more time on the road,” she said. “It makes me little bit nervous to think about people that are working out in the oilfield being required to check on oil and gas production to be stuck out there.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Bill would require 75% of state-owned vehicles be electric by 2030