The Northbrook Park District has purchased its first fully electric vehicle (EV) to join its fleet on a trial basis.
According to a news release, the 2024 Ford E transit T350 cargo van replaces a 2008 gasoline-powered truck. The purchase is a testament to the Park District’s longstanding commitment to investing in technology that promotes efficiency and sustainability.
“The idea is to see how well this new cargo van works for us, in hopes of adding additional electric vehicles as the need arises,” Randy Truhlary, Northbrook Park District Facilities and Fleet Manager, said. “We want to be a leader in this frontier, and we also want to do our due diligence in making sure it suits our needs. To this end, we had several meetings with Ford’s EV team to ensure the vehicle would meet our operational needs. For example, their team analyzed things like the average mileage and frequency of usage of our current trucks, as well as the weight of equipment they carry.”
The Park District has installed an electric vehicle charger in the maintenance garage of the Joe Doud Administration Building, 545 Academy Drive, the release said.
“The cargo van is being charged during off-peak hours, so will be utilizing lower electric rates,” Truhlar said in the release.
Altogether, the park district has a fleet of 29 vehicles, including pickup trucks, dump trucks, box trucks, and cars. The electric cargo van will primarily be used by Parks trades division staff, according to the release.
Using the GPS software installed on all its vehicles, it was determined that staff members typically drive the 2008 truck for under 30 miles per day. That means running out of battery life for the new cargo van shouldn’t be a concern, Truhlar said.
The release said the Park District’s fleet of efficient, environmentally friendly equipment includes a battery-powered field line-marking robot for soccer fields, electric debris blowers, electric line and hedge trimmers, and a hybrid reel mower with electric components powered by a diesel generator.
The district’s Techny Prairie Activity Center is only the third verified net-zero building in Illinois generating more annual energy through its 833 rooftop solar panels than the building consumes.
The Park District installed an electric heat pump water heater at its Leisure Center, and the plan is to implement the electrification of additional systems, the release said.
Also, the Park District has converted nearly 100% of its lighting to energy-efficient LED funded through a grant from ComEd.
The Park District’s overall commitment to efficiency and stewardship of the environment is reflected in the numbers: from 2019 to 2023, the district experienced a 25.5% reduction in energy costs.
