April 4, 2019—San Bernardino County's City of Colton Electric Utility is due to receive its first all-electric zero emission utility truck from Phoenix Motorcars, on the heels of a record breaking 87 days of bad air quality in the summer of 2018.
San Bernardino County is ranked among the top counties with bad air quality given the recent rise in warehouses in the region that require constant freight movement. More than 75 percent of the goods imported to Southern California ports are transported by rail or road to distribution facilities throughout the county.
To promote a clean, green community, and reduce atmospheric emissions, Colton's Public Works Department will be utilizing the all-electric zero-emission utility truck to service irrigation around the city.
The all-electric zero-emission utility truck is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 tons of carbon dioxide per year as compared with a conventional utility truck of its size. This will prove helpful in achieving the city's identified Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction target. The city of Colton aims to reduce its community GHG emissions to a level that is 15 percent below its 2008 GHG emissions level by 2020.
Aside from the many environmental benefits of utilizing electric vehicles, the Phoenix Motorcars Utility Trucks also offer significant cost benefits over the total life of the vehicle.
"We provide our clients with substantial savings in fueling and maintenance costs", says Emad Fakhoury, chief executive officer of Phoenix Motorcars. "We are excited to partner with the City of Colton, forward-thinkers, whose goal is to promote sustainable transportation and reduce atmospheric emissions."
"I am looking forward to city staff enjoying all the benefits I experience driving an all-electric car; it's healthier for our environment and meets our sustainability goals," said Jessica Sutorus, environmental conservation supervisor for the City of Colton. "As a city we need to lead by example."
