Sept. 27, 2021—Eden Prairie, a city on the western edge of the Twin Cities metropolitan area in Minnesota, has been on the forefront of municipal energy efficiency for almost two decades.
As electric vehicles become more prominent, more reliable and more affordable across the globe with every passing year, they became the logical next step for Eden Prairie’s green initiative.
Earlier this year, the town purchased a Tesla Model Y police squad car, the first fully electric vehicle in the city’s fleet.
Gerald Byington, fleet services manager for the city, says getting the city's municipal council on board with the decision to purchase the vehicle wasn't all that challenging.
“They wanted to go electric anyway," Byington says. "Getting them to understand the cost comparison was the hardest part of getting them to purchase a Tesla because if something happens to it, it’s going to cost a little more to repair it, but over the long term, they found where the savings are really going to help."
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