Electric Vehicles
Exploring potential costs savings from using electric vehicles
Pinellas County is currently evaluating the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) and the charging stations and maintenance needed to support using them for County operations. There are currently 14 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations at County facilities.
The County experienced significant advantages by replacing gasoline-powered utility carts with electric utility carts. Pinellas County now has 80 electric utility carts in operation. Notably, the cost of ownership for EV utility carts is considerably lower than that of their gasoline counterparts.
Case Study: Solid Waste Department’s Chevrolet Bolts
Powered by your trash
In 2021, Pinellas County’s Solid Waste department added two fully electric Chevrolet Bolts to its fleet. These vehicles are used by Solid Waste staff and charged at the County’s Solid Waste Disposal Complex, which includes the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility. The WTE facility turns trash from Pinellas County residents, businesses and visitors into electricity, which is added to the local electric grid and is enough to power about 45,000 homes and businesses every day.
The WTE facility also helps prevent methane gas emissions from waste breaking down in landfills. These facilities produce less emissions than sending waste to a landfill would, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Learn more about the County’s WTE facility
Reducing operational costs
Purchasing two electric vehicles has the potential to save the Pinellas County Solid Waste department more than $3,000 in fuel costs over the course of the cars’ lifetimes, according to Duke Energy’s Fleet Electrification Calculator.* Maintenance costs also tend to be lower for a fully electric vehicle due to fewer moving parts, fewer fluids to change and reduced brake wear.
*This estimate assumes a gas price of $2.68, an energy cost of $0.11 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and 75 miles driven per week.
Considering an electric vehicle for yourself?
Making the switch to an electric vehicle could save you money in the long run on both fuel and maintenance costs. Learn more about electric vehicles with the resources below.
General electric vehicle (EV) information and resources:
Electric and hybrid vehicle options:
Plug In America Electric Vehicle Guide
Electric Vehicle Tax Credit:
Federal tax credits of up to $7,500 are available for many electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles. (Note: These credits will no longer be available starting in late 2025). View the latest tax credit amounts for each vehicle.