8 Electric Vehicles Added To Hillsborough County Sheriff's Fleet

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — While they may not be suitable for high-speed chases, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said electric vehicles have a place at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

With that in mind, Chronister announced he is adding eight electric vehicles to the sheriff's fleet, including two Mustang Mach-Es, four E-transit vans and two F-150 Lightning trucks.

The Mustangs will be used in an administrative capacity, while the E-transit vans will be assigned to technicians in the Information Services Division. The trucks will be assigned to the Facilities Management Bureau.

This addition will allow the sheriff's office to reduce its exhaust emissions and save on fuel, said Chronister.

"The goal of adding electric vehicles to HCSO is to explore and evaluate the latest technology and how our team can use it to its full potential," he said.

The first electric vehicle arrived in October 2021, and the sheriff's office will add 20 vehicles in the 2022 fiscal year with the goal of having 100 electric vehicles in the next five years.

"One of the themes in our department is keeping up with the continuous technological developments, " said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "As electric vehicles evolve, we want to embrace the new technology and be good stewards of our environment. One way to do that is to find a place for the EVs within our fleet. We already have several charging stations at our facilities, and we will continue to study how these vehicles may enhance our operations."

The average price of the Mustang Mach-E is $47,200, the E-transit vans have an average price of $54,400 and the F-150 Lighting is approximately $46,500.

In terms of savings associated with the EV models in comparison to the sheriff's fuel-powered models, Chronister said the electric vehicles have significantly lower fuel costs and a higher resale value.