Nappanee receives first electric vehicle in fleet | News

NAPPANEE — It was a celebratory event in Nappanee Thursday morning as city officials took ownership of its first electric vehicle — a Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup truck.

McCormick Motors hosted the event, which included a ribbon cutting, luncheon and what McCormick Motors President Tom Nunemaker called a “fun ride and drive”, giving anyone who wanted the opportunity to test drive a Silverado EV or a Blazer EV the chance to do so in what he called the “launch zone” across the street after registering and signing a waiver.

City Planner Todd Nunemaker spoke on behalf of the city.

“This is an exciting occasion, celebrating a significant milestone as we accept delivery and unveiling of our first EV, the Silverado,” he said. “This event marks a new chapter in our city’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.”

He thanked Michiana Area Council of Government and the Indiana Office of Energy and Development for the generous grant and dedication to sustainability initiatives saying their “support has been instrumental to bringing this project to life.”

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He also gave special thanks to Street Superintendent Brent Warren, who worked with MACOG to apply for the grant.

“This moment is significant not only because it represents a significant shift towards more sustainable practices but also because it exemplifies our commitment to innovation and cost savings measures,” he said.

Nunemaker said electric vehicles save money on upfront costs, fuel expenses and maintenance and are “fun to drive” and said this was “an important step towards a greener future.”

He shared that the city’s building maintenance manager, Abbot Martin, will be the one driving the vehicle. He said Martin has been diligently driving his personal vehicle for city business.

“We’re thrilled to provide Abbot with a dedicated city vehicle, especially one as groundbreaking as the Silverado EV,” he said.

Nunemaker shared some of the benefits of the electric vehicle, including that environmentally it has zone emissions, is incredibly efficient, has fewer maintenance parts, fuel savings and is a quiet, smoother ride. He said the range is 393 miles on a full charge and since Abbot’s average monthly miles ranges from 350-450 miles, he should only have to charge a couple of times a month.

MACOG Encourages Other Communities to Reach Out

Leah Thill, director of sustainability with MACOG, shared information about the grant Nappanee received and the opportunities for other communities. She said they’ve assisted with grants through their green fleet program since 2017.

Thill said Nappanee’s first electric vehicle was “one of the projects I’m most excited about because it’s an electric pickup truck, which didn’t exist a couple of years ago.”

Thill said Nappanee’s grant was in the amount of $127,225 and the grant was provided by the Indiana Office of Energy Development through their Energy, Efficiency and Conservation Block grant program through the US Dept. of Energy. She said MACOG assisted with the grant along with their partner at Drive Clean Indiana.

The city is also now eligible for the federal clean vehicle credit for commercial entities that local governments, schools and non-profits can now receive in the amount of $7,500 per vehicle.

“Between the two incentives the city should pay nothing for either vehicle and the fleet charging and installation at city hall,” Thill said. “It’s real exciting to have this completely covered because it’s new so that helps offset risk, allowing them to aggressively pilot the vehicle in everyday applications.”

She said she didn’t want them to “baby” the vehicle, but instead to “drive it hard, especially in winter and let us know your experiences and share them with other communities.”

Thill said Nappanee was ahead in terms of getting the vehicles in, but three others also received grants, including the Town of Walkerton who’ll be receiving a pursuit-rated with modifications for police vehicle, which she said would be the first fully electric police SUV in the region.

Thill encouraged other communities to contact her if they’re interested in electric vehicles because they just applied for a grant for 64 electric vehicles through the US Environmental Protection Agency’s CPRG (Climate, Pollution Reduction Grant).

She said they’d find out in August and if they get it, it would cover 80% of the cost of the vehicle, plus the federal tax credits. Thill said there are 35 cities and towns in MACOG’s region so “hopefully every community could get 1-3 vehicles regardless of its size.”

Todd Nunemaker said the city is also expecting a Chevrolet Equinox EV later this year or in early 2025 which would be driven by the city’s building inspector Steve Saylor.

“We’re embracing the future of transportation, and this initiative is a testament to the city’s dedication to sustainability, cost efficiency and innovation,” he said.