Pittsburgh getting $200,000 from state for purchase of electric vehicles

Pittsburgh can add to its growing fleet of electric vehicles through a state grant totaling more than $200,000, the Mayor’s Office announced on Thursday.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is providing $135,160 to help pay for eight electric vehicle charging stations and $67,500 toward the purchase of nine electric vehicles. The grants were among more than $1 million awarded for clean energy projects in southwestern Pennsylvania.

“I want to thank Governor Wolf for this investment in making the city’s air and environment safer and more sustainable,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a statement.

The grants would nearly double the city’s electric vehicle fleet. Pittsburgh last year had four battery-operated Chevrolet Bolts with six more on order and five solar charging stations.

It takes about nine hours to fully charge one car that’s on empty and the vehicles can run for 180 to 200 miles on a full charge.

Peduto plans to convert the entire city fleet to fossil fuel-free vehicles by 2030.