The electric Chevy S-10 pickup truck, which is assigned to the police agency in North Carolina state government, is the most recent addition to the state's growing number of alternative fuel vehicles. The electric truck is one of two that went into state service in December. The other is assigned to the Air Quality Division in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. While police are known for the protection they provide, protecting the environment from pollution is a special concern for state government leaders. N.C. Project Green, a team comprised of state government officials focused on reducing the negative effects state government operations have on the environment, is working to put more alternative fuel vehicles into use.
Alternative fuels are important for air quality and for conserving natural resources.
The police truck is used by an officer who keeps overnight vigil at a group of state offices several miles from the downtown state government complex. When the shift is over, the officer drives the truck to State Capitol Police headquarters on North Salisbury Street where it is recharged, usually in a little over an hour, and then is available for regular patrol or other duties during the day. The State Capitol Police force functions under the N.C. Department of Administration. The truck averages 60 miles per charge, according to Sgt. Mele, who is responsible for State Capitol Police's environmental sustainability push, which also has included a bike patrol as well as recycling and anti-litter efforts.