The Hawaii Department of Transportation has taken delivery of a white Tesla Model 3, the first to be received under a new service contract.

Eventually, nine EVs will replace legacy vehicles used by the State Highways division, and another 34 are to be delivered to the DOT by the end of May. HDOT plans to continue converting its aging fleet of about 300 passenger vehicles to EVs, according to spokeswoman Shelly Kunishige, and aims to convert the entire light-duty fleet by 2028.

The department procured the EVs as part of a multi-agency contract with a company called Sustainability Partners. Under the 10-year service contract, state and county agencies do not have to purchase EVs outright, but can acquire them, together with the necessary charging infrastructure, on a per-mile cost basis. The contract provides EVs from multiple vendors, including Tesla, Nissan, Ford, Kia and Chevy.

The service contract is expected to save the DOT an average of $287 per vehicle per year in fuel costs, and 75% in vehicle maintenance costs over its lifespan—to say nothing of an estimated 8,700 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

“Converting our aging vehicles to EVs is another way HDOT is saving money and working towards the State’s goal of reducing fuel consumption in ground transportation 70% by 2030,” said DOT Deputy Director for Highways Ed Sniffen. “This service contract, that is available to all State and County agencies, could expedite government fleet conversions and help lead the way for increased private adoption of EVs.”

Source: Star Advertiser