Change brings surprises and lessons, and that’s especially true for fleet electrification. The City of Aspen has seen a lot since beginning the process of electrifying its city vehicles — from an employee stranded at 0% battery to the proactive planning they now put into charging infrastructure. The result of their thoughtful and iterative process is a growing model for fleet electrification.
The City is taking a phased approach and applying lessons along the way, prioritizing smaller highway-rated vehicles — pickup trucks, sedans, and SUVs — while the technology and cost of larger equipment continue to evolve. Even with uncertainty in today’s political landscape and shifting commitments from major manufacturers like Ford, the City is committed to steady progress based on observations that prove EVs are reliable, efficient, cost-saving, and sustainable.
We spoke with sustainability program administrator Tim Karfs and fleet operations manager Bethany Hayes to understand Aspen’s fleet-electrification approach, lessons learned, and advice for other municipalities.
What is motivating the City of Aspen to electrify its fleet?
We see a bright future for electric vehicles. Aspen Electric achieved 100% renewable energy in 2015, and Holy Cross has set an ambitious target of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030. For the City of Aspen, it makes sense for us to transition to electric vehicles as well. Fleet emissions are the second largest portion of emissions in the City’s operations, so this is a key focus area for us moving forward. We’re aiming for a 100% reduction in fleet fuel emissions by 2050.
We also want to make sure that we’re using our taxpayer money the best way that we can and being efficient with those funds.
How have employees reacted to the new vehicles?
In any organization, you’re going to have extremes on both sides: folks who are advocates of their EVs, and some who will need a lot of motivation to drive them. A majority of what we hear is from the pro side. Part of that is that EVs are fun to drive—they have a lot of initial get-up-and-go, so they drive well in a city that has some hills and a lot of traffic. They like the capabilities. They like the way it drives.
In order to address concerns and make sure that we’re making the right decision, we are analyzing each vehicle through our fleet replacement plan as an EV opportunity. That means understanding what the needs and expectations are of those vehicles and asking some deep questions about how employees use those vehicles in their day-to-day operations.
What is your process for employee education?
The most important part is meeting people where they’re at and making sure education and resources are aligned so people feel supported when trying something brand new. We’ve learned that education needs to happen at every stage—before purchase, during the buying process, when vehicles are received, and ongoing for both employees and the public
Not all EVs are the same. They don’t all have the same charging ports. They don’t all have the same connections where the Chargers are. We want to ensure that our educational materials are designed to be accessible to all kinds of drivers, and are also available in Spanish for those who don’t speak English as a first language.
Are there any immediate financial or operational benefits?
Operationally, we’re not spending money on fuel because electricity is much cheaper than fuel per gallon and per mile, and we’re not spending money on maintenance other than tires and some belt changes, and other items. It’s unequivocal that the cost of electricity is less than that of gas. That’s been a huge boost to our fleet savings.
How have you been approaching charging infrastructure?
It’s a chicken and an egg situation — which one do you need first? But from my perspective, I want to make sure that we have a plan before we invest 100%.
In Aspen, trenching and digging up the ground are expensive. So, we’re addressing EV charging infrastructure upgrades as one-off installments and aligning with renovation plans or capital facility maintenance upgrades, helping reduce costs. For example, the water plant will undergo renovations in the next couple of years, and we’ll install vehicle charging infrastructure at that location to support their fleet transitions. 2025 was a big year for our fleet charging as well. We received grants to offset costs to install fleet chargers for our Parking Dept and our Streets Dept.
What’s your biggest piece of advice to other cities or entities looking to electrify their fleet?
Opt for the extended range option of the vehicle. Find the money for that extended range, even if you think you don’t need it. Aspen is only three and a half square miles, but we have found that the Ford F-150 Lightning standard range didn’t meet our needs and operational demands. Aspen Police Department for example has really had to put a lot of thought into the best use cases of these vehicles to ensure they don’t run low on batteries.
Secondly, transitioning from an internal combustion engine (ICE) to an electric replacement can be considered risky business for some, so it’s important to build relationships with the individuals who will be driving and operating those vehicles. That way, you’ve built up enough trust that you can troubleshoot issues that inevitably happen.
More information
Thinking about a new or used EV? Reach out to CLEER, the West Central coach for ReCharge Colorado. Whether you have questions about the VXC rebate, other state incentives, or charging at home or in an apartment, a coach can walk you through the whole process.
